Joint Communique

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Country/entity: Philippines
Mindanao
Region: Asia and Pacific
Agreement name: Joint Communique
Date: 2 Mar 2000
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: Lt. Gen. Edgardo E. Batenga, AFP (Ret.), GRP Peace Panel Chairman;
Bro. Mohagher Iqbal, MILF Peace Panel Acting Chairman
Third parties: Witnessed by: Edir. Alma R. Evangelista, GRP Technical Committee Chairperson; Sheikh Moner Bajunaid, MILF Technical Committee Chairman
Description: Agreement that informs on 2nd Round of Formal Peace Talks between the GRP and MILF Peace Panels, in which the Parties heard reports from the QRT, IFFC, and the CCCh on incidents in Maguindanao and the implementation of the cessation of hostilities. The Peace Panels agreed to cluster the nine Agenda Items, presented by MILF for discussion in the Formal Talks, into six aggrupations consisting of Ancestral domain, Destruction of Properties and Victims of War, Human Rights Issues, Social and Cultural Discrimination, Economic Inequities, and Exploitation of Natural Resources. Additionally, the Technical Committees were directed to discuss proposed organization and specific tasks of the Technical Working Groups on Agenda Items, a MILF Draft on Immunity and Security Guarantees, and a MILF Draft on the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and Humanitarian Laws. The Panels concluded to meet the following week, March 6-7, 2000, for the 3rd Round of Formal Peace Talks.

Agreement document: PH_000302_Joint Communique.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: Groups→Indigenous people→Rhetorical
Page 1, The GRP and MILF Peace Panels agreed to cluster the nine (9) Agenda Items presented by the MILF for discussion in the Formal Peace Talks into sex (6) aggrupations, namely: [...] 2. Destruction of Properties and Victims of War / Displaced and Landless Bangsamoro
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: Groups→Refugees/displaced persons→Rhetorical
Page 1, The GRP and MILF Peace Panels agreed to cluster the nine (9) Agenda Items presented by the MILF for discussion in the Formal Peace Talks into sex (6) aggrupations, namely: [...] 2. Destruction of Properties and Victims of War / Displaced and Landless Bangsamoro
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: Page 1, The GRP and MILF Peace Panels agreed to cluster the nine (9) Agenda Items presented by the MILF for discussion in the Formal Peace Talks into sex (6) aggrupations, namely:
3. Human Rights Issues
4. Social and Cultural Discrimination

Page 2, The Technical Committees of both Panels were directed to discuss the following, for submission to the Peace Panels:
4. MILF Draft on the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and Humanitarian Laws.
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: Page 1, The GRP and MILF Peace Panels agreed to cluster the nine (9) Agenda Items presented by the MILF for discussion in the Formal Peace Talks into sex (6) aggrupations, namely:
1. Ancestral Domain / Agrarian Related Issues

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: Socio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Socio-economic development
Page 1, The GRP and MILF Peace Panels agreed to cluster the nine (9) Agenda Items presented by the MILF for discussion in the Formal Peace Talks into sex (6) aggrupations, namely:
2. Destruction of Properties and Victims of War / Displaced and Landless Bangsamoro
5. Economic Inequities and Widespread Poverty
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: Page 1, The GRP and MILF Peace Panels agreed to cluster the nine (9) Agenda Items presented by the MILF for discussion in the Formal Peace Talks into sex (6) aggrupations, namely: 6. Exploitation of Natural Resources
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: Land, property and environment→Land reform/rights→Property return and restitution
Page 1, The GRP and MILF Peace Panels agreed to cluster the nine (9) Agenda Items presented by the MILF for discussion in the Formal Peace Talks into sex (6) aggrupations, namely:
2. Destruction of Properties and Victims of War / Displaced and Landless Bangsamoro
Land, property and environment→Land reform/rights→Other land rights
Page 1, The GRP and MILF Peace Panels agreed to cluster the nine (9) Agenda Items presented by the MILF for discussion in the Formal Peace Talks into sex (6) aggrupations, namely:
1. Ancestral Domain / Agrarian Related Issues
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, The Technical Committees of both Panels were directed to discuss the following, for submission to the Peace Panels:
4. MILF Draft on Immunity and Security Guarantees, and GRP counter-proposal; and
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
Page 1, During this meeting, both the QRT/IFFC and the CCCH presented their respective reports on the incidents in Carmen, Cotabato and Shariff Aguak, Datu Piang and Talayan, all in Maguindanao. The CCCH of the GRP and the MILF likewise presented their respective reports on the status of the implementation of the GRP-MILF Agreements on September 2, 1999 and January 12, 2000.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
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: Page 1, The GRP and MILF Peace Panels agreed to cluster the nine (9) Agenda Items presented by the MILF for discussion in the Formal Peace Talks into sex (6) aggrupations, namely: [...] 2. Destruction of Properties and Victims of War / Displaced and Landless Bangsamoro
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: GRP-MILF Peace Process: Compilation of Signed Agreements & other related Documents (1997-2010); (MILF Peace Panel/Asia Foundation, 2010), pp. 86-87.

JOINT COMMUNIQUE

The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Liberation Front (MILF) peace negotiating panels held the 2nd Round of Talks on March 1-2, 2000, at the Estosan Garden Hotel, Cotabato City.

Inspirational messages from Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, Maguindarao Governor Zacaria Candao, and Mayor Muslimin Serna of Cotabato City highlighted the Opening Ceremony.

Secretary Mercado challenged the GRP and the MILF Peace Panels to make compromises and find common areas of agreement so that a peaceful settlement may be reached.

Gov. Candao and Mayor Sema reiterated their high hopes and full support to the peace negotlatlons.

GRP Panel Chairman Lt.

Gen. Edgardo E. Batenga AFP (Ret.),

and Acting MILF Panel Chairman/Chairman, Committee on lnformation Mohagher Iqbal, representing MILF Panel Chair Aleetri Abdulaziz Mimbantas, delivered opening statements for both sides, reiterating their sincerity and cornmltment to the peace talks.

During this meeting, both the GRT/IFFC and the CCCH presented their respective reports on the incidents in Carmen, Cotabato and Shariff Aguak, Datu Plang and Talayan, all in Maguindanao.

The CCCH of the GRP and the MlLF likewise presented their respective report on the status of the Implementation of the GRP-MILF Agreements on September 2, 1999 and January 12, 2000.

The GRP and MILF Peace Panels agreed to cluster the nine (9) Agenda Items presented by the MILF for discussion in the Formal Peace Talks into six (6) aggrupations, namely:

1. Ancestral Domain / Agrarian Related lssues

2. Destruction of Properties and Victims or War / Displaced and Landless Bangsamoro

3. Human Rights Issues

4. Social and Cultural Discrimination / Corruption of the Mind and Moral Fibre

5. Economic lnequities and Widespread Poverty

6. Expliotation of Natural Resources

The Technical Committees of both Panels were directed to discuss the following, for submission to the Peace Panels:

1. GRP proposal on the modification/refinement of headings for the clustered Agenda Items

2. Proposed organization and specific tasks of the Technical Working Groups which wlll discuss the Agenda ltems;

3. MILF Draft on Imunlty and Security Guarantees, and GRP counter-proposal and;

4. MILF Draft on the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and Humanitarian Laws.

Both Panels agreed to meet again next week, with the following schedule:

21st GRP-MILF Technical Committee Meeting on March 6-7, 2000 at Estosan Garden Hotel, Cotabato City;

and 3rd Round of the GRP and MILF Formal Peace Talks on March 8-9, 2000 at the same venue.

Done this 2nd day of March, 2000 at Cotabato City.

For the GRP Peace Panel:

LT.

GEN EDGARDO E. BATENGA APP (RET.),

Chairman

For the MILF Peace Panel:

MOHAGHER IQBAL, Acting Chairman

WITNESSES:

EDIR ALMA R. EVANGELISTA, Chairperson, GRP Technical Committee, SHEIKH MONER BAJUNAID, Chairman, MILF Technical Committee