Final draft of the MoA on Ancestral Domain

[I am uploading the final draft of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain which was supposedly signed on 05 Aug 08]

(Click the orange text (link) to read the initialed hard copy on the MoA Ancestral Domain or the Annex of the MoA Ancestral Domain. The Annex is a listing of all the cities and provinces included in the territory)

Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the GRP-MILF Tripoli Agreement on Peace 2001

The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) herein referred to as the “Parties” to this Agreement.

Terms of Reference

The context of referents follows:

The Agreement for General Cessation of Hostilities dated July 18, 1997 Between the GRP and the MILF, and its Implementing Administrative and Operational Guidelines;

The General Framework of Agreement of Intent Between the GRP and the MILF dated August 27, 1998;

The Agreement on the General Framework for the Resumption of Peace Talks Between the GRP and the MILF dated March 24, 2001;

The Tripoli Agreement on Peace Between the GRP and the MILF dated June 22, 2001;

The Tripoli Agreement Between the GRP and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) dated December 23, 1976 and the Final Agreement on the Implementation of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement Between the GRP and the MNLF dated September 2, 1996;

Republic Act No. 6734, as amended by R.A. 9054, otherwise known as “An Act to Strengthen and Expand the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)”;

ILO Convention No. 169, in correlation to the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, and Republic Act No. 8371 otherwise known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997, the UN Charter; the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and internationally recognized human rights instruments; and

NUJP-Zamboanga on reporter’s persona non grata resolution

NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES – ZAMBOANGA CHAPTER

August 9, 2008
Statement

Stop the intimidation of journalists. Recall persona non grata declaration against Al Jacinto

The Zamboanga City Council move declaring Al Jacinto persona non grata was uncalled for and constituted a form of harassment. The council, with all its power and resources, could have checked first with the newsman or his news outfit before issuing such arbitrary and unwarranted action.

The move stemmed from Jacinto’s articles posted in GMANews.tv regarding the opposition to the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) by several groups in Zamboanga.

Jacinto is a veteran and was simply performing his duties, as demanded by his profession and news organization. Any statement against the formation of BJE was not Jacinto’s but were quoted from different sources duly identified in the articles. They were uttered by personalities campaigning against the controversial and emotional BJE issue.

Contrary to the council’s belief, Jacinto’s articles did not bring shame to the city. We thus resolutely call on the council to withdraw its resolution which has served as a tool to intimidate not just Jacinto but all journalists in Zamboanga City as well as other journalists covering the peace negotiations between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The move was an affront to press freedom and violated the right of the people to information on matters of public concern. All developments pertaining to the peace negotiations are definitely matters of grave public concern.

Reference:
Julie Alipala
Chairperson, NUJP Zamboanga chapter

Armed Forces chief cools down Mindanao

[We were told a press conference at 12nn, went there before the time set but turned out the general was arriving at 1250pm. hmmm]

As tension were filling the souls of the residents in North Cotabato where the Moro Islamic Liberation fron rbels occupied some town, the Armed Forces chief General Alexander Yano arrived in a spate of troop visits in Mindanao and keep the peace. In the afternoon yesterday, the MILF rebels were pulling out.

In Zamboanga City, the general held a press conference at the city hall afterwhich met the mayor closed door.