DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Duterte wants peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to take off immediately.
“The President wants the peace talks to move fast,” MILF vice chair for political affairs Ghazali Jaafar told The STAR.
Duterte met the rebel leaders led by MILF chair Ebrahim Murad on Friday at the Matina Enclaves Residences where he usually holds office on weekends.
Duterte and the MILF leaders also tackled the overall situation in Mindanao during the meeting, including the problems in dealing with the extremist Maute group.
Jaafar said Duterte wants the peace talks to take off by early next year, since it is already December and there will be no time to hold peace negotiations due to the holiday season.
Jaafar added the President also wanted the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) to buckle down to work.
“With that, with the BTC, then it could start its job to craft a new Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),” Jaafar added.
The BTC has been expanded when the President signed last month the executive order increasing the members from 15 to 21 to make the process more “inclusive.”
The MILF will head the panel and would nominate 11 members while the government will name the other 10 members.
The expansion of the BTC will include the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Slots will be given to the MNLF faction led by former Cotabato mayor Muslimin Sema.
The faction led by MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari, however, will not join the BTC.
A separate panel will be formed to discuss with Misuari and his group their proposed amendments to the territory covered by a Bangsamoro region.
The MILF also reiterated its full support for Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
The MILF earlier offered to help the government in the ant-drug campaign, saying the drug scourge “is already destroying the future of the Bangsamoro people.”
Last July, the government and the MILF formalized its cooperation in the anti-drug campaign.
Government and MILF representatives tasked to keep a truce in place in conflict areas in Mindanao signed the agreement on July 12.