Mindanao Bishops, MILF: pursue peace process, call for ceasefire (tags)
The Mindanao Bishops and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reiterated their commitment to pursue the realm of peace, justice, solidarity and development as well as the peaceful resolution of the Mindanao conflict and Bangsamoro problem through the ongoing peace process between the government and MILF. “The MILF and the Bishops reiterate unwavering moral commitment to pursue the path to peace, solidarity, justice and development in Mindanao, and resolve and support to the continuation of the peace process between the MILF and the government until its successful conclusion is achieved,” stated in their Joint Communique’ issued after their peace dialogue held at the Archbishop’s Residence in Davao City on August 14, 2008.
MILF asks gov’t to postpone ARMM election (tags)
Before the peace talks ended yesterday, July 17, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel had asked the Philippine government through its chief peace negotiator, Secretary Rodolfo Garcia, to postpone the forthcoming election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in August 11 in deference to the ongoing GRP-MILF Peace Talks. The request was relayed by the MILF chief peace negotiator, Mohagher Iqbal, in tandem with their decision to forego with the word “freedom” that finally sealed the marathon talks on ancestral domain. The talks protracted for three years and seven months, which had been interrupted not only by impasses but also by intermittent skirmishes on the ground.
MILF: We know General Garcia well (tags)
Commenting on the appointment of retired General Rodolfo Garcia as the new government chief peace negotiator, Muhammad Ameen, chairperson of the MILF Secretariat, said: “We know him very well from his stint as Army officer in Central Mindanao up to his becoming a member of the government peace panel.