NEWS




1August

MILF, MNLF begin harmonization of agreements

Delegations from the MILF and MNLF met over the weekends (July 30-31) in Cotabato City to technically begin the process of harmonizing the major agreements entered by them with the Government of the Philippines.

Convening for the first time, the Joint Technical Working Group (JTWG) began its work a month after the two Moro liberation fronts announced its creation during the signing of a joint statement held in the MILF’s administrative base in Camp Darapanan in the town of Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

Speaking in behalf of the MILF TWG, Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga emphasized that the group’s task is to make recommendations that would help the leadership of the two Fronts in making decisions.

In trying to reach out a consensus, Lingga appealed to the members of the JTWG to be always conscious that the “prime consideration is the best interest of the Bangsamoro and Islam.”

In the June 29, 2016 joint statement, the two Fronts have agreed to organize the JTWG whose task would be “finding common ground between the 1976 Tripoli Agreement/1996 FPA on the one hand, and the 2014 CAB on the other, as a means of harmonizing the two peace tracks.”

The same task was stipulated in Resolution No. 2/42-MM on Question of Muslims in Southern Philippines during the 42nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Kuwait City, State of Kuwait on May 27-28, 2015.
 
Aside from Lingga, the other delegates from the MILF included Abdulmalik Mantawil, Edward Guerra, Atty. Lanang Ali, Jr. and Abdullah Cusain. Another member, Atty. Shah Elijah Alba, was unavailable during the meeting.

The MNLF delegation was headed by its Vice-Chairman Hatimil Hassan. He was joined by Atty. Firdausi Abbas, Atty. Bayan Balt, Atty. Dalidig Sumndad, Atty. Omar Sema, Atty. Anwar Khalid Maliawao, Abdul Sahrin, Abebakrin Lukman, Romeo Sema, Ustadz Abdulmumin Mujahid, Ali Babao, and Bainon Karon.