Senator Mar Roxas' Privilege Speech on the GRP-MILF MoA

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 | posted in , , , , , , | 2 comments

Here's a summary of Senator Mar Roxas' privilege speech on the GRP-MILF Memorandum of Agreement provided by the Senator's office.
1. This MoA violates at least three major articles of our Constitution. Unang pahina pa lang, hindi na papasa ito sa Saligang Batas.

a. Rather than respect our national territory, this MoA breaks it up into smaller bits.

b. Rather than uphold the ideal that all government authority emanates from the people, this government entered into an agreement that would partition our country without prior consultations with the people of Mindanao.

c. Rather than uphold one sovereign people enjoying the equal protection of law, the MoA effectively splits the citizenry in two.

2. We had wanted peace and security achieved through these negotiations. Instead, we are on the brink of war. Government functionaries are making lame excuses for their bungling of a peace process that has spawned war rather than peace. None have spoken to stand by this MoA on the basis of reason and statesmanship; instead, its proponents have resorted to finger-pointing..

3. I demand complete transparency regarding this agreement. I call upon the government to step out from behind the veil of generalizations; to let the people know, completely and without qualification, its intentions and strategies concerning the situation in Mindanao.

4. I urge the government to enforce the equal protection of laws now. I call upon the President to revamp her entire peace team, including her peace adviser and peace panel. I call upon the Armed Forces to enforce order in accordance with the principles of the constitution. And I call upon all parties to the conflict to stand down and pave the way a renegotiation of the MOA.

5. More than anything else, I urge the government to do its utmost best to keep the nation whole. To keep the great ideals of our country: One territory, one sovereign people under the equal protection of the laws.

6. The answer is not in further shattering this ideal of one Philippine nation. And this has nothing to do with religion or ethnic boundaries. We are all for peace. The answer is in rebuilding our nation so that none feel neglected for the sake of others.
Click here to read the complete transcript of his privilege speech.

Below is the video courtesy of Youtube:




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Kevin Ray N. Chua

Kevin Ray N. Chua is a 19 year-old blogger from Cebu City, Philippines and an IT Student at Cebu Institute of Technology.

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2 Responses So far
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Anonymous
on August 18, 2008 at 3:30 AM  

Indeed, the key is to find strength in our diversity and not use the differences to wage war on each other...... we are one people and one race........

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Kevin Ray N. Chua
on August 18, 2008 at 9:41 AM  

I agree Pedestrian Observer! We have been longing for peace in Mindanao, and all they have done is to divide us. We should not allow these people who perpetrate acts of further division between the Christians and Muslims.

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