NEWS




7June
IN PHOTO- MILF leaders led by Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim (center), on his right, IDB Chair Ambassador Levent Sahinkaya, on his left, MILF 1st Vice Chairman, and BTC Chair Ghazali Jaafar, with other members of the IDB in a souvenir photo taken after the short program

IDB Delegation visits MILF Leadership at Camp Darapanan

CAMP DARAPANAN/ June 4, 2018 - The Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) headed by Ambassador Levent Sahinkaya paid visit to the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on June 4, 2018 at Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

Chairman Al haj Murad Ebrahim with some MILF Central Committee members and Officers of Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) welcome the IDB delegates at the MILF Central Committee Plenary Hall.  

IDB is created by the peace process between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GPH-MILF) to oversee the decommissioning of MILF Combatants once an acceptable Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is passed by congress, and approved in a plebiscite.

To recall, it was on June 16, 2015 that the MILF turned-over the first batch of weapons in a bid to prove its commitment to peace. No less than former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III came to witness that historic and symbolic ceremony held at the old Maguindanao Capitol, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

IDB regularly coordinates with the MILF Central Committee to get updates on the progress of the GPH-MILF peace process

The MILF chair provided updates to the delegation on the general situation in Bangsamoro homeland for the mostly foreigner visitors, giving emphasis on the status of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

 Al Haj Murad told the delegation that they are certain that something positive will come out from the Bicameral Conference of selected members of the House of Representatives and Senate and come up with an acceptable unified version. 

Al Haj Murad took note of varied efforts to keep BBL on track to the one drafted by Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).

He expressed his gratitude for the visit, and assured the delegation that after the passage of the BBL the organization will comply with the Decommissioning and all Normalization processes.

The IDB is composed of foreign experts from Turkey, Norway, Brunei and National staff representatives from the two parties (GPH-MILF).  

The seventy-five (75) weapons from the one hundred forty-five (145) decommissioned Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) members are now in the hands of the IDP.

IDB Chair Sahinkaya presented their accomplishment report to the MILF through Al Haj Murad, and their upcoming activities. Some outputs he shared are their visits made to some MILF Camps.

In his closing statement, Sahinkaya expressed his group’s support to the peace process, and the passage of the BBL that is compliant to signed peace deals.