OPAPP: Statement of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles on the attack and abduction of the Marawi City police chief perpetrated by a small group of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Members

From the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) (Dec 6): Statement of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles on the attack and abduction of the Marawi City police chief perpetrated by a small group of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Members

The unfortunate incident involving the attack to the Marawi City police station, and the abduction and release thereafter of the Police Chief, Supt. Christopher Panapan, occurred while the GPH and the MILF peace panels are in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the conduct of the 42nd Exploratory Talks.

Upon learning of the incident from official ground reports, the GPH 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 – the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) with its local monitoring team, the AdHoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG), and the International Monitoring Team (IMT) who 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.

We give due recognition to our local security forces for their command and restraint on the ground that enabled peaceful resolution of the incident, and to local government officials who worked together with the ceasefire mechanism.

In 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.

http://www.opapp.gov.ph/news/statement-presidential-adviser-peace-process-teresita-quintos-deles-attack-and-abduction-marawi