MANILA, Philippines Three opposition figures on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to nullify the ancestral domain pact the government has entered into with the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
A radio report said that the petition for prohibition was filed before the high court by Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, former ambassador and senator Ernesto Maceda, and senatorial candidate Aquilino Koko Pimentel III.
After filing the petition, Maceda urged the government to suspend the peace negotiations with the MILF after some of its rogue forces attacked a number of villages in North Cotabato, Sarangani and Lanao del Norte.
The said petition is an addition to a growing list of petitions that had been filed before the Supreme Court in the last few weeks, all seeking to nullify the government-MILF agreement.
Maceda however said that unlike previous petitions against the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain, theirs included the MILF leadership as respondents to give the rebel group a chance to air their side of the story.
Among those who had filed similar petitions were the provincial government of North Cotabato, Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat, Senator Manuel Roxas II, and former Senate President Franklin Drilon.
Named respondents in their petitions were members of the government peace panel headed by retired general Rodolfo Garcia.
In an en banc session earlier in the day, the high court asked all the respondents to file before Friday their respective comments on the motions to nullify the MOA.
On Friday, the high court is set to resume its oral arguments on all the petitions and is also expected to come up with a ruling on the same day. - GMANews.TV