Government, MILF commit to truce until 2017

MANILA, Philippines - Despite the failure of Congress to pass the Bangsamoro law, a ceasefire between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will hold for at least another year.

The two sides doused fears of renewed violence as they agreed to extend the life of international peace monitors until March 2017.

This was announced at the first meeting of the two panels since Congress adjourned without passing the  Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

In a joint statement yesterday, government negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and her MILF counterpart, Mohagher Iqbal, expressed disappointment over Congress’ failure to pass the BBL, which is required under a comprehensive peace accord forged in 2014.

The joint statement was issued after two days of talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which brokered the peace deal.

Despite the setback, the government and the 11,000-strong MILF agreed to extend until March 2017 the mission of Malaysia-led ceasefire monitors.

They also kept in place a joint group that allows the MILF to help government troops capture terrorists and outlaws.

It is hoped that both measures would prevent any outbreak of violence stemming from rebel frustration with the delay in the peace process.

Iqbal has warned that the setback has caused deep anxiety among guerrillas, and that the uncertainty could be exploited by radicals opposed to the peace deal.

The House of Representatives and the Senate ended the last regular session of their term early this month without passing the bill, which aims to establish a more powerful and potentially larger autonomous region for minority Muslims.

The bill was stalled by indignation over the killing early last year of 44 police commandos in fighting that involved some of the guerrillas from the MILF.

The two negotiating panels also reaffirmed their commitment to the peace process and to preserve the gains of more than 17 years of negotiations.

“The parties recognize that the non-passage of the BBL has adversely affected the timeline of establishing the Bangsamoro entity,” read the statement.

Ferrer and Iqbal vowed to exert more effort to promote the Bangsamoro Bill.

“Towards this end, the parties shall exert further efforts to promote understanding and greater acceptability of the proposed basic law,” they said.

The parties reaffirmed their commitment to stay the course of peace and sustain the existing peace infrastructure.

“This infrastructure is fundamental in keeping the peace on the ground and supporting the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB),” read the statement.

“It is important that it remains functional for the next administration to carry forward the implementation of the agreements.” 

The government and MILF thanked the International Monitoring Team for the effective monitoring of the implementation of cessation of hostilities between the government and MILF forces.

The parties received the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission’s report and also thanked its members for their hard work.

Ferrer said a discussion on operationalizing the report’s recommendations is going on.

The parties also signed the Terms of Reference for the Joint Task Forces on Camps Transformation.

They also agreed to create a working group to recommend to the panels a set of interventions for vulnerable sectors, including widows, orphans, people with disabilities, detainees and their families.

The parties also discussed the updates provided by the Third Party Monitoring Team and the Independent Decommissioning Body.

They also agreed that the socio-economic package for the initial 145 decommissioned MILF combatants should continue and discussed the security and storage of the turned-over weapons.

The parties expressed their condolences to the family of MILF peace panel member   Lanang Ali  Sr., who passed away on Feb. 10.

Lanang was the chairman of the Technical Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities and was appointed member of the MILF peace panel in 2001.

The parties expressed their appreciation to   President Aquino, under whose guidance and leadership the peace agreements were signed, and to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak for his continued support for the Bangsamoro Peace Process.

They also thanked the members of the MILF Central Committee headed by chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim for their resolve to pursue the path to peace despite challenges.

“For their continued support to the Bangsamoro peace process and presence in this particular panel meeting, the parties also extend their gratitude to European Union Ambassador (EU) Franz Jessen, the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission headed by its chair Mô Bleeker, the Independent Decommissioning Body led by its chair Mustafa Pulat and Third Party Monitoring Team headed by its chair Alistair MacDonald.”

The parties also extend their gratitude to Tengku Dato’ Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed as the third-party facilitator from Malaysia and to those members of the International Contact Group who were present at the talks, namely Japan, Turkey, United Kingdom, Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, Conciliation Resources and the Community of Saint’Egidio. 

“In particular, the parties are deeply grateful to the outgoing UK representative to the ICG Thomas Phipps, for his invaluable contribution to the Bangsamoro peace process.”

At Malacañang,  Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. urged the next administration to continue the peace agreement.

“The joint agreement reflects the shared commitment of both parties to the attainment of the Bangsamoro’s aspirations on long-term peace and progress,” he said.

“The continuation of other normalization programs on transitional justice and reconciliation, camps transformation and provision of socio-economic packages serve to strengthen confidence on the sustainability of the peace process,” he said.

Coloma said the government would  create awareness and build consensus so that the next steps, including the enactment of a basic law and the setting up of a new governance framework, may be vigorously pursued and fully implemented in the near future.   

Military response

Meanwhile, spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the Armed Forces  is ready to defend the peace process in Mindanao against any lawless group out to take advantage of the non-passage of the Bangsamoro Bill, following renewed hostilities in Maguindanao between government forces and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

Col. Noel Detoyato, Armed Forces public affairs chief, said the Bangsamoro Bill is but part of the long and tedious Mindanao peace process.  – With Delon Porcalla, Jaime Laude, AP