Third party monitoring team lauds renewed commitment of GPH, MILF to peace process sans BBL

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 26): Third party monitoring team lauds renewed commitment of GPH, MILF to peace process sans BBL
 

The Third-Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) on Friday commended both the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for their reaffirmed commitment to stay the course of peace despite the 16th Congress’ failure to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“The past year has been a difficult one, with the tragic events at Mamasapano casting a dark shadow over the peace process throughout the year, and with Congress being unable to complete its deliberations on the BBL,” said Alistair MacDonald, Chair of TPMT, which was tasked to monitor, review, and assess the implementation of all peace agreements signed between the GPH and MILF.

Despite the setbacks, MacDonald noted that the overall success of the past year lies with both parties remaining fully engaged with the process, and fully committed to building the sustained peace foreseen in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

This was confirmed at the most recent meeting of the Panels in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 10 to 11, where both parties signed a joint agreement reflecting their shared commitment to peace. It also contains their vow to sustain the existing peace infrastructure and to work for the early passage of a BBL in the next Congress.

It was further confirmed in the MILF statement issued on Feb. 18, expressing disappointment at the non-passage of the BBL, but underlining that the MILF would continue to uphold the peace process and preserve its gains. It also called on the Bangsamoro people to remain patient and to rally behind the full implementation of the CAB.

“It is encouraging that there has been no violent reaction from the MILF to the non-passage of the BBL,” commented MacDonald.

The five-member team detailed the significant progress made in a number of areas during the past twelve months including the successful completion of the first, ceremonial, stage of decommissioning of MILF weapons and forces on June 16, 2015 and the completion of the work of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) last December.

There are also relatively visible developments in other aspects of normalization, in preparing support for former combatants and their communities, and in strengthening the footprint of the Independent Commission Body, among others.

Further, the ceasefire mechanisms continued to work smoothly throughout the rest of the year, notwithstanding the fact that these mechanisms had been ignored and put at risk in Mamasapano, said MacDonald.

He also noted that there has been an upwelling of both domestic and international support for the peace process, such as the Citizens’ Peace Council and many other civil society efforts.

Formally established in 2013, TMPT has five members (two nominated by the GPH, two by the MILF, and a jointly-nominated Chair) : Karen Tañada (Gaston Z Ortigas Peace Institute, Philippines), Steven Rood (The Asia Foundation, USA), Rahib Kudto (UNYPAD, Philippines), Huseyin Oruç (IHH, Turkey), and Alistair MacDonald (Chair, former EU Ambassador to the Philippines, now retired).

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=861156