MANILA, Aug 20 — Malaysia has expressed hope for sustained coordination between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after the group suspended the decommissioning of its final batch of combatants, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
“I hope all parties will continue to work together. This is something that the parties will have to resolve themselves — we want all parties to come together, that is the most important part,” said Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino to the press in Taguig City yesterday.
He was responding to queries on the latest development in the Bangsamoro peace process.
In a memorandum dated August 16, MILF Chairman Alhadj Murad Ebrahim instructed all commanders and members not to join any decommissioning or normalisation activities of the government “without prior written approval” from the MILF.
The directive followed a July 19 resolution by the MILF Central Committee, which temporarily suspended the implementation of the fourth and final phase of the decommissioning process.
Under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the MILF is to undergo a phased decommissioning — 10 per cent in Phase One, 30 per cent in Phase Two, 35 per cent in Phase Three, and the remainder in Phase Four.
Malaysia played a key role in the negotiations by serving as a third-party facilitator, providing a neutral venue for talks and documenting commitments and agreements.
