GPH, MILF set stage for start of normalization process

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 14): GPH, MILF set stage for start of normalization process

Government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) negotiators have expressed hope that Phase 1 of the decommissioning process scheduled on Tuesday, June  16 will be seen by all stakeholders as the beginning of genuine peace in Mindanao.

Government chief peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer in a press conference on Thursday said the peace panel had sent out invitations for the ceremonial decommissioning of MILF weapons to everyone involved in the peace process, especially members of Congress.

“Although it’s a ceremonial program, it signals something that took a long time to prepare both the hearts and minds of the people who are involved in this process,” she added.

The decommissioning of 75 weapons and of 145 Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) is part of the normalization program that were listed and to be implemented under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

Ferrer stressed that Phase 1 of the decommissioning process is very important because the 145 MILF combatants who have agreed to undergo the initial stage will serve as pioneers and help gauge the success rate of the normalization process.

MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal, who was also present during the press conference, assured that even if the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is delayed, they will comply with the initial phase of the graduated decommissioning of MILF forces and their weapons.

“We will see to it that we will comply with our obligations. We have to undertake this whether the BBL is moving in Congress or not,” Iqbal said.

He added saying, “honestly there’s no other way but to have peace in Mindanao. (OPAPP)

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1781434193350/gph-milf-set-stage-for-start-of-normalization-process