Palace: Retired Generals Express Support for Government’s Initiative for Peace in Mindanao

President Benigno S. Aquino III met with members of the Association of Generals and Flag Officers (AGFO) in Malacañang Palace on Monday to thresh out their concerns regarding certain provisions of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“At the end of the meeting that lasted for more than two hours, (AGFO president) retired Lt. Gen. (Edilberto) Adan thanked the President and reiterated that, despite the reservations they expressed on provisions of the draft BBL, they fully support the government’s initiative to build enduring peace in Mindanao,” Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said during a media briefing at the Palace on Tuesday.

Last September 14, the AGFO published a full-page statement in a major daily on their position regarding the draft BBL.

The AGFO delegation was led by Adan, who previously served as Philippine Army commanding general and as Department of Foreign Affairs undersecretary for the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), as well as former defense secretary Renato de Villa.

“The President thanked them for accepting his invitation to the meeting and asked them to air their concerns. He said that the baseline from which the peace negotiations started were the provisions of RA (Republic Act) 9054 or the Act to Strengthen and Expand the Organic Act for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM),” Secretary Coloma said.

He noted that the most of the questions revolved around the implementation of the decommissioning and normalization process, which was clarified by Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles.

According to Coloma, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad also explained that the budget allocation for the proposed Bangsamoro region was based on historical need, as reflected in the existing budget of the ARMM.

Asked if the generals accepted the explanations, Coloma said, “Ang mahalaga dito ay nagkaroon ng malayang talakayan. Naihayag nila ‘yung batayan ng kanilang posisyon, iyong kanilang mga concerns. Naipaliwanag din ng Pangulo kung saan nanggagaling ang posisyon ng gobyerno.”

“At dahil nagkaroon ng malayang palitan ng pananaw, sa aking palagay ay mas nagkaroon na ngayon ng pagkakaunawaan sa magkabilang panig hinggil sa kanilang posisyon at mahalaga ang tinukoy ni General Adan doon sa pagtatapos ng pagpupulong na bagamat meron silang mga agam-agam o reserbasyon, sa kabuuan ay lubos silang sumusuporta sa pagsusulong ng prosesong pangkapayapaan sa Mindanao,” he added.

Also present during the meeting were National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia, and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Hernando Iriberri. PND (ag)