The ceasefire committees of the Government of the Philippines
and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) agreed to enhance their cooperation by
signing the Guidelines for Mutual Understanding towards the conduct of peaceful
elections this May.
The document, signed last Friday by the respective
Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities of the GPH and MILF at
the International Monitoring Team Eleven (11) Headquarters in this city,
"outlines the roles of both parties related to [their] ceasefire functions
which are relevant to safeguard the ceasefire while the government conducts
honest, orderly and peaceful elections on May 09, 2016," explained
GPH-CCCH Chairman Brig. Gen. Glenn Macasero.
He added that it includes the "provision of quick response
teams in terms of monitoring and in preventing confrontational situations in
MILF communities and camps."
"This is in anticipation of the massive deployment of
AFP troops in the areas from the installation of the voting and counting
machines until they are pulled-out,” Macasero said, noting that the signed
document covers the critical period of both the national and local elections
from April 22 to May 20, 2016.
The guidelines fall under the GPH-MILF Agreement on the
General Cessation of Hostilities, the Security Aspect of the GPH-MILF Agreement
on Peace signed on June, 2001; the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB)
signed on 12 October, 2012 at Malacañan Palace, Manila and the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed last March 27, 2014 also at Malacañan
Palace, Manila which mandate the GPH and MILF ceasefire mechanisms to ensure
the maintenance of ceasefire in order to prevent possible eruptions of violence
between the parties during elections.
However, MILF-CCCH Chair Butch Malang clarified that the
signed guidelines should "not be interpreted as MILF’s inconsistency to
its standing policy not to take part or meddle in whatever capacity on the
government electoral processes," as it is purely a function of the
ceasefire mechanisms.
He assured that the MILF gives its full commitment to the
terms and conditions of the signed peace agreements with the government towards
the envisioned clean, free and peaceful May 2016 elections.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen Datuk Wira Zamrose Bin Mohd Zain, IMT 11
Head of Mission, noted that "the enumerated guidelines are [to be]
strictly followed to avoid unnecessary confrontations in the field."
Although not a party to the undertaking, the IMT, which
monitors the ceasefire between the parties, guarantees its support to the
efficient coordination and monitoring of the unhindered movements and
deployment of election personnel, equipment/paraphernalia, documents, voters,
AFP/PNP election security personnel, as deputized by the Commission on
Elections (Comelec), to and from all the polling centers situated within the
MILF areas.
Aside from the members of the GPH-MILF CCCH and the IMT, the
event was also attended by representatives from the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao COMELEC and Police Regional Office, who also committed to ensuring
proper coordination and cooperation in securing the processes and the high
integrity of the elections, particularly in the areas where the MILF forces are
situated.
GPH-CCCH Chairman Macasero reiterated that "all the
parties agree to work closely together for a just, fair, free and peaceful
elections come May 9, 2016. Together, we can make this happen."
In 2013, the ceasefire mechanisms also signed a similar
document to ensure the peaceful conduct of elections held at that time.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=872894
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