Northern Mindanao police director Chief Supt. Florante Baguio, left, Malaysian Maj. Gen. Dato Mohd Ismail Bin Ahmad Khan, 2nd from left, head of the internatioanl truce observers, Philippines Brig. Gen Edgardo Gurrea, 3rd from left, and Von Al Haq, right, of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front during a press conference Thursday 05 Oct 2006 at Camp Alagar in Cagayan de Oro City. (Dante Sudaria)CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Mike Banos / 06 Oct) – The International Monitoring Team 3 (IMT-3) overseeing the peace process between the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) expressed satisfaction over the progress of the negotiations, despite a deadlock in the talks aimed at ending more than three decades of Muslim rebellion in Mindanao.
Maj. Gen. Dato Mohd Ismail bin Ahmad Khan of Malaysia, IMT-3 head, said in a meeting here Thursday that his country remains committed to overseeing the peace process for the Philippines in general, and Mindanao in particular, to help Filipinos attain "everlasting peace."
Malaysia is brokering the peace talks, but the negotiations stalled after both sides failed to sign an agreement on the so-called Muslim ancestral domain.
Ismail was accompanied by Brig. Gen. Edgardo M. Gurrea, chairman of the government’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and his counterpart in the MILF, Von Al Haq.
Gurrea and Al Haq’s groups have briefed Ismail about the truce agreement.
"Our purpose is to orient Gen. Ismail and introduce him to the various heads of the LGUs, AFP and PNP commands covered by the GRP-MILF conflict areas.”
“Despite the impasse in the peace panel talks, we are happy to note the ceasefire mechanism at all levels is still in place and discharging its intended purpose to keep the peace,” Gurrea told the Mindanao Examiner.
The IMT-3 was on the second leg of its orientation tour which included the two Lanao provinces, Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon province where Ismail met Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri Jr. before proceeding to Cotabato City.
During the first leg of its visit, the team toured the cities of Cotabato and Davao and the Socsksargen (Sarangani, South Cotabato, General Santos) region. The final leg of the tour will cover Western Mindanao, including Zamboanga City and Sulu Archipelago.
Gurrea clarified that while the ongoing peace talks were focusing on three main talking points -- security, rehabilitation and development of conflict areas and ancestral domain, or the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity -- the ongoing orientation tour was more focused on security and the monitoring of the peace and order situation in the identified conflict areas, to ensure that any violations of the truce accord would be properly addressed by the authorities not deteriorate into a wider conflict involving security and rebel forces.
Prior to the start of the peace process and the organization of the IMT, the GRP-MILF conflict areas had over 700 violence-related incidents. After the tour of the IMT-1, this was reduced to approximately 500, and went down further to only 10 last year under the tour of IMT-1.
"We are happy to note that there has been no incidents reported under IMT-3, and our fighting target is to maintain this zero level for the duration of the one year tour of Gen. Ismail," Gurrea said.
Ismail also noted that the present areas of disagreement between the GRP and MILF peace panels were focused on "political and diplomatic" issues and not conflict related, which demonstrates that the CCCH mechanism is working to prevent violent conflict from breaking out between the AFP and MILF armed forces.
For his part, Al Haq expressed satisfaction that all parties involved in the peace forces were facing and working towards one direction, which is the attainment of a just and lasting peace in Mindanao.
"The essence of Ramadan is sacrifice, and all of us should offer a measure of sacrifice for the greater good of a just and lasting peace," Al Haq said.
Gurrea cautioned that despite the zero incidences of GRP-MILF violence-related incidents under IMT-3's stewardship, "We must continue to be vigilant against those who seek to disrupt the ongoing peace talks."
"What's important is the mechanism of the CCCH is holding and keeping the peace, to allow the GRP-MILF peace talks to continue under an atmosphere conducive to negotiation and settlement," he added.
Other members of the IMT-3 team accompanying Ismail were Lt. Col. Nazeri bin Ismail, Maj. Mustaffa bin Ibrahim, Lt. Cmdr. Muhd Shakir bin Salleh, Capt. Azuan bin Salehuddin, Capt (DR) Amran bin Amir Hamzah, Cpl. Zainal bin Othman, and Encik Hisham bin Rosle, all of Malaysia. (Mindanao Examiner)
Maj. Gen. Dato Mohd Ismail bin Ahmad Khan of Malaysia, IMT-3 head, said in a meeting here Thursday that his country remains committed to overseeing the peace process for the Philippines in general, and Mindanao in particular, to help Filipinos attain "everlasting peace."
Malaysia is brokering the peace talks, but the negotiations stalled after both sides failed to sign an agreement on the so-called Muslim ancestral domain.
Ismail was accompanied by Brig. Gen. Edgardo M. Gurrea, chairman of the government’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and his counterpart in the MILF, Von Al Haq.
Gurrea and Al Haq’s groups have briefed Ismail about the truce agreement.
"Our purpose is to orient Gen. Ismail and introduce him to the various heads of the LGUs, AFP and PNP commands covered by the GRP-MILF conflict areas.”
“Despite the impasse in the peace panel talks, we are happy to note the ceasefire mechanism at all levels is still in place and discharging its intended purpose to keep the peace,” Gurrea told the Mindanao Examiner.
The IMT-3 was on the second leg of its orientation tour which included the two Lanao provinces, Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon province where Ismail met Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri Jr. before proceeding to Cotabato City.
During the first leg of its visit, the team toured the cities of Cotabato and Davao and the Socsksargen (Sarangani, South Cotabato, General Santos) region. The final leg of the tour will cover Western Mindanao, including Zamboanga City and Sulu Archipelago.
Gurrea clarified that while the ongoing peace talks were focusing on three main talking points -- security, rehabilitation and development of conflict areas and ancestral domain, or the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity -- the ongoing orientation tour was more focused on security and the monitoring of the peace and order situation in the identified conflict areas, to ensure that any violations of the truce accord would be properly addressed by the authorities not deteriorate into a wider conflict involving security and rebel forces.
Prior to the start of the peace process and the organization of the IMT, the GRP-MILF conflict areas had over 700 violence-related incidents. After the tour of the IMT-1, this was reduced to approximately 500, and went down further to only 10 last year under the tour of IMT-1.
"We are happy to note that there has been no incidents reported under IMT-3, and our fighting target is to maintain this zero level for the duration of the one year tour of Gen. Ismail," Gurrea said.
Ismail also noted that the present areas of disagreement between the GRP and MILF peace panels were focused on "political and diplomatic" issues and not conflict related, which demonstrates that the CCCH mechanism is working to prevent violent conflict from breaking out between the AFP and MILF armed forces.
For his part, Al Haq expressed satisfaction that all parties involved in the peace forces were facing and working towards one direction, which is the attainment of a just and lasting peace in Mindanao.
"The essence of Ramadan is sacrifice, and all of us should offer a measure of sacrifice for the greater good of a just and lasting peace," Al Haq said.
Gurrea cautioned that despite the zero incidences of GRP-MILF violence-related incidents under IMT-3's stewardship, "We must continue to be vigilant against those who seek to disrupt the ongoing peace talks."
"What's important is the mechanism of the CCCH is holding and keeping the peace, to allow the GRP-MILF peace talks to continue under an atmosphere conducive to negotiation and settlement," he added.
Other members of the IMT-3 team accompanying Ismail were Lt. Col. Nazeri bin Ismail, Maj. Mustaffa bin Ibrahim, Lt. Cmdr. Muhd Shakir bin Salleh, Capt. Azuan bin Salehuddin, Capt (DR) Amran bin Amir Hamzah, Cpl. Zainal bin Othman, and Encik Hisham bin Rosle, all of Malaysia. (Mindanao Examiner)
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