Q&A ON THE STATUS OF THE PEACE PROCESS BETWEEN THE GPH AND MNLF The 1996 Final Peace

Agreement refers to the final agreement on the implementation of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) with the participation of the Organization of Islamic Conference Ministerial Committee of The Six and the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference. What are the provisions included in the 1996 FPA and its corresponding status of implementation? The Agreement has two phases: Phase I, Transitory Period which commenced immediately upon the signing of the Agreement resulted to the: o o Integration of 7,500 MNLF elements into the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP); Establishment of the Special Zone of Peace and Development (SZOPAD) and its transitory structures and mechanisms: Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD) and Consultative Assembly. Phase II is the amendment or repeal of RA 6734 and the establishment of a new autonomous government. RA 9054 of 2001 signaled the beginning of implementation of Phase II of the Final Peace Agreement. Why is there a Tripartite Implementation Review of the 1996 FPA? While OIC member states have acknowledged in its four (4) resolutions the substantial completion of Phase I of the Final Peace Agreement, there was a continuing contention between the GPH and MNLF on the implementation of Phase II of the FPA. Hence, the OIC called for the conduct of a high-level tripartite meeting to review the implementation of the 1996 FPA and make its assessment of the progress made as well as obstacles facing its full implementation with a particular focus on Phase II.

The Tripartite meeting was also mandated to draw up modalities for a new joint monitoring committee to observe the implementation of the 1996 FPA. What is the status of the GPH-OIC-MNLF Tripartite Implementation Review? The Parties were able to achieve the following under the Tripartite Review Framework: 42 consensus points on amendments to RA 9054 Interim co-management on control and supervision over exploration, development, utilization and/or processing of strategic minerals between the national and regional government Establishment of the Bangsamoro Development Assistance Fund (BDAF) TOR completed and submitted to the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Establishment of a Tripartite Implementation Monitoring Committee (TIMC) upon the completion of the review process to monitor all Tripartite Agreements Partnership in ARMM Governance Reform and Development Activation of the Regional Commission on Bangsamoro Women for the monitoring of PAMANA

The GPH proposed to complete the Tripartite Review Process and this was thoroughly discussed and clearly understood by the OIC-PCSP Chair who declared in a statement that the completion of the 6-year review process will not result in the closure of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement. What happened to the proposed bill that aims to amend RA 9054? Nur Misuari did not agree to the submission of the proposed bill to amend RA 9054 (which is the law that strengthened and expanded the Organic Act for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) until his three remaining issues are resolved. What are Nur Misuaris unresolved issues? Nur Misuari insists on the following three issues: 1. Plebiscite on territory 2. Provisional government 3. Sharing on strategic minerals GPH has repeatedly explained that these issues are not within the purview of the Tripartite Implementation Review.

What are the GPHs response to Misuaris unresolved issues? 1. On the issue of a plebiscite on territory The government maintains that the provision on the plebiscite has already been complied with in 2001, which ratified RA 9054 in the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Marawi City. 2. On the issue of establishing a provisional government The 1996 FPA does not provide for a provisional government in the ARMM territory. There is only a provision for a transitional implementing structure and mechanism which was satisfied through the establishment of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD) chaired by Nur Misuari himself concurrently as ARMM Governor for five years (1996-2001). 3. On the issue of sharing on strategic minerals The GPH and MNLF agreed on an interim co-management on the control and supervision over exploration, development, utilization and/or processing of strategic minerals between the national and the regional government during the 1st Formal Meeting of the Ad Hoc High Level Group in Solo, Indonesia on June 20-22, 2011. What is the stand of the GPH on the Tripartite Implementation Review? The GPH position is that all the issues attending the Tripartite Implementation Review has already been resolved and that it is now the right time to complete the process and implement what will be agreed upon under the Tripartite Implementation Review framework. When is the next tripartite meeting? The Parties are scheduled to hold the 5th meeting of the GPH-OIC-MNLF Tripartite Review on the Implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA) on September 16 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. What will be the agenda of the 5th meeting of the GPH-OIC-MNLF Tripartite Review? The next Tripartite Review Meeting will have the following agenda:

Briefing on the current status of the Tripartite Review Process by the GPH, MNLF

and OIC-PCSP; Discussion on the Tripartite Review Process; Discussion on the request of the GPH; and Discussion on the future of the review process, among others.

Is Nur Misuari attending this tripartite meeting? As GPH understands, the MNLF has already requested travel papers from Indonesia, head of the OIC-PCSP and host, for Mr. Misuari and his companions. What were the actions taken by the Aquino administration in commitment to the GPH-MNLF 1996 FPA? Upon his assumption in office in 2010, President Aquino ordered to fast track the review of the remaining unresolved issues, and to continue the implementation process. In the past three years, several technical working groups as well as an ad hoc high-level group -consisting of five representatives from the GPH and five representatives from MNLF and the participation of the OIC-PCSP -- were created to find ways to reach mutually-acceptable solutions of the issues. As part of the governments commitment to the implementation of the 1996 FPA, mechanisms agreed upon by both the GPH and the MNLF were put in place for cooperation in the implementation of peace and development programs focused on MNLF communities: ARMM EO No. 9 s. 2012 establishing satellite offices in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (BaSulTa) to fasttrack delivery of basic social services ARMM EO No. 23 s. 2012 reconstituting the Joint Monitoring Committee and Renaming it as the Joint Peace and Development Monitoring Committee (JPDMC) The ARMM government and the MNLF also signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for cooperation in the implementation of peace and development programs and projects in MNLF communities. The MOA was signed by Atty. Randolf Bong Parcasio on behalf of MNLF Chair Nur Misuari and former ARMM Executive Secretary Atty. Anwar Malang. In line with this MOA, the ARMM Regional Government took the initiative to convene 50 MNLF senior leaders on August 21 to September 1 to explore venues of partnership with the group in advancing development programs for MNLF communities through PAMANA. During the two-day meeting, the MNLF senior leaders

affirmed their commitment to the 1996 Final Peace Agreement as well as partnership for peace and development. The present administration also puts premium in uplifting the lives of the Moro communities in the ARMM. These programs include the P8.589-billion Transition and Investment Support Plan (TISP), and the P1.469-billion (2013 budget) Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA)-Peace and Development Communities. PAMANA in Muslim Mindanao benefits mostly MNLF communities. The establishment of a Bangsamoro Development Assistance Fund (BDAF) for Southern Philippines will be implemented upon approval of the OIC and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). BDAF is pursuant to the agreement of the GPH and the MNLF legal panels on May 30, 2010 in Surabaya, Indonesia. Is there truth in Nur Misuaris claims that the Philippine government terminated the 1996 FPA? No. The Philippine government remains committed in pursuing the 1996 FPA with the MNLF. What the Philippine government wants is to finally complete the tripartite review process in order to proceed with the implementation of those items agreed upon during the review. In fact, the completion should be seen as another milestone in the 1996 FPA and an achievement of the GPH, the MNLF and the OIC as members of the tripartite review process. Even the OIC Peace Committee on Southern Philippines (OIC-PCSP) strongly supports the request of the Philippine government for the completion of this process. Is GPH terminating the 1996 FPA with the signing of the FAB and pursuing a comprehensive agreement with the MILF? No. The GPH is not terminating the 1996 FPA. Rather, it is pushing for the completion of the Tripartite Review Process. What is the impact of the FAB to the Tripartite Implementation Review? We have always maintained that the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro is inclusive of all the concerns of the Bangsamoro. The crafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law is not just an exercise for the MILF. It is an exercise that seeks to respond to and/or address the aspirations of the entire Bangsamoro.

Was the MNLF spurned while the Aquino government holds talks with the MILF? No. The Aquino government has made various efforts to ensure that the MNLF (both the Misuari and Sema factions) are on board the peace process with the MILF. In fact, the GPH has invited both Mr. Misuari and then Vice Mayor Sema directly and through the Indonesian facilitators to submit nominations for the Transition Commission (TC) in order for them to formally be included in this process. Both of them declined. Nevertheless, the government has ensured with the GPH members of the TC to consider the legislative agenda of the MNLF as inputs in the Bangsamoro Basic Law, specifically the 42 consensus points on amendments to RA 9054. All the existing factions in the MNLF are engaged by the government through consultations and socio-economic interventions especially in Moro communities in Mindanao. Several agreements were also achieved to strengthen the partnerships between the government and the MNLF such as the Solo agreement in 2011, where both sides agreed to jointly work in reforming the ARMM. The ARMM Regional Government has likewise inked several agreements with the MNLF leaderships in the establishment of peace and development monitoring mechanisms in the implementation of programs and projects focused on peace-building initiatives in MNLF communities. MNLF leaders also play a major role in the implementation of various socio-economic programs in their communities. Their primary task is to identify the communities and development needs. What is the impact of Nur Misuaris alleged declaration of an independent Bangsamoro Republik to the governments peace initiatives in Mindanao? Nur Misuaris action is not only counter-productive to the achievements of the 1996 FPA and the Tripartite Implementation Review Process, but also jeopardizes the peace process in Mindanao. His pronouncements provide misunderstanding and misrepresentation of what is the reality and sow confusion and apprehension among the people who have long been caught in conflict. What is GPHs reaction to the September 9 attack staged by the MNLF Misuari group in Zamboanga City?

The GPH strongly denounces the acts of violence committed by rogue elements of the MNLF led by Commander Hussin Hashimin, known to be under Ustadz Habier Malik, in Zamboanga City. This particular group has been circulating wrong information that the GPH terminated the 1996 Final Peace Agreement, leading to atrocities perpetrated at the expense of innocent civilians who were taken as hostages and used as human shields. The atrocities are meant to derail the peace process that endeavors to achieve lasting peace and development for the Bangsamoro people. Demanding to hoist their flag in the name of peace while shamelessly bearing arms and hurting innocent civilians negates the MNLF groups pronouncement of peace objectives. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process calls for calm and sobriety and appeals to the people to support and pray for the peaceful resolution of this conflict. The government is doing its best to restore peace and order in Zamboanga City and bring justice to the perpetrators of atrocities. It remains committed to resolving the Mindanao conflict through inclusive dialogue and formal peace negotiations. There is close consultation with Indonesia as Chair of PCSP regarding the latest development, and in light of the planned meeting in Yogyakarta, Indonesia on Monday next week. How will the September 9 MNLF attack in Zamboanga City impact on the ongoing GPH-MILF peace negotiations? The attacks perpetrated by the MNLF Misuari group will not in any way hamper the efforts of the government and the MILF to complete the remaining annexes on power sharing and normalization and forge a Comprehensive Agreement within the year. The 40th Formal Exploratory Talks continues this week in Kuala Lumpur. During the 39th round of formal talks, the GPH and the MILF peace panels conveyed the same commitment and resolve to finish the process soon and to not let the recent atrocities derail the peace process.