Government, MILF vow to fulfill peace commitments

MANILA, Philippines — The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have vowed to fulfill their commitments under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed in 2014, which created the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Both parties made a joint statement at their 36th meeting in Davao City following the commemoration of the sixth anniversary of the BARMM.

In the statement, the peace panels of both parties agreed to undertake initiatives that would push forward, build on and preserve the gains of peace in the region. 

“Guided by the spirit of mutual responsibility toward peace, the parties thanked all stakeholders and reaffirm their resolve to strive toward a meaningful and inclusive fulfilment of the peace agreement for the benefit of all people in Bangsamoro,” the statement, signed by panel chairmen Cesar Yano and Mohagher Iqbal, declared.

The Bangsamoro region was formed through the Bangsamoro Organic Law, an outcome of the 2014 peace deal between the government and the MILF. The BARMM was officially created on Jan. 21, 2019.

During the meeting, the government and the MILF adopted the monitoring and evaluation system for normalization based on the Peace Accords Matrix- Mindanao.

The matrix will supplement but not supplant the mandate of the third-party monitoring team, with the understanding that the system developed will be turned over to the normalization committee not later than December this year.

The parties approved the structure, composition and process flow for the conduct of a joint security assessment relative to the redeployment of military personnel in the region.

Also approved was the framework for the transition plan for the joint peace and security teams as part of the phasing out and decommissioning of the last MILF combatants.

The parties approved the transitional justice and reconciliation roadmap, which laid out two parallel tracks based on the recommendations of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission.

The government and the MILF reached a consensus on items related to a proposal to revitalize the international monitoring team.

They also talked about recommendations to support efficient rollout of amnesty applications of MILF members, including intensified orientation on the amnesty application process. 

The government agreed to continue issuing interim safe conduct passes to MILF members who are part of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority and peace process mechanisms, pending action by the National Amnesty Commission. — Emmanuel Tupas