GPH-MNLF peace accord can complement GPH-MILF framework agreement - MILF exec

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 18): GPH-MNLF peace accord can complement GPH-MILF framework agreement - MILF exec

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said Tuesday the peace agreement between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) cannot be reconciled with that of the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement but can complement each other. Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat, said the GPH-MNLF 1996 peace agreement and the GPH-MILF FAB cannot be put together "because they have different substance and features." "Besides, Indonesia has said the two phases of the GPH-MNLF accord, Phase 1 (political) and Phase 2 (Economic) were fully implemented by the Philippine government," Mantawil added. He said the leaders of the MNLF, Nur Misuari and then, Farouk Hussein, both accepted and led as governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. “However, the two peace pacts can complement each other,” he added.

Various sectors, including the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) want the two peace pacts linked or reconciled especially in relation to territorial coverage. Mantawil cited the latest OIC Resolution on the Muslims in Southern Philippines adopted in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti last month, as basis of his clarification. Mantawil explained that Articles 9 and 10 of that Resolution read as follows: “Invites all parties to improve on the Framework Agreement by linking it to the Peace Agreement of 1976 and abiding by the area of the autonomous region stipulated in this Agreement and reconfirmed in the Final Peace Agreement of 1996” and “Calls upon the Secretary General to hold another session of the tripartite meeting at the earliest to contain any impacts that may result from the Framework Agreement between GPH and MILF, save the 1996 Agreement and link it to the Framework Agreement, and develop a mechanism between MNLF, MILF and GPH to oversee the implementation of these two agreements i.e. the agreement with the MILF and the agreements with the MNLF.

He also said that he is not personally comfortable with the creation of an Oversight Committee composed of the GPH, MNLF, and MILF, describing it as an “odd arrangement”. However, he clarified that his reservation is not binding on the MILF leadership, which has the final say on issues like this one. ‘ Mantawil further asserted that integration of the MNLF and its combatants into the national body politic is the end state of the GRP-MNLF peace agreement while the GPH-MILF FAB envisions a state-substate asymmetrical relationship wherein the totality of the relationship between the Bangsamoro and the larger Philippine state is clearly defined. Mantawil also expressed his gratitude to the OIC for inviting no less than MILF chair Murad Ebrahim and three others to the conference in Djibouti last month. He also thanked the OIC for granting the MILF a “guest” status and the privilege to attend future sessions of the OIC, including the OIC Summit conference in Cairo, Egypt next year.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=480884