June 16, 2012 News: The Belgium-based Nonviolent Peaceforce had appointed a new Country Director for the Philippines recently.  

Paul Mettler replaced Ateef Hamid who was promoted to a post at the NP Headquarters in Brussels.

The Office of the Coordinating committee on the Cessation of Hostilities of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF – CCCH) made this report after a meeting with Paul Mettler, the new NP Philippines Country Director, Jeya Marugan and Shadab, operations and program officers of NP based in its Cotabato City Office.

Mettler, Swiss, had worked in Kuala Lumpur for 21 years and was the ICRC Head of Delegation in the Philippines from 1984 – 1986.

Said Shiek, Chairman of the MILF CCCH, assured Mettler of full cooperation and support. He also lauded the Ateef for a job well done and the well-deserved promotion. Ateef served as Country Director since 2007.

NP has been active in civilian protection work in the conflict affected areas in Mindanao since 2007 and had become a member of the Civilian Protection Component of the Malaysia-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) in 2010.

Prior to the meeting with MILF CCCH, mettle had met with the IMT officials at IMT Headquarters in Cotabato and conducted an area visit in Maguindanao to interact with the civilian communities where NP had been working on civilian protection involving local government units, MILF, government security forces, IMT, non-government organizations, government agencies and UN Agencies.