United Nations  Supervised Referendum determines the final political status of the BangsaMoro. 

     The Philippine government is reportedly offering the Moro Islamic Liberation Front “enhanced autonomy” for the third time.  But the MILF for the third time will reject without looking at the so-called package. This was the prediction of a senior member of the MILF Central Committee, who requested anonymity, reached the Luwaran, the MILF Website,  in view of the latest report that the government is seriously considering abandoning all the consensus points on ancestral domain aspect of the 2001 Tripoli Agreement signed between the two panels of the MILF and the GRP. The first enhanced autonomy offer was proposed by Estrada in 2000 which the MILF flatly rejected; and the second in February 2003, which the MILF did not care to look at .

      But, we must be reminded that the renew called for a United Nations Supervised Referendum by the participants of the fourth Mindanao People’s Peace Movement Summit gathered from December 12-17,2006  is slightly different from the one provided in the 2001 Tripoli  accord. It provides that “the negotiation and peaceful resolution of the conflict must involve consultations with the Bangsamoro free of any  imposition in order to provide chances of success and open new formula that permanently respond to the aspiration of the people for freedom.”  

      This negotiated political process indicates that only the Bangsamoro will be consulted in order to open a new formula responsive to the Bangsa Moro aspiration. It appears in the subsequent agreement,  the ten (10) consensus points, signed  by the MILF and GRP panels which says the establishment of the Bangsa Moro Juridical Entity, and the final political status of the Bangsa Moro shall be determined after five years operation. 

    The participants  revealed that the United Nation supervised referendum would  include the following options: genuine autonomy; independent Federal Republic of Mindanao comprising Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Palawan; independent Bangsamoro State or enhanced autonomy covering the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and contiguous territories predominantly occupied by Bangsamoro people; federal Bangsamoro State within a Federal Republic of the Philippines; and enhanced autonomy for Mindanao, Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Palawan. Such option would be advantageous to the  Bangsa Moro even though the voting public are the qualified voters in Mindanao. 

       The participants reiterated their suggestion to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Government negotiating panels to include in the proposed peace agreement the holding of such referendum. They said that “Mindanaons have long suffered so much bloodshed and continuing crisis by oppression, injustice, discrimination and ignorance and that they believe that the road to lasting peace is unity amidst diversity, through respect of each others right to self-determination, distinct cultures and political and religious beliefs.

     The declaration further states: “The right to self-determination is inherent to all peoples,  whether Lumad, Moro or Mindanao migrants and their descendants.  For as long as these people are continually oppressed, they will continue their fight against  oppression in order to protect their rights and identity.  Thus, they will pursue their aspirations.  And now, the Indigenous Peoples, the Moro and the Migrants and their descendants commit to work together as united people of Mindanao. 

     This renew called for a United Nation supervised referendum, therefore, aims to establish an independent nation-state or to realize enhanced self determination for the people of Mindanao in order to ensure united nationalism regardless of tribes and religions. But, this political attempt would be a continuing cycle of the Moro problem, a problem that will make again the Muslims minority under a non-Muslim nation state. The participants should be in good faith in such attempt. The fact, the consequence of such referendum will be unfavorable to the Muslims.  I suspect  that most of the participants are not really conscious of the Bangsa Moro struggle.

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