THE Philippines and Malaysia on Tuesday finally agreed on a new facilitator in the government’s peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, reaffirming Malaysia’s role in the implementation of peace talks between the government and Moro rebels.
This, as the venue of the meetings of the implementation of the peace talks return to Philippine shores more than a decade after being held in Malaysia.
In a joint statement signed by Government Implementing Panel chairman Irene Santiago and MILF Implementing Panel Chairman Mohagher Iqbal in Kuala Lumpur, both groups announced the appointment of Dato’ Kamarudin bin Mustafa, a former Malaysian Ambassador to Russia as the new third party facilitator for the peace negotiations.
He will replace the late Tengku Datuk Abdul Ghafar Mohamed who passed away on Sept. 2, 2016.
Murad earlier said the President agreed to reinstate the facilitator role during a meeting in early December in Davao City, in the presence of peace secretary Jesus Dureza.
In that meeting, Murad said it was agreed the implementing panels “will jointly request Malaysia for the appointment of a new facilitator.”
The International Monitoring Team and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group will also be extended for another year until March 2018 “in recognition of the important roles that these mechanisms play in the GPH-MILF Peace Process,” the statement read.
The IMT ensures the strict observance of the implementation of cessation of hostilities between the government and the MILF, while the AHJAG seeks to interdict and isolate lawless elements that take refuge in or near MILF communities.
After more than a decade, peace negotiations were transferred back to the Philippines “in the spirit of ensuring efficiency in the implementation of peace agreements.”
Kuala Lumpur has been host to the peace negotiations since it started during the Ramos administration in the 1990s.
The government and MILF rebels in 2012 signed the Comprehensive Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, which culminates efforts to end the deadlock in the peace process and aims to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Duterte earlier named 21 members of the expanded Bangsamoro Transition Commission, with MILF vice chair for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar to head the expanded BTC that will draft a new charter for the Bangsamoro autonomy.