By LYNDA JUMILLA
ABS-CBN News
The government’s peace negotiators and other officials sent their regrets for Thursday's scheduled Senate investigation on the yet to be signed Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The scheduled 10 a.m. hearing was called by the Committee on Peace, Unification and Reconciliation chaired by Sen. Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal, jointly with the Committee on National Defense and Security chaired by Sen. Rodolfo Biazon.
Madrigal, Biazon and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV filed separate resolutions calling for an inquiry on the status of peace negotiations between government and the MILF, in light of the emergence of the Philippine government-MILF territorial deal.
Based on a guest list released by Madrigal’s committee, those who sent their regrets were Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr., government peace panel chairman Rodolfo Garcia, government Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) Brig. Gen Reynaldo Sealana, and National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
Also unable to attend tomorrow's hearing for undisclosed reasons were MILF negotiating panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal, panel member Mohammad Musib Buat, MILF CCCH Toks Ebrahim, and MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar.
Mindanao officials opposed to the MOA-AD, however, are expected to be there in full force namely: North Cotabato Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol, Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz, and Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat, whose areas are among those proposed to be covered by the planned Bangsamoro Juridical Entity under the MOA-AD.
They were among the seven who confirmed their attendance out of 22 invited to the Senate hearing.