By Priam Nepomuceno
The peace implementing panels of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) thanked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his “unwavering commitment to the Bangsamoro peace process.”
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) said the two panels expressed their appreciation in a joint statement issued at the conclusion of their special meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday.
The panels recognized that Marcos’ “unwavering commitment continues to drive the full realization of the provisions of the peace agreement,” according to a news release over the weekend.
They credited the President’s leadership for sustaining the momentum in implementing the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), particularly its political and normalization tracks.
GPH Peace Implementing Panel chairperson Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, who also heads the OPAPRU, attributed the meeting’s outcomes to the administration’s continued support.
“We thank President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his steadfast support and dedication to the Bangsamoro peace process, which enabled the Government and the MILF to forge six key agreements during the Special Meeting in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
The six documents signed during the meeting are:
- • Joint Statement of the GPH and MILF Peace Implementing Panels;
- Certification renewing the mandate of the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group until Sept. 25, 2027;
- Certification renewing the mandate of the Civilian Protection Component until Sept. 25, 2028;
- Terms of Reference of the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Roadmap Development for the Implementation of the CAB;
- Addendum to the GPH-MILF Peace Implementing Panels’ Decision Points on the Socioeconomic Development Program for Decommissioned Combatants and the six previously acknowledged MILF camps; and
- Resolution No. 3, series of 2026, of the TWG on Transitional Justice and Reconciliation on proposed enhancements to bills seeking to create the National Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission for the Bangsamoro filed in the 20th Congress.
On security, the panels agreed in principle to the proposed GPH-MILF Framework for the Small Arms and Light Weapons Management Program and directed the concerned TWG to finalize it.
The proposed revitalization of the International Monitoring Team and recommendations on putting weapons beyond use will remain under continuing discussion by the panels.
MILF Peace Implementing Panel chairperson Mohagher Iqbal, meanwhile, reaffirmed the MILF’s commitment to completing the implementation of the peace agreement.
“The MILF remains committed to the peace process and to the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues. Much has been achieved. Important commitments remain. Our task now is to finish what we started, so that the combatants who laid down their arms and the families who waited with them see the promise of normalization fulfilled in their lifetime,” Iqbal said.
