REFERENDUM: A Platform of Hope for Lasting Peace in Mindanao

The MPPM is a tri-people, grassroots, multi-sectoral alliance of human rights and peace groups. It is the first broad-based organization that has openly declared its support for a United Nations-Managed Referendum.

The 2nd Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Summit was held on December 17-20, 2002 at Southern Christian College (SCC) in Midsayap, Cotabato. The Summit is the highest policy and direction-setting body of MPPM. Over 500 participants representing the Katawhang Lumad, Bangsamoro, and Mindanao Migrants or their Descendants, unanimously decided to call on the government of the Philippines to “hold within the next few years a UN-Supervised Referendum in the Bangsamoro areas of Mindanao. In the Referendum, the Bangsamoro would have the opportunity to determine their political future as either a part of the Philippines or as an independent nation. The MPPM pledges its commitment to support and promote this proposal through a multi-track strategy, including but not limited to legislative pressure, peoples’ initiatives, peace constituency building and national and international lobbying.”

This resolution was transmitted to the Government on December 28, 2002 through Sec. Jesus G. Dureza, Presidential Assistant for Mindanao and then Chair of the GRP Panel negotiating panel, Al Haj Murad Ebrahim through Atty. Lanang Ali.

At the 3rd Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Summit held in Lake Sebu on Dec. 19-22, 2004, the call for a United Nations-Supervised/Managed Referendum was renewed. During the MPPM Executive Committee Meeting held at SCC on Jan. 15-17, 2005, the area of coverage was made more precise by adding the words “and Palawan and the entire island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi”. The Committee also decided to formally submit the proposal to the GRP-MILF panels for the GRP to conduct the said UN Referendum seven (7) to ten (10) years after the effectivity of any peace agreement that they (GRP and MILF) will sign in order to address a historical injustice committed against the Bangsamoro people.