Mindanao biz leaders welcome PNoy-Murad meet

Aquino and Murad talked for two hours in a hotel in Japan with their respective panel chairs taking down notes, the President’s Cabinet members and the MILF’s peace panel and Central Committee members as well as the Malaysian facilitator waiting outside the meeting room.

“It is high time for a genuine peace talks to start this early in PNoy’s administration,” Dr. Rachito Abellanosa, a sports tourism enthusiast from Bukidnon said.

He added that it’s about time to have a peaceful environment for all especially the neglected Muslims who have been deprived of education, health, and infrastructure by their leaders.

Others, however, welcomed the development with caution.

“Peace negotiations should not be between them (peace panels) alone. Especially if it is a fast-tracked peace process, the people should know (what’s being talked about),” Malaybalay Bishop Jose Cabantan said.

“Hopefully, the terms and conditions are transparent (this time) so we won’t be fooled again,” Bukidnon Gov. Alex Calingasan said.

Calingasan was apparently referring to the botched Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain which the Supreme Court junked as unconstitutional.

The agreement, which was already initialled by members of the peace panels of both government and the MILF, was scheduled for signing three years ago this month in Kuala Lumpur.

The signing, however, was cancelled after the High Tribunal issued a temporary restraining order. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)