OPAPP saddens by the demise of Datu Antonio Kinoc

The GPH Negotiating Panel in talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of Datu Antonio Kinoc, who passed away on May 2 due to liver cancer.Datu Kinoc served as an alternate member of the MILF peace panel for several years. In 2013, he became a senior consultant to the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).Datu Kinoc is an active advocate of the rights of indigenous peoples. A prominent member of the B'laan tribe, he co-authored the implementing rules and regulations of the landmark Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA) in 1997. In the peace negotiations and even during the crafting of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, we locked horns with him but also counted on him to provide comic relief during heated debates. A dedicated father of three young adults and a peace advocate, we fondly remember Datu Kinoc as a jolly fellow, an excellent story teller and a knowledge bank of the Mindanao lumad's customary ways of life.Although his role in the forging of the CAB is permanently etched as a signatory to the document, it saddens us that Datu Kinoc left this world mid-stream of its implementation.