Oct 16, 2012

Moro: Historic Signing Of Framework Agreement


The framework agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been signed on the 15th of October 2012. Plenty of foreign leaders have witnessed this historic moment in Manila.

Below is an article published by Luwaran:

 

The highest officials of the Government of Malaysia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will attend the formal signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro at the Malacañang Palace on Monday, October 15 [2012].

Reliable report reaching Luwaran disclosed that Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the OIC Ssecretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu will arrive today in Manila to witness the signing of the framework agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Monday.

The report, however, did not say who will be the other officials in the entourage of the Malaysian highest official, as well as the OIC’s delegation.

Sketchy report, however, disclosed that Ambassador Kassim El-Masry, Special Envoy of the OIC Secretary General, will join the trip to Manila.

Other foreign leaders are also expected to attend the historic signing in Manila. Members of the International Contact Group, the International Monitoring Team, some aid organizations and civil society organizations involved in the peace process will also be present, the report added.

As this developed, the government and MILF peace panels have met briefly in Kuala Lumpur last October 12 to discuss the last minute preparations and security procedures in the signing of the agreement at Malacañang.

However, only three from the government and seven from the MILF attended the meeting, facilitated by the Malaysian facilitator. The Malaysian Secretariat also attended the meeting.

“It was more of a caucus,” Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat, told Luwaran today.

Mantawil also disclosed that the number of the MILF delegation has reached more than 100 to witness the peace journey of a lifetime in Manila, who will all depart from the Awang Airport in Maguindanao by chartered plane tomorrow afternoon.

He said that participants from Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, the Zamboanga Peninsula, and other areas are told to converge in Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao where a briefing will be held by the MILF central leadership.

He also said that not all members of the MILF Central Committee and key military commanders will attend the signing ceremony in Manila.