The Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panels pledged to fulfill their commitments under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
In a Joint Statement released by the GPH and MILF panels after their 36th meeting, both parties agreed to carry out initiatives that aim to push forward, build on, and preserve the gains of peace in the Bangsamoro.
Co-chairs Cesar B. Yano and Mohagher M. Iqbal of the GPH-MILF Peace Implementing Panel signed the statement, which emphasized the following important topics of conversation and significant agreements reached by both sides:
- Adoption of the Monitoring and Evaluation System for Normalization of the Joint Normalization Committee (JNC) based on the Peace Accords Matrix;
- Approval of the structure, composition, and process flow for the conduct of the Joint Security Assessment (JSA) relative to the redeployment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP);
- Approval of the Framework for the Transition Plan for the Joint Peace and Security Teams (JPSTs) as part of their phasing out as the last MILF members to be decommissioned;
- Approval of the GPH-MILF Transitional Justice and Reconciliation (TJR) Roadmap, which laid out two parallel tracks based on the recommendations indicated in the report of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC);
- Discussion on the status of implementation for the reduction and management of small arms and light weapons (SALW) per the Annex on Normalization;
- Reached a consensus on key items relative to the proposed revitalization of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and committed to settling remaining unresolved details to finalize its Terms of Reference (TOR);
- Discussed recommendations to support the efficient roll-out of amnesty applications of MILF members, including the intensified orientation on the amnesty application process;
- Discussed the results of the recent meeting of the TWG, composed of representatives from the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB), GPH, and MILF with the task to study and recommend processes towards putting decommissioned weapons beyond use;
- Discussion on the government-initiated Localization of Normalization Implementation (LNI) initiative, with the commitment to, in future meetings, resolve concerns, including the role of the peace mechanisms in the implementation of GPH-MILF approved projects; and
- The Panels have directed the GPH-MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CH) and Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) to conduct joint inquiries and investigations and intensify their joint information campaign to strengthen support for the peace process. This is in light of the ceasefire-related incidents that occurred recently.
The meeting was held on Friday, January 31, 2025, when GPH-MILF peace panels thanked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for his administration’s steadfast commitment to the peace process in Bangsamoro.
The panels also recognized the efforts of Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr. of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) to ensure the successful implementation of the CAB.
“Based on the agreements made by both panels during the meeting, we are confident that the Bangsamoro region will continue to be a beacon of hope, peace and empowerment,” Galvez said. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
