Gov’t-MILF talks to resume in July

 News
Jun 212013
 
Gov’t-MILF talks to resume in July

By Nikko DizonPhilippine Daily Inquirer 1:37 am | Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 President Benigno Aquino III gives a miniature figurine to Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim before the historic signing of the framework agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF at the Malacanang Presidential Palace last Oct. 15. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Formal talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Kuala Lumpur will resume in July, government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said in a statement released by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) on Friday. “The panel chairs have already agreed on a date early next month to further discuss the annexes on wealth sharing, power sharing and normalization,” Ferrer said. Amid reports of a “stalemate” in talks to solve the 40-year rebellion in Mindanao, Ferrer met informally with MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal in Oslo where they both attended the Oslo Forum 2013. The event was organized by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue last June 18 and 19. Ferrer said she had given Iqbal the government’s full proposals on the wealth sharing annex “for the MILF to study and consider.” The wealth sharing annex has been a controversial issue of late between the government and the MILF, with the latter protesting a  “review” conducted by the Aquino administration on the document even after the two panels’ working committees affixed their signatures on it. The MILF considers Read More …

UN: 26 child 'soldiers' recruited by PHL armed groups, including military, in 2012

 News
Jun 162013
 
UN: 26 child 'soldiers' recruited by PHL armed groups, including military, in 2012

A total of 26 child “soldiers” were recruited by various armed groups in the Philippines, including the military, in 2012, a report by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. The 26 children—23 boys and three girls between 12 and 17 years—were recruited in 11 separate incidents, according to the report released on June 12 titled “Grave Violations Committed Against Children in 22 Situations of Concern.” Of the number, two were reportedly recruited and used by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), 11 by the New People’s Army (NPA), 11 by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and two who were used as “guides” by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in locating an enemy camp. While the number remains considerably high, child soldier recruitment has seen a decrease from the previous year, Moon noted in the report. “That figure represents a decrease in 2012, given that there were 54 incidents affecting 33 boys and 21 girls in 2011,” he said. But Moon said the actual number of children soldiers in the country may in fact be higher, owing to the reality that the UN has no access to other armed groups, including the MILF splinter group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). “Although the United Nations has no access to the areas under the control of the BIFF, a breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front led by Commander ‘Kato’, the country task force continued to receive credible reports that the armed group was actively training and providing weapons to Read More …

AFP among PHL armed groups that recruited minors in 2012, UN says

 News
Jun 162013
 
AFP among PHL armed groups that recruited minors in 2012, UN says

(Updated 3:30 p.m.) The Philippine military was among the armed groups in the country that recruited minors for their operations in 2012, according to a report by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The report, released June 12, said there was a “verified case” in July last year where two young boys were “forced” by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to serve as guides to locate a communist rebel camp in North Cotabato province in Mindanao. “[We] remained concerned over the use of children by the national armed forces as guides and informants during military operations,” the report, titled “Grave Violations Committed Against Children in 22 Situations of Concern,” said. “In a verified case in July 2012, the Fifty-Seventh Infantry Battalion forced two boys aged 12 and 13 years to serve as guides to locate an NPA camp in North Cotabato Province,” it added. Against AFP policy Reached for comment, AFP spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said the military leadership will have the reported use of children as guides in operatioins verified as such is against their policy. “As a matter of policy, the AFP does not use children as guides during military operations so as not to endanger them,” he said Monday. “We will verify this information if there is any truth to it.” Moon, in the report, noted that the AFP has “issued directives prohibiting such use of children, assigning responsibility to commanders, institutionalizing investigations and putting in place corrective measures.” The two guides were among the Read More …

Diplomats laud Aquino’s economic gains, peace deal with MILF

 Entertainment
Jun 162013
 

MANILA, June 12 (Mabuhay) – Members of the diplomatic corps on Wednesday lauded the Aquino administration for its economic gains and the peace pact it entered with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). During the traditional Independence Day toast in Malacañang, Archbishop Guiseppe Pinto, dean of the diplomatic corps, cited the Philippine government for the […]

MILF: New batch of Indonesian ceasefire observers coming

 News
Jun 152013
 
MILF: New batch of Indonesian ceasefire observers coming

Amid a “deadlock” in peace negotiations, a new batch of Indonesian observers is arriving late June to replace the Indonesian contingent to the International Monitoring Team keeping watch over the ceasefire between Philippine government forces and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The MILF on Sunday cited information from the IMT that the “pioneer” Indonesian contingent, which includes 10 military and five civilian officers, will end its tour of duty June 24. “We can never compensate the contributions of (contingent head) Col. Khairully and his men but surely Allah will reward them and their families for their noble efforts and services to the Bangsamoro aspiration for peace and justice,” said MILF central committee secretariat head Muhammad Ameen. “We hope the Indonesian will stay with the IMT for as long as necessary,” he added. Also, the MILF said the replacements for the Indonesian and two Malaysian IMT members will be coming soon, as the two countries’ governments committed to continue sending members to the IMT. The MILF said the Indonesian contingent under Col. Khairully started its tour of duty on June 24, 2012 and headed the IMT Team Site 5 based in Davao City. It said its central committee is now organizing a farewell program for the outgoing Indonesian IMT officers. The IMT monitors on the ground the implementation of the security, humanitarian, development, socio-economic, and civilian protection aspects of the government-MILF peace process. It has members from Malaysia as head of mission, and from Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Norway and the European Read More …

PHL govt: MILF's plan to form political party 'consistent' with peace process

 News
May 272013
 
PHL govt: MILF's plan to form political party 'consistent' with peace process

Philippine government officials on Monday welcomed the plan of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to form a political party that will participate in the 2016 elections, saying it is “consistent” with the peace process. In a text message, presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles said the MILF’s political plan “demonstrates its commitment to prepare itself for the challenge of democratic and inclusive governance” in the Bangsamoro region, which is set to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). “It is consistent with the goals of any negotiated political settlement to transform the engaged armed party into an unarmed political and socio-economic force for continuing change and reform,” Deles said. Last week, the MILF, the country’s largest secessionist group, announced that it is set to form its political party this year to participate in the 2016 national elections. The announcement came months after the MILF and the Philippine government signed a framework peace agreement last October. At a press briefing, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte welcomed the MILF’s “preparation” for its participation in the political process. “As you all know, the road map towards the establishment of the Bangsamoro ends in 2016 and, understandably, the MILF needs to preparate for that,” she said. Valte, however, said that she is not aware of any plan from the government to help the MILF transition from an armed group to a political party. The peace panels of the Philippine government and the MILF are currently in the process of ironing out issues in Read More …

MILF reminds members vs supporting candidates in upcoming polls

 News
May 062013
 
MILF reminds members vs supporting candidates in upcoming polls

In the last week before the May 13 elections, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front issued a last-minute reminder to its members against supporting any candidate. At most, MILF secretariat chairman Muhammad Ameen said, the MILF’s members can vote for candidates who are pro-people and pro-peace process. “We will not support any candidate officially during the May 13 Philippine national elections.  However, we appeal to our people and members who wish to participate to vote for candidates who are genuinely pro-people and pro-peace process and reject those who are corrupt, oppressive, and violent,” he said in an article posted Monday on the MILF website. The article stated that this is “the nth time” that the organization has reiterated its “hands-off policy” on Philippine elections. “The MILF is beyond partisan politics and considers everyone as part of its constituency,” Ameen said, adding the MILF is a revolutionary Islamic organization. Ameen issued the hands-off reminder on May 2 following a meeting of the MILF central committee. MILF chairman Al Haj Murad had presided over the meeting after returning from a visit to several countries in Asia and the Middle East. On April 29, he attended the launching of the FASTRAC (Facility for Advisory Support for Transition Capacities) in Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. FASTRAC is a three-year program organized by the MILF, the United Nations and the World Bank. It provides on-demand technical assistance in the run-up to the establishment of the upcoming Bangsamoro political entity. — BM, GMA News

Palace: Annexes of Bangsamoro agreement will be signed

 News
Apr 152013
 
Palace: Annexes of Bangsamoro agreement will be signed

Despite delays in the finalization of the remaining annexes of the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement, Malacañang on Monday reiterated that it was confident they will be signed in due time. “We’re still discussing the issues so nobody has walked away from the negotiating table. We’re very confident that we will come to an agreement on those annexes,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a briefing. The remaining annexes on normalization, power sharing and wealth sharing have yet to be agreed upon by the peace panels from the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Lacierda said the government is being cautious in its review of the crucial annexes, so that the final product will be “doable.” “We want a Basic Law that is doable; that is something that everybody can live with,” Lacierda said, adding that the government is paying particular close attention to the language used in the annexes. “We’re going through the language. We’re also going through the substance of the annexes. Right now, we’re going to study carefully the remaining annexes,” he said. Additionally Lacierda said that the Aquino administration remains conscientious of the workability of the landmark peace deal it brokered with the MILF. “We don’t intend to kick the can down the road. We want an agreement that is workable, that is doable, and that everybody can live with. Hindi ‘yung parang mangangako kami ngayon, bahala na ‘yung future administration na i-perform,” he said. — BM, GMA News

Amid Sabah crisis, Malaysia sends new batch of peace monitors for GPH-MILF peace process

 News
Mar 132013
 
Amid Sabah crisis, Malaysia sends new batch of peace monitors for GPH-MILF peace process

Despite its operations against armed Filipino followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III in Sabah, Malaysia has sent a new batch of peace monitors to oversee a ceasefire between the Philippine government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF on Wednesday said the eighth International Monitoring Team (IMT) contingent headed by Maj. Gen. Dato Fadzil Bin Mokhtar takes over from the IMT Batch 7 led by Maj. Gen. Dato Abdul Rahim Bin Mohd Yusuff. “I don’t think so… We are clear on our mission here to continue monitoring the ceasefire,” an article posted on the MILF website quoted Fadzil as saying, referring to their arrival amid the ongoing operations against Kiram’s followers in Sabah. The MILF article added Fadzil does not think their mission to monitor the ceasefire agreement will be affected by the situation in Sabah. Malaysian security forces continue to hunt down Kiram’s armed followers in Sabah, even as Malaysia rejected Kiram’s offer of a unilateral ceasefire. Earlier Wednesday, a report on dzRH radio quoted presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda as saying Malaysia will remain a facilitator of the peace efforts between the Philippine government and the MILF despite the crisis in Sabah. Other than Malaysia, the IMT has representatives from Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Libya and Norway. The MILF said the IMT, which was established in 2004, has a military contingent of 19 members from Malaysia, 15 from Brunei, and 14 from Indonesia. For development, humanitarian and rehabilitation aspects, it has two each from Japan, Norway and the Read More …

MILF: We will not revive sultanates

 Entertainment
Feb 252013
 
MILF: We will not revive sultanates

Sajahatra Bangsamoro Program: Peace Dividends of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) beneficiaries listens to the speech of President Benigno S. Aquino III during the Ceremonial Launch at the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) in Barangay Salimbao, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on Monday (February 11, 2013). (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is not keen on reviving sultanates once the Bangsamoro political entity is established. MILF’s website Luwaran quoted MILF committee on information deputy chairman Khaled Musa as saying: “We want to preserve it, but we will not revive it.” Some 200 Filipinos, who claimed to be followers of Crown Prince Rajah Mudah Agbimuddin Kiram, entered Sabah last week. Their intentions were unclear at the beginning, until Sultan Jamalul Kiram III said a royal decree was issued ordering his men to go there and establish anew their claim on Sabah. He said they have been alienated by the peace deal between the MILF and the government. Khaled denied this, saying Kiram’s group has been contacted regarding the peace deal. “We have reached out to you as we did to other groups in Mindanao on the subject of resolving the conflict in Mindanao. We did this on several occasions particularly when the MILF peace panel had a sortie in Zamboanga City more than a year ago.” Khaled said the MILF will not stand in the way if the sultanates would want to revive their political systems. “The sultanate is part of Moro history and heritage Read More …

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