March 07, 2014
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate expressed grave concerns how some Charter Change (Cha-cha) proponents are peddling the proposed amendments to the protectionist economic provisions of the Constitution as an “added incentive” for the creation of the Bangsamoro autonomous government.
“It is unfair for the Moro people’s future to be gambled by Cha-Cha proponents whose interest is contrary to their own,” said Rep. Zarate
“These pro-liberalization peddlers are salivating at the resources they could exploit in the Bangsamoro, hence, they will make sure that their narrow interest will also surface in the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law,” said Zarate.
Zarate called on the Moro people to be critical at how the Aquino administration, at this early stage, is already peddling the resources of the Bangsamoro areas by signing into economic agreements that would tie the future Bangsamoro government to foreign interests, like Malaysia.
“How can Pres. Aquino now say that he is not supporting Cha-cha when he is in fact the main ‘tindero’ selling Mindanao resources to foreign interests,” said Rep. Zarate.
Zarate noted that in his latest trip to Malaysia, Pres. Aquino and his counterpart kept mum on last year’s standoff between the forces of Sultan Kiram and Malaysian forces in Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia. President Aquino also did not bring up the reported human rights violations committed by Malaysian state forces against Filipino migrants in Sabah.
“While we still have to examine closely the text and context of the yet to be submitted Bangsamoro basic law that will be submitted to Congress by the Transitional Commission, this early we have to be on the look out over attempts to place the future of the Bangsamoro in the hands of people who will profit greedily from the further liberalization of our economy and privatization of our basic services,” said Rep. Zarate.
“For the Bangsamoro, for Mindanao, for the country to attain genuine peace and development, the root causes of poverty, under development and exploitation in all its facets must be addressed, ” ended Rep. Zarate.
Reference: Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, 09177174014
