GPH and MILF Peace Panels End Two-Day Succesful Special Meeting in Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- The Government of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Panels on Monday successfully ended a two-day Special Meeting held here. GPH and MILF in a joint statement on Monday said both parties signed the Declaration of Continuity of the Partnership in the Bangsamoro Peace Process that seeks to ensure the full implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in the next administration. "The Parties signed the Terms of Reference for the Establishment of the Bangsamoro Normalisation Trust Fund (BNTF), a multi-donor trust fund envisioned in the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the Annex on Normalisation," the statement said. They have likewise signed the Terms of Reference for the Project Board of the Mindanao Trust Fund for the Six Previously Acknowledged MILF Camps (MTF-RDP Camps Project). The GPH and MILF Peace Panels congratulate President-elect Rodrigo Roa Duterte and expressed optimism that the roadmap provided for in the CAB will be fully accomplished under his term. The statement said the Peace Panels appreciated the statement issued by Presidential Peace Adviser-Nominee Jesus G. Dureza who welcomed the forging of a "declaration of continuity in the search for sustainable peace between the Philippines government and the MILF. Dureza, in his statement, also expressed intent "to continue with the gains and build on those already done and achieved." The Parties expressed their appreciation to His Excellency President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, under whose guidance and leadership, the peace agreements were signed; to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak for his continued support to the Bangsamoro Peace Process; Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles and to the members of the MILF Central Committee and Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim for their commitment to continue the path to peace. The Parties also extended their gratitude to Tengku Abdul Ghafar Tengku Mohamed as the Third-Party Facilitator from Malaysia; the members of the International Contact Group, Third Party Monitoring Team and the Independent Decommissioning Body who attended the meeting; and the members of the other peace mechanisms for their invaluable contribution to the Bangsamoro peace process. --BERNAMA