Independent body to inventory weapons - Panel

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan26): Independent body to inventory weapons - Panel

An independent decommissioning body will be created in the inventory of firearms of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the implementation of the security component of normalization, according to Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, chair of the government peace panel negotiating with the MILF.

“In the arrangement, we will create a decommissioning body—-a body that’s going to be an independent body that will see through, first of all, the kind of inventory that would have to be in place, and the program for the eventual decommissioning of both combatants and weapons,” Ferrer said during a video conference with reporters at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) in Ortigas Center, Pasig City on Saturday.

During the video conference Ferrer and members of the government peace panel were at the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur for the 35th Formal Exploratory Talks with their MILF counterparts. When asked about the number of firearms involved in the decommissioning, Ferrer said: Ferrer said: “We do not have the figures yet. That’s a matter that’s going to be determined precisely in the implementation of the security components of normalization.” “Of course our AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) has its estimates, but that’s a matter that shall be mutually determined by both parties with the help of an independent body, an independent decommissioning body,” she added.

Ferrer said that the composition and the functions of the decommissioning body are still being worked out at the level of the Technical Working Group (TWG), “so for now we are guided with only what you will find in the Framework Agreement and that is the fact that we will put up this independent body that will assist in the decommissioning process.”

However, Ferrer explained that “the laying down of arms, which we of course do not equate with surrender because this is a negotiated process, it’s a process that is going to be a gradual and phased process, which will be accompanied by the political components, the political commitments of both parties, as well as the creation of a stable, safe, and secure environment on the ground, so in terms of an overall time frame what we can say is that complete decommissioning shall happen upon the completion of all the other elements of the Framework Agreement and the annexes.”

Negotiations between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF have been in progress and both peace panels described the 35th formal exploratory talks as a milestone with the signing of the Terms of Reference for the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT). The TPMT is the body that will review, assess, evaluate and monitor the implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and its Annexes, according to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

The two peace panels are expected to identify the members of the TPMT within one month. At the same time, the two parties also agreed to extend the respective tours of duty of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) for another year in recognition of their important roles in the peace process, without prejudice to adjustments that may be needed pursuant to developments in the crafting of the Annexes to the FAB.

Both parties expressed satisfaction on the continuing progress of the discussions on the annexes to the FAB,” the statement pointed out. These annexes are power-sharing, wealth-sharing, transitional arrangement and modalities, and normalization. “These issues pertain to jurisdiction over natural resources; transportation and communication; the extent of territorial waters; taxing powers; timetables for decommissioning and demilitarization; policing structures; the transition authority, among others,” Ferrer said.

The two sides have also been discussing the establishment of a Bangsamoro government. Since the December last year, the two panels met with a various sectors of society to inform the people on the development of their ongoing negotiations. The two panels agreed to meet again in February and have expressed confidence that the annexes will be completed and signed at the soonest possible time.

During the video conference, Ferrer was also asked about the MILF camps in Mindanao. In reply, Ferrer said: “It’s also part of the overall scheme where we will find the transformation of erstwhile conflict areas into peaceful communities,” adding, “so yung details nyan, again, will still have to be worked out in terms of the scheduling and the kind of interventions that will be necessary to see through these transformations,” Ferrer said in English and Pilipino.

Ferrer said that the week that past during the 35th formal exploratory talk was “very challenging.” “We not only had to find solutions to the remaining issues, we also had to clarify between us our understanding of the process,” she said.“And yet, we reached a milestone. We finished a draft Terms of Reference (TOR) on the Third Party Monitoring Team, the joint international-domestic body that will monitor the comprehensive agreement.

The four Technical Working Groups have arrived at good compromises on many of the remaining issues and have significantly reduced the number of unresolved items. We are reaping the tangible results of our TWG approach, six months after we formed our first two TWGs in August 2012,” Ferrer pointed out. “After five days, we have new proposed solutions on the table to all of the unsettled issues. We also have a clearer process now and a more definitive estimate of our time frames to complete the Comprehensive Agreement,” Ferrer said. The talks were held from Jan. 21-25.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=491421