CCCH, AHJAG play key roles in safe release of Marawi police chief

From the Mindanao Examiner blog site (Dec 6): CCCH, AHJAG play key roles in safe release of Marawi police chief

The ceasefire and anti-crime mechanisms of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have played crucial roles in the peaceful and safe release of a police officer abducted by rebels in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province before dawn Friday.

The military said Superintendent Christopher Panapan, police chief of Marawi City, was freed by MILF rebels at noontime the same day in Balindong town in Lanao del Sur.

"The existing peace mechanisms helped in the successful release of the Marawi City police chief, Supt. Christopher Panapan," said Col. Glen Macasero, commander of the Army's 103rd Infantry Brigade.

He said the release was made possible by joint efforts of the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) of the peace panels.

"On top of that, we can also attribute the success due to the rapport with our MILF counterparts in the CCCH and AHJAG," he said. "It is the MILF’s CCCH and AHJAG who facilitated the negotiations for the release of the police chief."

The Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team also helped resolve the problem peacefully.

Supt. Siegfredo Ramos, deputy director of the Lanao del Sur police command, said dozens of MILF gunmen led by Jimmy Rajamuda, commander of the MILF’s Musa Island Base Command, stormed the Marawi police station and rescued two rebels detained for illegally carrying firearms.

Rajamuda is under Abdurahman Macapaar or Commander Bravo, chief of the MILF 102nd base Command.

“The peace process between the GPH and the MILF is having a great momentum. This [isolated] incident must not spoil that momentum,” Ramos said.

Manila is currently negotiating peace with the MILF, the country's largest Muslim rebel group, in an effort to end bloody hostilities in Mindanao.The raid occurred as peace negotiators resumed their talks in Kuala Lumpur.

Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, urged the MILF leadership to restrain their forces in the wake of the ongoing peace talks in Malaysia, which is brokering the negotiations.

“We are calling the leadership of the MILF to rein their ground commanders in respect to the ongoing peace negotiations,” he said.

Manila is currently negotiating peace with the MILF, the country's largest Muslim rebel group, in an effort to end bloody hostilities in Mindanao.The raid occurred as peace negotiators resumed their talks in Kuala Lumpur.

Presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles said upon learning of the incident,  the government peace panel immediately raised the matter to its MILF counterpart for urgent action.

"Our Panels have closely monitored the situation on the ground, and undertook coordination with their respective ceasefire committees to assist in ensuring the incident’s immediate resolution in the soonest possible time. Our ceasefire and security mechanisms on the ground established for matters such as this were immediately put to work and deployed to the area of the incident."

"As already done by the local security force, we give due recognition to our government ceasefire and security committees – (CCCH) with its local monitoring team, the AHJAG, and the IMT which constitute the GPH-MILF ceasefire and security mechanisms, for the crucial role they played in securing the safe release of City Police Chief Panapan, and preventing possible escalation of hostilities that might have compromised the existing ceasefire between Government and the MILF," she said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

Deles also gave recognition to the local security forces for their restraint that enabled peaceful resolution of the incident, and to local government officials who worked together with the ceasefire mechanism.

She said iIn accordance with the rules and procedures agreed upon between the GPH and MILF, investigations will be conducted immediately by the joint committees.

"As we have declared many times before, what we are after is peace with justice. We will rely on the established mechanisms to ensure that the rule of law is followed and justice is duly served."

"We give due recognition to the MILF leadership for working with us on this matter. At this point in time when we are in the last stage of the negotiations towards the completion of a comprehensive agreement, it is important that we are able to prove that we have control over our forces, and can protect our communities in our commitment to deliver the much deserved peace and development in the region," she said.

 http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/12/ccch-ahjag-play-key-roles-in-safe.html