Palace: Aquino gov't has not terminated 1996 Final Peace Agreement

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 9): Palace: Aquino gov't has not terminated 1996 Final Peace Agreement

The Aquino administration reiterated the government has not terminated the 1996 Final Peace Agreement signed between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front, a Palace official said on Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the statement during the press briefing in Malacanang on Monday following the release of misinformation that the government has already abrogated the 1996 Final Peace Agreement signed between the government and the MNLF.

Reports said MNLF chairman Nur Misuari had threatened to declare an independent Bangsamoro Republic with its own Constitution due to efforts of the government to abrogate the 1996 Final Peace Agreement signed between the government and the MNLF.

"They were insinuating that the GPH (Government of the Philippines) terminated the 1996 Final Peace Agreement. That is not true. In fact, there is an ongoing tripartite review process of the implementation of the GPH-MNLF peace pact through the facilitation of the Organization of Islamic Conference," he said.

"Actually, there is going to be a meeting next week in regard to that, so the inference na nag-terminate ang GPH ‘nung peace agreement, hindi po totoo ‘yon. What we’ve been told is that they have been spreading disinformation that terminated na. That is why may kaunting agam-agam sa ground, that is why we had to reassure them," Lacierda said.

Lacierda explained what the government had proposed was the completion of the review process and not the closure of the peace process or the abrogation of the 1996 FPA.

"May isang representative from Indonesia who met with Atty. Fontanilla. Wala hong katotohanan na we’ve already terminated it," he said.

"There is an ongoing tripartite review process to be facilitated by OIC. In fact, they are meeting next week....The third-party facilitator here, Indonesia, was aware of the tripartite review process and, in fact, there is going to be a meeting between GPH-MNLF and Indonesia on this," Lacierda further said.

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