Japan to ''modify'' support for Mindanao to fit new BOL, envoy says
Japan is planning to "modify" its support in the conflict-affected areas in Mindanao to fit in the new Bangsamoro Organic Law, its envoy said on Tuesday.
In the Bangsamoro Forum at the Japan International Cooperation Agency Office in Makati City, Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda reiterated Tokyo's support in the peace process between the Philippine government and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
He said Japan is committed to support the BOL plebiscite to be held on January 21 next year, the formation of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, and the normalization process, which includes the decommissioning of the MILF combatants.
For the plebiscite, he said Japan is "considering its possible involvement."
With the MILF-led BTA, which will initially replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Haneda said, "Japan is considering to modify its existing support to the ARMM government so that it could fit well to new BOL."
The official did not elaborate on Japan's possible involvement in the plebiscite and how it would modify its support in the looming Bangsamoro ARMM or BARMM, which will replace ARMM.
JICA Senior Representative Yo Ebisawa, in an interview at the sidelines of the forum, said the Commission on Elections was asking the donor communities to monitor the plebiscite and Japan could support the monitoring activities during the January exercise.
In a speech of MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim read by Edward Guerra, chair of the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, in the same forum, said that their group has been discussing extensively with donor agencies, such as JICA, areas of cooperation.
Among the "strategic infrastructures" that the MILF discussed with JICA are the Peace Bridges in the western side of the city that will link Cotabato City to both Datu Odin Sinsuat and Sultan Kudarat and the coastal road that will link it to Polloc, and the circumferential road around Liguasan marsh, he said.
Ebisawa said there was no actual commitment yet regarding the strategic infrastructure projects.
But he said JICA dispatched infrastructure survey team last week to determine where the agency could focus its assistance.
With the normalization phase as part of the peace process, Haneda said Japan is considering its involvement by supporting the livelihood and social infrastructure for the Bangsamoro.
The Japanese envoy said he is set to go to Cotabato this week for the contract signing ceremony for Japanese grants in areas of education, social welfare, and grassroots security.
Meanwhile, Murad also said that they have asked the United Nations Development Programme to facilitate the exchanges between the MILF combatants and former rebels from Aceh in Indonesia.
He said this is part of the MILF effort to transition from a rebel organization into a social movement and a political party.
"In the course of these exchanges, we have asked the UNDP to look into the possibility of replicating the School of Peace and Democracy in Aceh and for us to set up and institute for peace and democracy that will initially cater to the needs of our combatants for very specific training on transitioning from combatants to democracy workers," he said.
According to Haneda, Japan, through Japan-Bangsamoro Initiative for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD) has extended $260-million worth of assisstance since 2006 to Bangsamoro Region. Celerina Monte/DMS
