Joint Communiqué between the Government of the Republic of Philippines, Moro Islamic Liberation Front

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Country/entity: Philippines
Mindanao
Region: Asia and Pacific
Agreement name: Joint Communiqué between the Government of the Republic of Philippines, Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Date: 6 May 2002
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Philippine Insurgencies (1968 - )
The Maoist Insurgencies (1968 - )

Philippines-NDF

The Philippines have been defined by a series of center-periphery and often ideologically Maoist, separatist insurgencies. The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), began its war against the central Philippine government in 1968 through their armed wing – the New People’s Army (NPA). Further legitimacy was gained through the establishment of the National Democratic Front (NDF) in 1973. Grievances were predominantly opposed to the corruption and repression under the authoritarian Marcos regime.

Philippines-Cordillera

With the overthrow of Marcos’ regime in 1986, the CPP factionalized further to take on more localized characteristics. The Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA) broke away from the NDF in 1986 to focus on the protection of the Cordilleran people and land in northern Luzon. Hostilities were formally ended in July 2011, with an agreement signed between the central government, the CPLA and the Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBA) that allowed for the absorption of CPLA fighters into the Philippine Army and the re-working of the CBA-CPLA into a socio-development organisation.

Philippines-RPM-P

Meanwhile, purge among the CPP in the early 1990s, encouraged the formation of a parallel party, the Revolutionary Workers Party (RPM-P). Their armed wing, the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) which had carried out a number of assassinations during the 1980s at the bequest of the CPP, followed suit and allied themselves with the RPM-P in 1997 forming the (RPM-P-RPA-ABB). Severely weakened by the split with the CPP and with the arrest of several key figures, the RPM-P-RPA-ABB signed a peace agreement in December 2000, which encouraged the RPM-P’s branch in Mindanao to break away in 2001.

The CPP-NPA has only participated in intermittent talks with the government. Talks halted in 2004 when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration sought closer ties with the U.S. in the war on terror and added the CPP-NPA to the list of terrorist organisations, renewing violence. Following the launch of a counter-insurgency by the Philippine government, negotiations have been further delayed due to suspected internal differences between the CPP ‘old guard’ and younger members.

The Moro Insurgency (1968 - )

Philippines-Mindanao

The Moro Insurgency began in 1968, in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago after the killing of Moro Commandos, the so-called Jabidah Massacre, by the Philippine Army following a plot to invade Sabah province in Malaysia. The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) captured a swath of territory in the mid-1970s. In an attempt to stem the violence, the constitution was reformed and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was created 1990 granting a devolution of power to the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. Following the establishment of the ARMM, the MNLF splintered into a range of smaller groups including Islamic factions such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayef Goup (ASG). The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed in 2014.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Philippines - Mindanao process
Parties: Sec. Norberto Gonzales, representative of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines;
Atty. Lanang Ali, representative of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Third parties: WITNESSED by:
Sec. Eduardo Ermita, for the Government of the Republic of the Philippines;
Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Description: Parties agree to coordinate to capture criminal elements operating in MILF areas/communities, with the assistance of the police and armed forces of the Philippines.

Agreement document: PH_020506_Joint Communique between GRP-MILF.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: Socio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Socio-economic development
Page 1, 2. Both sides agreed that the activities of these criminal groups impede the peace process, the effective pursuit of development programs, and the efficient delivery of basic services to the poor: for this purpose, immediate and joint action is needed for the security and upliftment of the affected communities.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1, 3. The AFP/PNP shall convey to the MILF an order of Battle containing the names and identities of criminal elements as defined in the Implementing Guidelines on the Security Aspect of the GRP-MILF Agreement on Peace of 2001 suspected of hiding in MILF areas/communities.

Page 2, 6. The MILF shall block the entry of criminals into MILF areas/communities. The MILF may request the assistance of the AFP or PNP in the conduct of operations against such criminal inside MILF areas/communities.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→General commitments
Page 1, 4. The MILF and the GRP shall form an Ad-Hoc Joint Action Group against criminal elements in order to pursue and apprehend such criminal elements. This group will operate in tandem with their respective Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH).

Page 2, 7. The Agreement shall be enforced by the MILF and the GRP through their respective coordinating committees on the Cessation of Hostilities.
Police: Page 1, 3. The AFP/PNP shall convey to the MILF an order of Battle containing the names and identities of criminal elements as defined in the Implementing Guidelines on the Security Aspect of the GRP-MILF Agreement on Peace of 2001 suspected of hiding in MILF areas/communities.

Page 2, 6. The MILF shall block the entry of criminals into MILF areas/communities. The MILF may request the assistance of the AFP or PNP in the conduct of operations against such criminal inside MILF areas/communities.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Page 1, 1. The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have agreed to the isolation and interdiction of all criminal syndicates and kidnap-for-ransom groups, including so-called “Lost Commands” operating in Mindanao.

Page 1, 3. The AFP/PNP shall convey to the MILF an order of Battle containing the names and identities of criminal elements as defined in the Implementing Guidelines on the Security Aspect of the GRP-MILF Agreement on Peace of 2001 suspected of hiding in MILF areas/communities.

Page 1, 4. The MILF and the GRP shall form an Ad-Hoc Joint Action Group against criminal elements in order to pursue and apprehend such criminal elements. This group will operate in tandem with their respective Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH).

Page 1, 5. A quick coordination system will be established by the GRP-MILF Ad-Hoc Joint Action group to enhance their communications and working relations for the successful apprehension or capture of criminal elements in accordance with this Agreement provided, that criminals operating outside MILF areas/communities are considered beyond the purview of the Peace Process.

Page 2, 6. The MILF shall block the entry of criminals into MILF areas/communities. The MILF may request the assistance of the AFP or PNP in the conduct of operations against such criminal inside MILF areas/communities.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: Page 1, 1. The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have agreed to the isolation and interdiction of all criminal syndicates and kidnap-for-ransom groups, including so-called “Lost Commands” operating in Mindanao.

Page 1, 2. Both sides agreed that the activities of these criminal groups impede the peace process, the effective pursuit of development programs, and the efficient delivery of basic services to the poor: for this purpose, immediate and joint action is needed for the security and upliftment of the affected communities.

Page 1, 3. The AFP/PNP shall convey to the MILF an order of Battle containing the names and identities of criminal elements as defined in the Implementing Guidelines on the Security Aspect of the GRP-MILF Agreement on Peace of 2001 suspected of hiding in MILF areas/communities.

Page 1, 4. The MILF and the GRP shall form an Ad-Hoc Joint Action Group against criminal elements in order to pursue and apprehend such criminal elements. This group will operate in tandem with their respective Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH).

Page 1, 5. A quick coordination system will be established by the GRP-MILF Ad-Hoc Joint Action group to enhance their communications and working relations for the successful apprehension or capture of criminal elements in accordance with this Agreement provided, that criminals operating outside MILF areas/communities are considered beyond the purview of the Peace Process.

Page 2, 6. The MILF shall block the entry of criminals into MILF areas/communities. The MILF may request the assistance of the AFP or PNP in the conduct of operations against such criminal inside MILF areas/communities.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Accord, GRP-MILF Peace Process: Compilation of Signed Agreements & other related Documents (1997-2010); (MILF Peace Panel/Asia Foundation, 2010), pp. 126-127.

JOINT COMMUNIQUE BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THE MORO lSLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT

1. THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES (GRP) AND THE MORO ISLAMIC LJBERATION FRONT (MILF) HAVE AGREED TO THE ISOLATION AND INTERDICTION OF ALL CRIMINAL SYNDICATES AND KIDNAP-FOR-RANSOM GROUPS, INCLUDING SO-CALLED "LOST COMMANDS" OPERATING IN MINDANAO.

2. BOTH SIDES AGREED THAT THE ACTIVITIES OF THESE CRIMINAL GROUPS IMPEDE THE PEACE PROCESS, THE EFFECTIVE PURSUIT OF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, AND THE EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF BASIC SERVICES TO THE POOR.

FOR THIS PURPOSE, IMMEDIATE AND JOINT ACTION IS NEEDED FOR THE SECURITY AND UPUFTMENT OF THE AFFECTED

COMMUNITIES.

3. THE AFP/PNP SHALL CONVEY TO THE MILF AN ORDER OF BATTLE CONTAlNING THE NAMES AND IDENTITIES OF CRIMINAL ELEMENTS AS DEFINED IN THE IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES ON THE SECURITY ASPECT OF THE GRP-MILF AGREEMENT ON PEACE OF 2001 SUSPECTED OF HIDING IN MILF AREAS/COMMUNITIES.

4. THE MILF AND THE GRP SHALL FORM AN AD HOC JOINT ACTION GROUP AGAINST CRIMINAL ELEMENTS IN ORDER TO PURSUE AND APPREHEND SUCH CRIMINAL ELEMENTS.

THIS GROUP WILL OPERATE IN TANDEM WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE COOORDINATING COMMITTEES ON THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES (CCCH).

5. A QUICK COORDINATION SYSTEM WILL BE ESTABLISHED BY THE GRP-MILF ADHOC JOINT ACTION GROUP TO ENHANCE THEIR COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONS FOR THE SUCCESSFUL APPREHENSION OR CAPTURE OF CRIMINAL ELEMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS AGREEMENT.

PROVIDED, THAT CRIMINALS OPERATING OUTSIDE MILF AREAS/COMMUNITIES,ARE CONSIDERED BEYOND THE PURVIEW OF THE PEACE PROCESS.

6. THE MILF SHALL BLOCK THE ENTRY OF CRIMINALS INTO MILF AREAS/COMMUNITIES.

THE MILF MAY REQUEST THE ASSISTANCE OF THE AFP OR PNP IN THE CONDUCT OF OPERATIONS AGAINST SUCH CRIMINALS INSIDE MILF AREAS/COMMUNITIES.

7. THE AGREEMENT SHALL BE ENFORCED BY THE MILF AND THE GRP THROUGH THEIR RESPECTIVE COORDINATING COMMIITEES ON THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES.

THE MILF AND GRP EXPRESS S.INCERE ADHERENCE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING OTHER EXISTING PEACE AGREEMENTS, SO THAT THE PEACE NEGOTIATION OF SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES CAN PROCEED SMOOTHLY TOWARDS A JUST AND LASTING PEACE IN MINDANAO.

SIGNED ON THE 6th (DAY) MAY (MONTH) AT CYBERJAKA

FOR THE GRP:

SEC.

NORBERTO GONZALEZ

FOR THE MILF:

ATTY.

LANANG ALI

ATTESTED BY:

SEC.

EDUARDO ERMITA, AL HAJ MURAD EBRAHIM