July 15, 2012: Two members of the indigenous people and one woman-lawyer will form part of the MILF peace delegation to Kuala Lumpur for the forthcoming 29th GPH-MILF Peace Talks.

This was learned from Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat, who said that T’duray chieftain (Timuay) Melanio Ulama will be part of the MILF delegation, in addition to Datu Antonio Kinoc, a B’laan.

Also joining the delegation, as usual, is Lawyer Raissa Jajurie, who, like Ulama, is a member of the Board of Consultant of the MILF Peace Panel. Kinoc is an alternate member of the MILF Peace Panel, but he will sit in the secretariat, because the five-man regular members of the MILF are all coming namely, Mohagher Iqbal, chairman, Atty. Datu Michael Mastura, Bobby Alonto, Abhoud Syed Lingga, and Abdullah Camlian.

They will leave for Kuala Lumpur Saturday or Sunday.

Mantawil also disclosed that Cabaybay Abubakar, also a consultant to the panel, was supposed to join this delegation, but she is slated to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia for the lesser pilgrimage (umra).

Cabaybay is the current president of the Sharif Kabungsuan College in Cotabato City.

Mantawil also disclosed that the forthcoming meeting between the two parties comes in the heel of the successful holding of the “Moro Leaders Assembly” in Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao from July 6-9. Five hundred fifty thousand people responded voluntarily to the call of the MILF for unity and solidarity. Foreign and national guests, as well as government, political, traditional, rebel leaders also attended. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) sent Taher Ahmad Saif, as the official representative of the Secretary General Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu. The Malaysian facilitator, HE Dato Tengku Abd’ Ghaafar Bin Tengku Mohamed, Secretary Teresita “GING” Deles-Quintos, government peace panel chair Dean Marvic Leonen, also arrived. In addition, there were several Moro congressmen, and mayors.