WRITTEN BY ADMINISTRATOR
FRIDAY, 04 JUNE 2010
As the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) came to a close today in Kuala Lumpur, both sides signed a Declaration where they committed to work on previous gains as foundation for future negotiations under the new administration.
In a statement, Rafael E. Seguis, chairman of the GRP peace panel, underscored that throughout the negotiations, both sides have been successful in keeping the peace.
"Today, we put closure to this stage of the peace negotiations with a clear statement by both Parties that we will preserve our gains and accomplishments, and work our best for the continuation of the talks. We give honor to our past, and anticipate the future with great hope," he said during the final talks with the MILF in Kuala Lumpur.
He added that the Declaration, which will provide a smooth transition to the next administration, is a "retrospective affirmation of our accomplishments and a recapitulation of our past discussions as we toiled to come up with an agreement."
In July 2009, the first official meeting between the Chairmen of the GRP and MILF Panels took place in Kuala Lumpur, marking the formal re-establishment of communication lines between the two sides after almost a year of impasse.
Since then, Seguis stressed that no major incident of armed clashes has taken place between the Government and MILF forces. "We all desire that this continues through the new administration," he said.
Moreover, both sides signed the Framework Agreement on the Formation of the International Contact Group (ICG) for the GRP-MILF Peace Process in September 2009. This gave birth to a pioneering mechanism in peace negotiations which brings together state and non-state actors in aid of the negotiating process.
Seguis thanked the members of the ICG namely, the United Kingdom, Japan, Turkey, The Asia Foundation, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Conciliation Resources, and Muhammadiyah for their hard work and unwavering commitment to help achieve peace in southern Philippines.
Both sides also inked the Agreement on the Civilian Protection Component (CPC) of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in October 2009. The Terms of Reference of the IMT were renewed in December 2009 while the Terms of Reference of Civilian Protection Component of the IMT were agreed on in May 2010.
At the closing of the negotiations, the two sides also signed the Guidelines for the Humanitarian, Rehabilitation and Development (HRD) Component of the IMT.
"The IMT, with its untiring efforts and invaluable contribution, has indeed made the ceasefire agreement work. For this reason, we thank our partners for their indelible mark in maintaining peace in Mindanao: Malaysia, Brunei, Libya, Japan, and soon, the EU, Norway, Indonesia, and Qatar," Seguis said.
He added that the GRP looks forward to the engagement of the following Philippine-based organizations as members of the Civilian Protection Component of the IMT: the Non-Violent Peace Force Philippines, Mindanao People's Caucus, Muslim Organization of Government Officials and Professionals (MOGOP), and Mindanao Human Rights Action Center (MINHRAC).
Seguis, meanwhile, stressed that in talks with the MILF, the GRP has always been guided by adherence to the Philippine Constitution. He added that the Government consulted and obtained legal opinion from the Department of Justice for some clauses in the signed Declaration.
"While we have advanced these formulations in our discussions, it is up to the next administration to make the final decisions on what should be in a political settlement," he said.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Christopher Wright of the British Embassy in Manila hailed the signing of closing Declaration saying that "we are encouraged by the progress we have seen."
Mr. David Gorman of the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue which is a member of the ICG also said that from the perspective of the people on the ground, "the peace process in the past months has been very successful."
Present in the final talks were: Malaysian Chief Facilitator Datuk Othman bin Abd Razak; Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel; and members of the ICG.
After serving as Chief Facilitator for years, Mr. Othman cited the "peace infrastructure" as significant gains, notably the deployment of civilian peace monitors.
See also Sydney Irresistible and Mike Hitchen Unleashed
Putting principles before profits
Putting principles before profits
