The peace panels of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) met and agreed on Sunday, January 26 to extend by another year the tours of duty of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Joint Group (AHJAG) in recognition for their important roles in the peace process.
But the number of the personnel of the IMT will be reduced a bit. Details however, were not made available.
The panels on January 25 last year extended the mandate of IMT until March 2014 and the AHJAG to February 14, 2014.
The IMT is mandated to monitor the ceasefire agreements between the GPH and MILF “in order to create conducive environment for peace negotiations and development initiatives in the conflict-affected areas of Mindanao.” The IMT was first deployed in 2004, its mandate renewed annually, said a report by MindaNews on January 26.
The AHJAG on the other hand is a joint team against criminal elements operating in “MILF areas/communities, in order to pursue and apprehend such criminal elements.” The group operates in tandem with their respective Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities.”
GPH-MILF panels convened to discuss details of CAB
Meanwhile, a day after the signing of the Annex on Normalization, the last of four annexes to the Framework Agreement and the addendum on Bangsamoro territorial waters and zones of joint cooperation that will pave the way for the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the GPH-MILF peace panels went back to work in the same venue to agree on the details of the CAB.
MindaNews quoted Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, head of the GHP peace panel saying they convened to discuss the “next steps towards the comprehensive agreement”. Their meeting began at around 10 a.m. and ended at 12:40 p.m. with both parties agreeing to continue in the Philippines and discuss details of what would go into the final text of the CAB.
On his part, MILF peace panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal told MindaNews they already submitted their draft text for the CAB to the GPH panel through the Malaysian facilitator late Friday. “We will thresh out the details in the Philippines,” he said.
On Friday, both panels did not appear to be on the same page as to what would go into the CAB, with Ferrer saying it was “parang introductory” and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles saying it was “parang cover.”
For Iqbal, the text of the CAB is more than just an introduction or a cover page. He told MindaNews Friday morning that there are some issues that they want clearly spelled out in the text of the CAB. He declined to elaborate.
No date has been set for the signing of the CAB but both Ferrer and Iqbal are eyeing “February or March.”
Philippine lawmakers expect basic law submitted by May
Last Tuesday, January 28, some members of the House of Representatives said that they expect the submission of the draft basic law to congress by May.
Representative Pangalian Balindong of Lanao del Sur and Deputy Speaker for Mindanao told reporters that they are hoping that the proposed basic law shall undergo smooth sailing and will not encounter any question on its constitutionality. The Bangsamoro Transition Commission whose members were appointed by President Benigno Aquino III will present the basic law.
"We in Congress are waiting for the [proposed] basic law, which will be presented to us by the Transitory Commission once it will be certified as urgent by the President," Balindong said.
He added that the signing on Saturday of the last of the four annexes to the Bangasamoro framework agreement is a welcome development.
Meanwhile, Basilan Representative Hadjiman Hataman-Salliman said that their main concern is the demobilization of the entire ARMM since, aside from the MILF, there are still threats that should be considered such as the Bangsamaro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a Moro breakaway group.
Magdalo Party-list Representative Gary Alejano also said that other threats than can derail the peace process will be addressed as law enforcement matters.
"I must say that we cannot please everybody along the way but we are happy that they sat with the government. [But for the threats], It's a matter of law enforcement," he said.
He added that the presence of other threat groups is not enough reason to delay the peace efforts in Mindanao.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/794-imt-ahjag-tours-of-duty-extended-by-another-year
The panels on January 25 last year extended the mandate of IMT until March 2014 and the AHJAG to February 14, 2014.
The IMT is mandated to monitor the ceasefire agreements between the GPH and MILF “in order to create conducive environment for peace negotiations and development initiatives in the conflict-affected areas of Mindanao.” The IMT was first deployed in 2004, its mandate renewed annually, said a report by MindaNews on January 26.
The AHJAG on the other hand is a joint team against criminal elements operating in “MILF areas/communities, in order to pursue and apprehend such criminal elements.” The group operates in tandem with their respective Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities.”
GPH-MILF panels convened to discuss details of CAB
Meanwhile, a day after the signing of the Annex on Normalization, the last of four annexes to the Framework Agreement and the addendum on Bangsamoro territorial waters and zones of joint cooperation that will pave the way for the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the GPH-MILF peace panels went back to work in the same venue to agree on the details of the CAB.
MindaNews quoted Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, head of the GHP peace panel saying they convened to discuss the “next steps towards the comprehensive agreement”. Their meeting began at around 10 a.m. and ended at 12:40 p.m. with both parties agreeing to continue in the Philippines and discuss details of what would go into the final text of the CAB.
On his part, MILF peace panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal told MindaNews they already submitted their draft text for the CAB to the GPH panel through the Malaysian facilitator late Friday. “We will thresh out the details in the Philippines,” he said.
On Friday, both panels did not appear to be on the same page as to what would go into the CAB, with Ferrer saying it was “parang introductory” and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles saying it was “parang cover.”
For Iqbal, the text of the CAB is more than just an introduction or a cover page. He told MindaNews Friday morning that there are some issues that they want clearly spelled out in the text of the CAB. He declined to elaborate.
No date has been set for the signing of the CAB but both Ferrer and Iqbal are eyeing “February or March.”
Philippine lawmakers expect basic law submitted by May
Last Tuesday, January 28, some members of the House of Representatives said that they expect the submission of the draft basic law to congress by May.
Representative Pangalian Balindong of Lanao del Sur and Deputy Speaker for Mindanao told reporters that they are hoping that the proposed basic law shall undergo smooth sailing and will not encounter any question on its constitutionality. The Bangsamoro Transition Commission whose members were appointed by President Benigno Aquino III will present the basic law.
"We in Congress are waiting for the [proposed] basic law, which will be presented to us by the Transitory Commission once it will be certified as urgent by the President," Balindong said.
He added that the signing on Saturday of the last of the four annexes to the Bangasamoro framework agreement is a welcome development.
Meanwhile, Basilan Representative Hadjiman Hataman-Salliman said that their main concern is the demobilization of the entire ARMM since, aside from the MILF, there are still threats that should be considered such as the Bangsamaro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a Moro breakaway group.
Magdalo Party-list Representative Gary Alejano also said that other threats than can derail the peace process will be addressed as law enforcement matters.
"I must say that we cannot please everybody along the way but we are happy that they sat with the government. [But for the threats], It's a matter of law enforcement," he said.
He added that the presence of other threat groups is not enough reason to delay the peace efforts in Mindanao.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/794-imt-ahjag-tours-of-duty-extended-by-another-year
