Press Release
August 10, 2008

RP sovereignty must never be sacrificed -- Loren

Senator Loren Legarda said today that the Mindanao peace initiatives must be pursued vigorously, but not at the expense of the country's sovereignty as protected by the constitution.

Legarda stressed that the rights and preferences of the majority of the people of Mindanao must always be considered, thus they should be consulted on any peace accord to be forged by the government.

The senator said ceding away parts of Mindanao is "unthinkable as our Filipino ancestors shed blood against foreign subjugators for a free and united Philippines."

"Besides, it should be the subject of a referendum to be participated not only by the people of Mindanao but by all Filipinos," she added.

"The creation of a state within the Philippine state will affect the entire nation, so it's a decision not only for Mindanaoans to make."

Legarda pointed out that the Philippine Constitution may have to be amended before the present Mindanao peace proposal can be adopted.

An honorary Muslim princess, Legarda said Filipinos have a lot to learn from the American Civil War, which cost more American lives than all the other wars the country engaged in, including World War II.

"The problem started when the US southern states voted to secede and break away from the Union, thereby sparking the war that pitted Americans against Americans," she said.

"We must learn from this dark chapter of American history and from our experiences on the armed struggle in Mindanao if we are to stop Filipinos from fighting Filipinos," she said.

She said that the road to peace is paved by continuing dialogue, good intentions, minus the saber-rattling of those who want to take shortcuts.

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