ROXAS TO GOV'T ON PEACE PROCESS: EARN BACK THE PEOPLE'S TRUST

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas said the situation in Mindanao has gone from bad to worse as a result of the botched GRP-MILF peace agreement and the manner in which the administration has handled the controversy.

"Peace negotiations under the Arroyo regime are no longer viable, because trust has been shattered. Our government has to earn back the trust of the people if it's to pursue genuine peace in Mindanao," he said during the closing ceremonies of the 10th Tuna Festival held at the Carlos P. Garcia Freedom Park in General Santos. Among those in attendance were Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. and Congresswoman Darlene Antonino.

Roxas said he was frustrated at how people's livelihoods were put at risk by the government's way of handling the peace process with the MILF, and the manner in which the GRP-MILF Peace Panel Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain was kept in secret even from the citizens of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity. He also criticized the eventual dissolution of the peace panel, saying the peace process must not be sacrificed.

He also called on the government to ensure the safety of the thousands of people who have been made victims and have evacuated their homes as a result of attacks of elements of the MILF over the past month, since the Supreme Court stopped the MoA signing originally scheduled August 5.

"We need to smother Mindanao with troops to enforce law and order and keep vigilantism at bay. We need to smother Mindanao with jobs. We need to show the people that the government will spare no cost in protecting the lives of its citizens, that their security, their comfort, is of the government's utmost concern," he said.

"While we must go full force against the murderers, arsonists and pillagers, we must pursue a constitutional peace with rebels who sincerely wish to return to the fold of society," he added.

Roxas said those in government must look at the bigger picture and understand the economic roots of the conflict. "We should realize that the Bangsamoro struggle is only symptomatic of widespread neglect, resulting in poverty, oppression, and the stifling of dreams. The answer lies not in separating the Bangsamoros from the rest of the country. The answer lies in arresting this neglect," he said, as he called for the creation of a Mindanao freeport to boost the economic welfare of the people.

Senate Bill No. 2580, filed by Roxas, will provide businesses within the 27 provinces in the six regions of Mindanao the same incentives enjoyed by locators in Subic Bay and Clark. This is meant to boost job creation, productivity of firms, and overall quality of life of the people.

The incentives include: income tax holiday; net operating loss carryover; and a 5% gross income tax in lieu of all other taxes except property taxes, wherein 3% is remitted to the national government and the remaining 2% is remitted to the local treasury.