City gov't signs peace accord with 14 senior MNLF leaders in Puerto Princesa

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 23): City gov't signs peace accord with 14 senior MNLF leaders in Puerto Princesa

Mayor Lucilo Bayron signed last weekend a peace accord with 14 senior leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front and the general Muslim community to ensure that harmony and amity remains in the midst of the ongoing clash between the military and Moro fighters in Zamboanga City.

Led by the City Peace and Order Council, which Bayron also heads, the senior leaders of the MNLF in Puerto Princesa signed the peace covenant in positive response to the city government’s appeal for them to continue standing down even if being solicited to support what is going on in Zamboanga City, according to City Information Officer Henry Gadiano.

Before the signing, Gadiano said Bayron had a healthy and committed discussion with the MNLF senior leaders on pressing issues, such as inclusion in city government programs on livelihood and housing.

“The senior leaders said they have long been inactive in the MNLF because it appears that their leader Nur Misuari is no longer listening to them. They no longer wish to participate in any war. What they are after right now is their own welfare; they appealed to Mayor Bayron to be included in the livelihood and housing programs of the city government,” Gadiano told the Philippines News Agency (PNA).

The peace covenant signing, Gadiano stated, was brokered by Bayron’s leadership with an aim to further strengthen the relationship among the city government, the general Muslim community, military and police authorities and the civil society that compose the CPOC.

“The mayor wants a trusting relationship among our Muslim brothers, the police, the military and all civil society groups to prevent any untoward incident that might have a serious effect on our tourism industry,” he added.

Part of the meeting Friday, was the commitment to sit down together again for the creation of a Crisis Action Plan (CAP) that can be activated in times of calamities and other emergencies, and breaches in security and safety.

This CAP will be coordinated and aligned with the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) for proper employment when it is required.

Since the siege of Zamboanga City by the MNLF faction, Bayron has been actively engaging with the senior Moro leaders in Palawan to assure that spillovers will be avoided.

The policy and the military, on the other hand, have placed all their detachments on heightened alert, especially near borders and entry areas to the city and province.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=568591