Celso twits critics on misinformation
Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday said the composition of the government panel negotiating peace with the secessionist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is based on tri-people or sectors and not by cities or provinces as what some people are trying to insinuate.
Lobregat yesterday also showed documents to media people covering City Hall a letter he sent to Malacañang on September 9, 2006 formally transmitting City Council Resolution 607 requesting President Arroyo to allow a nominated representative from the city government to have a seat in the peace panel, which his critics claim, has not been acted.
“This has been sent but there has been no action, meaning the peace panel has already been formed, and so you want to force yourself to be an uninvited guest?”, the mayor said.
According to Lobregat the GRP peace panel is represented by the Lumads, Muslims and Christians and the local government units. Nasser Pangandaman represents the Muslim sector, Mr. Adamad represents the indigenous peoples (IPs); Atty. Tomas Cabili represents the Christians sector while Adel Antonino represents the business sector and the local government units.
“There was this item in the newspaper that says that the vice mayor said that the panel has the representative from South Cotabato and Iligan, hey, there is no such thing and it just so happened Cabili is from Iligan but he is not representing Iigan but the NGOs,” the mayor said exasperatingly. “Another, misinformation”.
He stressed that the one who decides on the composition of the peace panel is the Office of the President and not the people at large. “They should realize or maybe they refuse to understand that the composition of the peace panel is based on the tri-people.”
He added: “The composition is not for us to decide, it is the office of the president that decides who is going to be a peace panel member,” and besides, the chief executive said the members do not apply but rather are invited, chosen and selected on the basis of their credentials and knowledge on the history of the peace process.
“Antonino did not apply, it will be very presumptuous and consisted for somebody to apply,” Lobregat said. “Do you have the right credentials? Are you acceptable by the other side (MILF). I am sure when the two panels meet they also scrutinize the credentials or background of members. Credentials are very important”.
Lobregat lamented that his critics are running out of issues that they resort to all sort of tactics including misinformation.
He added that his position has not change. “We have been very consistent with our position even before I first ran for Congress and my mother, Ma’am Caling for mayor in 1998—our position is that Zambo does not want to be included in the ARMM, in any form or by whatever name and so our position is very clear.” (Sheila Covarrubias)