Details

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) brought twenty-one of the twenty-four sitting members of the ARMM Regional Assembly (RA) to Tagaytay city for The 2nd KAS-IAG ARMM Legislators Seminar. The two-day course brought the RA together with members of the current Administration, international and local experts for an exchange on the impact of recent political developments, in particular the GRP-MILF Talks and charter change debates, on the future of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Germany Ambassador Axel Weishaupt addressed the RA during a dinner.

Speakers at the seminar included Rep. Constantino Jaraula, Chairman, House Committee on Constitutional Amendments; Dr. Ronald May, Emeritus Fellow of the Australian National University, former ARMM Executive Secretary Randolph Parcasio, former ARMM Attorney General Jose Lorena, Atty. Zainudin Malang, Executive Director of the Moro Law and Policy Center, former Maguindanao Congressman Michael Mastura, Prof. Rudy Rodil, Vice-Chair of the GRP Negotiating Panel, Ernesto Carolina, Undersecretary, Department of National Defense; and Police Chief Superintendent Charlemagne Alejandrino.

The opening expert lecture by Dr. Ronald May detailed the history of autonomy, decentralization, and the federalist idea in the Philippines as well as provided an overview and analysis of the ongoing charter change debate. Among the points raised in succeeding talks given were the issue of the genuine autonomy of the ARMM, the effect of the on-going peace talks between the GRP and the MILF on the future of the Regional Assembly, the integration of the 1996 Peace Agreement into the on-going peace negotiation, and the future of the ARMM in the event of charter change.

The annual ARMM Legislators Seminar is part of the ARMM Regional Assembly capability-building program of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and the Institute for Autonomy and Governance. The Presentations from the talks given are available for download in the Publications Section of our website.