Aquino meets with leadership of Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Japan
President Benigno S. Aquino III had a historic meeting with the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Japan Thursday night aimed at showing sincerity and fast-tracking the ongoing peace talks with the Muslim rebel group.
In a press briefing in Malacanang on Friday, government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen said the President met with MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ibrahim in Tokyo for two hours.
He described the informal meeting between the President and Murad as “cordial” and an opportunity for a candid exchange of views about the frames of the continuing peace talk and possible approaches for both sides to take to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao.
Both parties also agreed to implement any agreement within the Aquino administration, Leonen said.
“The President’s agenda in Mindanao has been very clear and he wants all places in the Philippines to be developed and that every place in the country to be out of poverty at the soonest possible time. The urgency is because we are truly serious about the peace process,” Leonen told the media.
Going to Japan in full force with members of his cabinet accompanying him indicated the government’s sincerity in the peace negotiations, Leonen added.
“The sincerity, the confidence that the President is not here to use the peace agreement for any other agenda except to do what is just for the people in Mindanao,” he said when asked by reporters about the message that the government conveyed to the rebel group.
At the same time, Leonen made an assurance that there was no “secret deal” forged between the government and the MILF during the meeting adding that the government will not commit the same mistakes made by the past administration, particularly the crafting of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA AD).
Leonen noted that, coincidentally, August 4 was the same date the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against the MOA AD three years ago.
The government chief negotiator underscored that based on current negotiations, the MILF has abandoned seeking independence and has been asking to be recognized as Bangsamoro as its national identity.
Leonen said it was agreed by both sides to have the meeting in Japan prior to the government’s submission of its own agenda for the talks last June. The meeting is the first time that a President meets with the chair of the MILF since the negotiations commenced 14 years ago.
The President was accompanied by the secretaries of National Defense, Budget and Management, Finance as well as the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the Presidential spokesperson, National security adviser and the chair of the government negotiating panel.
Chair Murad on the other hand was accompanied to the meeting by some members of the Central Committee, the chair and some members of the MILF’s Negotiating Panel and some base commanders.
The Japanese government ensured the security of the participants and provided the necessary environment for the informal meeting, Leonen said adding the meeting took place in the suburbs of Tokyo.
The President arrived in Japan at about 6 p.m. of August 4, Thursday and left to return to Manila at about 10 a.m. of August 5. The President’s unofficial meeting took place at about 8:30 p.m., according to Leonen.
The MILF has been fighting Philippine government for decades to establish a self-rule Muslim state in Mindanao.(PCOO)
Privatization of RPN, IBC in the works, says Coloma
The privatization of the broadcast networks the RPN 9 and IBC 13 will happen within the term of President Benigno Aquino III, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said Friday.
During an interview on Friday over dzIQ Radyo Inquirer, Coloma said that the government is committed to privatize RPN 9 and IBC 13, adding that it is only mandated to operate one network--the People Television 4 (PTV 4).
RPN 9 and IBC 13 were sequestered after the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolt, which toppled the then strongman Ferdinand Marcos and catapulted the late President Corazon “Cory” Aquino.
“Ang patakaran po ng Aquino administration ay iisa lang talaga ang tinuturing nating government network that will be operated as such but with the new concept of public service network,” Coloma said.
“Yung dalawa [RPN 9 and IBC 13] ay tiyak na mapa-privatize within the Aquino administration. In sequence, gusto ng Pangulo tapusin muna yung RPN pagkatapos ay yung IBC,” the secretary added.
Coloma said that the government only owns 20.8 percent stake of RPN 9. “Yung 80 percent po ay nasa pribadong kamay na, 34 percent nito ay hawak nung Solar group,” the secretary added.
He said that the privatization management office of the Department of Finance is now working out the sale of the government’s share in the sequestered television networks RPN 9 and IBC 13.
“Na-forward na po namin sa kanila yung mga rekomendasyon hinggil dito at sinasagawa po nila yung mga nararapat tulad ng pagsasagawa ng audit ng Commission on Audit at yung pagsusumite ng mga libro,” he added.
Meanwhile, Coloma said that his department is set to submit their proposed amendments to the charter of NBN 4. He said NBN 4 was only allowed to get “commercial revenues” during the first 10 years since its charter was signed in 1992.
“So hanggang 2002 ay nangalap po siya ng commercial revenues. Simula po noon hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay hindi na maari. Ang pwede lang gawin ay mangalap ng institutional revenues katulad ng Pagcor at PCSO,” he said.
“Meron nga po kaming isusumiting proposed amendments to the PTV law at sana kung ito ay
mapapagkasunduan na sa Gabinete at ma-approve na finally ng Pangulo maari pong masabay po ito sa LEDAC,” he added.(PCOO)
President Benigno S. Aquino III had a historic meeting with the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Japan Thursday night aimed at showing sincerity and fast-tracking the ongoing peace talks with the Muslim rebel group.
In a press briefing in Malacanang on Friday, government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen said the President met with MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ibrahim in Tokyo for two hours.
He described the informal meeting between the President and Murad as “cordial” and an opportunity for a candid exchange of views about the frames of the continuing peace talk and possible approaches for both sides to take to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao.
Both parties also agreed to implement any agreement within the Aquino administration, Leonen said.
“The President’s agenda in Mindanao has been very clear and he wants all places in the Philippines to be developed and that every place in the country to be out of poverty at the soonest possible time. The urgency is because we are truly serious about the peace process,” Leonen told the media.
Going to Japan in full force with members of his cabinet accompanying him indicated the government’s sincerity in the peace negotiations, Leonen added.
“The sincerity, the confidence that the President is not here to use the peace agreement for any other agenda except to do what is just for the people in Mindanao,” he said when asked by reporters about the message that the government conveyed to the rebel group.
At the same time, Leonen made an assurance that there was no “secret deal” forged between the government and the MILF during the meeting adding that the government will not commit the same mistakes made by the past administration, particularly the crafting of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA AD).
Leonen noted that, coincidentally, August 4 was the same date the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against the MOA AD three years ago.
The government chief negotiator underscored that based on current negotiations, the MILF has abandoned seeking independence and has been asking to be recognized as Bangsamoro as its national identity.
Leonen said it was agreed by both sides to have the meeting in Japan prior to the government’s submission of its own agenda for the talks last June. The meeting is the first time that a President meets with the chair of the MILF since the negotiations commenced 14 years ago.
The President was accompanied by the secretaries of National Defense, Budget and Management, Finance as well as the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the Presidential spokesperson, National security adviser and the chair of the government negotiating panel.
Chair Murad on the other hand was accompanied to the meeting by some members of the Central Committee, the chair and some members of the MILF’s Negotiating Panel and some base commanders.
The Japanese government ensured the security of the participants and provided the necessary environment for the informal meeting, Leonen said adding the meeting took place in the suburbs of Tokyo.
The President arrived in Japan at about 6 p.m. of August 4, Thursday and left to return to Manila at about 10 a.m. of August 5. The President’s unofficial meeting took place at about 8:30 p.m., according to Leonen.
The MILF has been fighting Philippine government for decades to establish a self-rule Muslim state in Mindanao.(PCOO)
Privatization of RPN, IBC in the works, says Coloma
The privatization of the broadcast networks the RPN 9 and IBC 13 will happen within the term of President Benigno Aquino III, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said Friday.
During an interview on Friday over dzIQ Radyo Inquirer, Coloma said that the government is committed to privatize RPN 9 and IBC 13, adding that it is only mandated to operate one network--the People Television 4 (PTV 4).
RPN 9 and IBC 13 were sequestered after the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolt, which toppled the then strongman Ferdinand Marcos and catapulted the late President Corazon “Cory” Aquino.
“Ang patakaran po ng Aquino administration ay iisa lang talaga ang tinuturing nating government network that will be operated as such but with the new concept of public service network,” Coloma said.
“Yung dalawa [RPN 9 and IBC 13] ay tiyak na mapa-privatize within the Aquino administration. In sequence, gusto ng Pangulo tapusin muna yung RPN pagkatapos ay yung IBC,” the secretary added.
Coloma said that the government only owns 20.8 percent stake of RPN 9. “Yung 80 percent po ay nasa pribadong kamay na, 34 percent nito ay hawak nung Solar group,” the secretary added.
He said that the privatization management office of the Department of Finance is now working out the sale of the government’s share in the sequestered television networks RPN 9 and IBC 13.
“Na-forward na po namin sa kanila yung mga rekomendasyon hinggil dito at sinasagawa po nila yung mga nararapat tulad ng pagsasagawa ng audit ng Commission on Audit at yung pagsusumite ng mga libro,” he added.
Meanwhile, Coloma said that his department is set to submit their proposed amendments to the charter of NBN 4. He said NBN 4 was only allowed to get “commercial revenues” during the first 10 years since its charter was signed in 1992.
“So hanggang 2002 ay nangalap po siya ng commercial revenues. Simula po noon hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay hindi na maari. Ang pwede lang gawin ay mangalap ng institutional revenues katulad ng Pagcor at PCSO,” he said.
“Meron nga po kaming isusumiting proposed amendments to the PTV law at sana kung ito ay
mapapagkasunduan na sa Gabinete at ma-approve na finally ng Pangulo maari pong masabay po ito sa LEDAC,” he added.(PCOO)
