COVER

We are gradually transforming the lives of the people on the

ground, nurturing their hopes and dreams for a better future.
And we are so close to putting firmly in place the needed
institutional reforms to realize meaningful autonomy and
democracy in the Bangsamoro.
Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer

Chair, Government Peace Negotiating Panel

for Talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front

Statement of the GPH Peace Panel Chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer

31 December 2015
Updated Version

ccording to the 1998 book, Democracy and Deep-Rooted Conflict: Options for
Negotiators, published by the Institute for Electoral Democracy and Assistance,
the overriding determinant of whether a peace agreement will endure is the extent
to which the parties to the conflict continue to be motivated to avoid a return to
bloodshed.
Truly, this is the best thing about the peace process between the Government of
the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The two parties
have not gone back to war. We remain steadfast in upholding the ceasefire and are
isolating those groups that continue to foment violence. We are gradually
transforming the lives of the people on the ground, nurturing their hopes and dreams
for a better future. And we are so close to putting firmly in place the needed
institutional reforms to realize meaningful autonomy and democracy in the
Bangsamoro.
However, while the second year of implementing the Comprehensive Agreement
on the Bangsamoro (CAB) saw important breakthroughs in our Bangsamoro road
map to peace, it is evident that it also brought us unprecedented difficulties.
Many will look back at the year 2015 and see the Mamasapano tragedy of January
25 as the monkey wrench that was thrown into the clockwork and set back most of
what we have set out to do.
They are right in one sense. Congressional committee deliberations on the draft
Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) gave way to about three months of televised hearings
on the Mamasapano tragedy. Subsequently, hearings on the draft law were colored
by the incident, leading to misrepresentations on both the content of the pending
bills and on the consultative processes that had been undertaken by the peace panels
and the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).
It cannot be denied that many of those running for high offices in the 2016
election were catapulted to the public limelight in these acrimonious
congressional hearings. Such has been Mamasapano and its aftermaths jolting effect
on the publics sensibilities and the political dynamics it generated, in light of the
upcoming national elections.
But to say that we have lost the CAB and the BBL because of Mamasapano would
not be quite right.
We have not let Mamasapano define the process nor its outcome. Not that we
are wishing away the incident, which saw many Filipino lives lost. In fact we believe
that only when all facts are fully unearthed, with those directly responsible for the
debacle owning up to their mistakes, the incident put in its bigger context, and the
judicial process taking its course to extract individual accountabilities from all
directly involved without exception, will we find the public understanding better as
to why we have persistently, even stubbornly, pursued the CAB and the BBL for the
whole nations better interest.

2015 Milestones

What have the Bangsamoro peace process and all the people
working for it accomplished in 2015?
On the legislative track:
Although prolonged and tediously delayed, we have managed to see the
respective committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives (HoR)
close their committee hearings, produce their amended bills, and move on to the
period of interpellation, with the HoR closing this period by the time Congress
ended its last session day for 2015 on December 16. We continue to believe that
both Houses can and will pass the law before it closes its session in February

2016.
















The Panels Manila and Cotabato offices conducted massive information and
education campaigns on the CAB and the draft BBL nationwide, including
photo exhibits in 38 colleges and universities, and 20 consultations and media
briefings attended by the GPH Panel in Mindanao alone. With the Philippine
National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Peace Process
Offices as co-organizers, we held two whole-day seminars with some 300
members of the regional police and AFP commands in Regions X and XI, on the
Bangsamoro peace process. OPAPPs Bangsamoro Communications Unit
also organized 48 press briefings in the course of the year, among other events
that it facilitated, for instance, in celebration of the National Peace
Consciousness Month in September.
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Various photo exhibits and seminars around the country on the CAB and the draft BBL.

On the security components:

Under the tutelage of the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB), we began

the ceremonial decommissioning of the combatants and weapons of the MILFs
Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF). On June 16, President Aquino and
top government officials attended the registration of 145 combatants and 75
high-powered and crew-served weapons of the MILF at the Old Provincial
Capitol of Maguindanao.

From left: IDB member General Rey Ardo, MILF Chairman Ebrahim Murad, former IDB Chair Haydar Berk,
Peace Adviser Teresita Quintos Deles, and President Benigno S. Aquino III

IDB member Maj. Muhammad Aiman Syazwi Bin

Haji Abdul Rahim from Brunei (right) inspected the
weapons turned in by MILF-BIAF

145 MILF-BIAF combatants registered during the

ceremonial decommissioning

The Secure Arms Storage Area (SASA) now houses the first batch of
decommissioned weapons. The site is guarded by the Verification and
Monitoring Teams (VMATs) led by Norwegian experts and supported by
personnel from the GPH and the MILF. The IDB with foreign experts from
Turkey, Brunei and Norway -- subsequently conducted site visits to MILF camps/
base commands as well as planning sessions in anticipation of the next phase
of decommissioning, which shall commence upon the passage of the draft

Bangsamoro law.

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IDB staff assembled the decommissioned weapons in crates which were transported to the
SASA under the watch of the IDB-VMATs

A total of 330 members of the BIAF, AFP, and PNP who would constitute the
Joint Peace and Security Teams (JPSTs) have undergone retooling and training
in three separate batches this year. The first JPST batch of 31 men (15 MILF, 16
AFP/PNP) has been posted and is assisting the VMATs in guarding the SASA.
Other JPSTs will be deployed in critical areas as shall be mutually agreed upon,
to assist in conflict-prevention.

AFP, PNP, and MILF-BIAF members underwent retooling and

team-building before being posted as JPSTs in critical areas

The GPHs and the MILFs Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of

Hostilities (CCCH or ceasefire committee) and the multinational International
Monitoring Team (IMT) addressed 73 complaints of alleged ceasefire violations
on the ground, effectively preventing outbreaks or escalation of violence. Due
to the work of the ceasefire mechanism, there is only one recorded armed
skirmish between GPH and MILF forces this year -- the unfortunate Mamasapano
incident -- breaking a three-year record of zero hostilities between the parties.

It will be remembered that the joint CCCH and the IMTs crisis team was the first
to enter the scene in Bgy. Tukanalipao, Mamasapano in order to restore the
broken ceasefire and allow for the retrieval of the dead. The joint CCCH also
assisted the Department of Justice, the Commission on Human Rights, the
Ombudsman, and the IMT in conducting their respective investigations on the
incident. The CCCH also accompanied the relatives of the late PO1 Russel Bilog,
a member of the 55 SAC (55th Special Action Company) of the PNPs Special
Action Force (SAF), who came all the way from the Cordillera to visit the
encounter site in Mamasapano.

The CCCH and the Philippine Armys 6th Infantry Division also assisted in
collecting the weapons seized by MILF combatants in Tukanalipao and returned
through the MILF leadership as part of restoring confidence in the peace
process. Some 16 weapons were retrieved and turned over to AFP and PNP
officials in a press conference held at Camp Awang in Maguindanao last
February 18. (See photos on next page)
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6th ID soldiers collected the retrieved weapons in two pick-up points and delivered these to the
AFP Camp in Awang, Maguindanao.

CCCH officers and IMT personnel inspected and documented the retrieved weapons.

The Panels and CCCH chairs turned over the weapons to then AFP Chief of Staff Gregorio Catapang
in a press conference.

The AFP and the PNP conducted major operations in Central and Western
Mindanao against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), the Abu
Sayyaf Group (ASG) and other violent groups, including foreigners allied with
international networks like the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). In law enforcement
operations (LEOs) conducted in areas with known MILF presence, the GPHs and
MILFs Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) is tasked to coordinate, monitor and
disseminate information among the AFP, PNP, and the MILF-BIAF.
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 As part of long standing security cooperation and in line with ceasefire and
AHJAG protocols, the MILF cooperated in discreet ways such as in information
monitoring, serving as blocking force, providing buffer zones, and assisting in
key instances in the neutralization of notorious persons like Basit Usman last

May.

In major AFP operations against the BIFF from February to April, the MILF
pulled out its forces to avoid unwanted hostility with government forces. The
AFP-PNP successfully rounded up key leaders like Ali Mohammad Tambako and
cohorts in March, and neutralized some 180 men of the BIFF. Security
cooperation between local MILF and AFP/PNP commanders such as in Basilan
has likewise led to the successful interdiction of criminal elements belonging to
the ASG. Recently, ways and means to work together in battling the drug
menace have been discussed through the mechanisms, in coordination with
some LGU officials.
As part of the normalization programs, the Office of the President issued
Memorandum Circular No. 83 in September creating the National Task Force for
the Disbandment of Private Armed Groups (NTF-DPAGs). The Task Force shall
focus its operations in the proposed areas of the Bangsamoro and the adjacent
Regions 9 to 12. Led by the Department of Interior and Local Governments,
the NTF-DPAGs is in the process of finalizing its implementing rules and
operational guidelines and drawing up an action plan. The AFP and PNP also
signed the Joint AFP-PNP Memorandum Clarifying the AHJAG Protocol on Prior
Coordination in May 2015 as a measure that would avoid lapses similar to the law
enforcement operation against Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan conducted in
Mamasapano.

On the socioeconomic components:

The Task Force Camps Transformation (TFCT) underwent a seminar on area

development in July and planned appropriate projects for the communities
in the six MILF camps in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Lanao del Sur and
Lanao del Norte that were previously acknowledged by government. This was
followed by community consultations and technical site validation for the solar
power and water systems and hanging bridges that will be put up in these areas.

The Joint Task Force for the Decommissioned Combatants and their
Communities (TFDCC) was convened. With the assistance of the Department of
Social Work and Development and other government agencies, several follow-up
activities were held for the decommissioned combatants to ensure the delivery
of the socio-economic and capability-building package to each decommissioned
combatant. In September, a joint seminar with the panels, the TFCT and the
TFDCC on best practices in integrated post-conflict, community-based
normalization programs was held with international experts providing examples
of best practices. Held in Davao, the seminar was sponsored by the World Bank.

The TFCT also facilitated the School-based Support Program for 18 public
elementary schools in the vicinity of the camps as a supplement to the
Department of Educations annual staging of the Brigada Eskwela at the
beginning of the school year. (Below, AFP and BIAF personnel repaired school buildings, engaged in
a boodle fight, and offered free haircut)

 Launched in February 2013, Sajahatra Bangsamoro closed in November

2015, with most of its social and livelihood components in place, and with a few
remaining items pending completion.


As of December 2015, through the Sajahatra Bangsamoro program, some
25,000 beneficiaries were provided with Philhealth services; three of 10
barangay health stations constructed; four of 10 ambulances already distributed;
two day-care centers completed and seven more in different stages of
construction; more than 13,000 children benefited in 253 feeding centers upon
completion of the feeding cycle; 1,025 persons graduated from TESDAs
vocationaltechnical courses; 1,084 students awarded with scholarships from the
Commission on Higher Education in 2015; 44 madaris received assistance from
the Department of Education to help standardize their teaching curriculum and
improve school facilities; some 11,000 persons availed of the DSWDs
cash-for-work program; five of 10 target sites have been provided by the
Department of Agriculture with farm inputs or machineries; several kilometers
of farm-to-market roads and fish landings were constructed in different remote
places in the region; and 800 hectares are at various planting stages under the
DENRs greening program.

Seminar on area development planning of the TFCT with MILF base

commanders and AFP brigade commanders

MILF chair Ebrahim Murad and

President Benigno S. Aquino III

Sajahatra Program delivery ceremony in March 2014

Launching of Sajahatra Bangsamoro in Camp Darapanan, Maguindanao in February 2013

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On other equally important

components:
The Transitional Justice and
Reconciliation Commission led
by a Swiss expert conducted
210 listening process sessions and
engaged local experts. On December
15, it completed its report to the
Panels, along with recommendations
on how to address the legitimate
grievances, correct historical
injustices, address human rights
violations and marginalization in
order to achieve justice and
reconciliation.

The TJRC submitted its report to the GPH Panel.

The TJRC was established in accordance
with the provisions of the Annex on
Normalization of the Framework
Agreement on the Bangsamoro. This group
is mandated to undertake a study and to
make recommendations with a view to
promote healing and reconciliation among
the communities affected by the conflict.
The goal of the TJRC report is to provide
recommendations and suggest ways to
ensure accountability, serve justice, and
achieve reconciliation in the areas affected
by the armed conflict.

The Third Party Monitoring Team led

by former EU ambassador to the
Philippines Alistair MacDonald has
released six quarterly reports and
15 exit letters from 2013 detailing
The head of the TJRC is a Swiss national,
the progress in the CABs
Ms. M Bleeker, Special Envoy and Head

implementation.
of the Task Force on Dealing with the Past
and the Prevention of Atrocities (TF DwPA)

of the Swiss Federal Department of

Foreign Affairs. The GPH and MILF

delegates to the TJRC are Atty. Cecilia
Jimenez and Atty. Ishak Mastura,

respectively.


The GPH and MILF alternate delegates to

Above, left to right: TPMT members Dr. Steven Rood, country representathe TJRC are Atty. Mohammad Al-Amin
tive of The Asia Foundation in the Philippines; Ms. Karen Taada, execuJulkipli and Atty. Abdul Rashid Kalim,

tive director of Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute and Mindanao Solidarity
respectively.

Network; Alistair MacDonald, chair of TPMT and former European

Union ambassador to the Philippines; Huseyin Oru, deputy president
of nsan Hak ve Hrriyetleri ve nsani Yardm Vakf or The Foundation
for Human Rights and Freedom and Humanitarian Relief; Rahib Kudto,
president of the United Youth for Peace and Development

In addition, Mr. Jonathan Sisson, a Swiss

national, serves as senior adviser to the
TJRC.

The two parties signed various protocols in joint meetings facilitated by

Malaysian Tengku Ghafar and in the presence of the International Contact
Group made up of representatives from Japan, United Kingdom, Turkey and
Saudi Arabia, the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, Conciliation Resources,
Muhammadiyah and the Community of SantEgidio. These documents include
the Protocol on the Implementation of the Terms of Referenceof the IDB
(29 January 2015) the TFDCC Terms of Reference (31 May 2015), and the Second
Protocol on the Implementation of the Terms of Reference for the IDB
(17 June 2015). All these documents were a product of careful thinking on
how to make the mechanisms functional in order to achieve the objectives laid
out in the CAB.

The parties also renewed the mandate for another year of the IMT, AHJAG and
the Civilian Protection Component of the IMT.
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Personal Note
The year 2015 was for me a series of polar opposites. Several petitions remain
lodged in the Supreme Court against the FAB, the CAB and even the draft BBL. For
the first time in my life, I faced lawsuits, along with scores of others involved in the
negotiations.
Thankfully, the flimsy case of treason lodged against the GPH and MILF panels,
the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, and the BTC has now been dismissed
by the Manila prosecutors office for lack of merit, and is awaiting clearance in the
Office of the Ombudsman.
As a public servant, I fell victim to malicious slurs in social media. I grappled with
sexism, the occupational hazard faced by all women in public life. Although it has
been said many times that one in public office must be thick-skinned, there is no
reason why we should not seek to raise the ethics bar in public discourse.
At the same time, the work we have managed to achieve along the line of peace
negotiations and mediation have been recognized by various local and international
institutions. I have been honored with the opportunity to sit beside strong women
around the world who have aimed high in order to remove once and for all the glass
ceiling that has kept most women behind the men in the realm of politics. I am
heartened by the fact that a lot more women are on the front lines to take part in the
urgent work for community and world peace.

GPH Panel Chair Coronel-Ferrer received the 2015 Hillary Rodham Clinton Award
at Georgetown University in April.

Xavier University conferred on peace adviser Deles the doctorate of Humanities, honoris causa, and to the
two panel chairs the 2015 Fr. William F. Masterson, SJ Award. (Source of photo: Manila Bulletin)
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The goodwill, commitment and perseverance of the men and women who work
with our team, my fellow-panel members: former agriculture secretary Senen Bacani,
National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Secretary Yasmin Busran-Lao, as well as
GPH-Joint Normalization Committee Chair Zenonida Brosas; our counterparts in the
MILF team led by Chair Mohagher Iqbal, our international partners, our colleagues in
the security sector of all ranks, the young and creative people in our panel
secretariat and Cotabato offices, my tireless friends in civil society organizations, and
the people of all faiths and hues with whom we have engaged in dialogue have been
the constant source of inspiration.
As for the MILF, we continue to challenge each other to measure up to our
respective accountabilities and commitments. In rising up to the tasks before us, we
have fortified our confidence in the process.
This is not to say that everything is perfect when in fact things are not. At the
level of national politics, we need to build on the publics trust in the process. On the
ground, we face all kinds of troubles and potential sparks but are very thankful that
our ceasefire mechanisms and third party monitors as well as local government
officials, are able to respond and prevent further escalation of local-level tensions.
I acknowledge the wisdom and maturity of the MILF leaders for staying on the
peace track despite the disappointments and challenges. Other less determined
peace partners would have been less discerning, and more impulsively be shouting
out war chants in view of the delays in our road map. We pray the leadership will be
able to keep in line its mass members. We continue to collaborate in strengthening
our joint mechanisms, and building mutual trust and confidence among and
between our respective organizations.
We take heart in improving survey results in September that show we are
recovering lost ground as to public approval on the draft law. In the prospective core
territory of the Bangsamoro, the sentiment of the people is loud and clear: they want
the BBL and this one big chance to leapfrog their way to peace and development in
their daily lives.
We find strength in the unflinching efforts of civil society organizations, leading
personalities and groups in the Christian churches, the academe, the business
community the women and peace advocates, and the diplomatic community, our
supportive legislators especially the leaders of both Houses, the Cabinet and various
government agencies, and certainly the President, to promote understanding of the
cause, and taking action to bring forth the BBL.
Altogether, we shall continue to carry on in order to get to our destination
sooner than later.

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BRIEF TIMELINE

FROM THE SIGNING OF THE CAB UP TO DECEMBER 2015

2014
MARCH 27, 2014
The GPH and the MILF signed the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) which proposes a
comprehensive political settlement that aims to provide a
just and lasting solution to the armed conflict.
As a political settlement, the CAB recognizes the legitimacy
of the Bangsamoro aspiration for self-governance through democratic processes. The CAB
provides a road map towards the creation of a new autonomous area called Bangsamoro
by 2016. It also called for the passage and ratification of an organic act that would create the
Bangsamoro political entity.
APRIL 14, 2014
The Independent Commission on Policing (ICP) submitted its final reports to the Panels, with
recommendations on the appropriate structure of the police force for the Bangsamoro.
APRIL 22, 2014
The first draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) was submitted to the Office of the President
by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC). The draft BBL was reviewed by Malacaang
with inputs from the Department of Justice, Office of the Solicitor General, the OPAPP, and
other national line agencies.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
After a rigorous review process led by the Office of
the President, President Benigno Simeon Aquino
III submitted the draft to the Senate and House of
Representatives in a ceremonial turnover held at the
Malacaan Palace, Manila. The proposed BBL was filed
in the House of Representatives as House Bill No. 4994
with 17 sponsors. In the Senate, the bill was filed as Senate Bill No. 2408 with 13 sponsors.
Public hearings commenced on September 23 and 24, 2014 in the Senate and HOR, respectively.
SEPTEMBER 27-29, 2014
The GPH and the MILF Panels met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where they discussed in detail the
operational requirements of the bodies involved in the implementation of the normalization
process. These are the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB), Joint Normalization
Committee (JNC), and the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC).
The local and foreign experts, nominated by their respective countries to sit in the IDB, were
formally acknowledged as well.
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NOVEMBER 5, 2014
The Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) was
presented in Davao City during the Philippines
Development Forum. The event was attended by
President Aquino.
The formulation of the BDP signals the beginning of
the macro-level preparations for the sustainable and comprehensive development of the
future Bangsamoro region.
NOVEMBER 23, 2014
The GPH and the MILF Panels signed the terms of reference for the Coordination Team for
the Transition (CT4T) to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority during a meeting in Kuala
Lumpur. The CT4T is the primary mechanism for coordination between the Parties, the
ARMM, and concerned agencies to ensure that the necessary and appropriate steps are
undertaken in preparation for the transition leading to the installation of the BTA.
The Parties also signed the terms of reference of the initial confidence-building measure
for the six acknowledged MILF camps through the Department of Agriculture (DA)
farmers assistance program.
SEPTEMBER DECEMBER 2014
The Senate, through its Committee on Local
Government (led by Senator Ferdinand Bongbong
Marcos, Jr.) and Committee on Peace, Unification and
Reconciliation (led by Senator Teofisto Guingona III),
conducted 4 public hearings on Senate Bill No. 2408.

The Senate and the House of Representatives conducted nationwide public consultations on the proposed BBL.

OCTOBER 4 AND
OCTOBER 11, 2014
The
TJRC
was
launched to the
public in Cotabato
City then on October
11 in Manila.

The House of Representatives, through its Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL composed of 75
members led by Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez, conducted 33 public
hearings on House Bill No. 4994 during this period.

2015
JANUARY 25, 2015
In pursuit of law enforcement operations against terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and
Basit Usman, the PNP SAF figured in an armed clash with the MILF and BIFF elements in Brgy.
Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao. The uncoordinated action resulted in the death
of 44 SAF and 18 MILF members, and 5 civilians. Formal investigations by the executive and
legislative branches followed.
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JANUARY 29, 2015

The GPH and the MILF Panels signed the Protocol on the Implementation of the
Terms of Reference for the IDB.
FEBRUARY 2015
In late February, the 6th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army and the Police Regional
Office in ARMM (PRO ARMM) with the assistance of ceasefire mechanisms launched joint
operations against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and other lawless groups
in Maguindanao. About 4,000 members of the BIAF-MILF residing in the affected areas were
repositioned to other municipalities.
MAY 22, 2015
The AFP and PNP signed the Joint AFP-PNP Memorandum Clarifying the AHJAG Protocol
on Prior Coordination as a measure that would avoid lapses similar to the law enforcement
operation against Zulkifli bin Hir and Basit Usman conducted in Mamasapano.
MAY 27, 2015
The first batch of JPST trainees consisting of members from the BIAF, AFP, and PNP underwent
internal retooling and JPST training proper in Cotabato City.
MAY-JUNE 2015
Government troops and MILF-BIAF helped out in a series
of Brigada Eskwela activities in Bangsamoro communities
inside MILF camps in the provinces of North Cotabato,
Maguindanao, Lanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur.
MAY 30-31 2015
The GPH and the MILF Panels met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and renewed the
mandates of Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) until 31 March 2016 and of
Civilian Protection Component (CPC) of the International Monitoring Team (IMT)
until 31 March 2017.
The Parties also signed the Joint Task Force for the Decommissioned Combatants and their
Communities (TFDCC) Terms of Reference. The Task Force is mandated to undertake all
efforts related to socio-economic and development programs for MILF combatants and their
communities identified under the Normalization Annex of the CAB.
JUNE 16, 2015
The ceremonial decommissioning of MILF combatants and weapons took place at the Old
Provincial Capitol of Maguindanao. President Aquino and top government officials attended
the registration of 145 BIAF combatants and turnover of 24 crew-served weapons and 51
high-powered firearms to the IDB Verification, Monitoring and Assistance Teams (VMAT) for
decommissioning.
JUNE 17, 2015
The GPH and the MILF Panels signed the Second Protocol on the Implementation of the Terms
of Reference for the IDB.
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JULY 8-11, 2015

The Task Force Camps Transformation (TFCT) underwent
a seminar on area development and planned appropriate
projects for the communities in the six MILF camps in
Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del
Norte that were previously acknowledged by government.
This was followed by community consultations and
technical site validation for the solar power and water systems and hanging bridges that will
be put up in these areas.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2015
The Office of the President issued Memorandum Circular No. 83 creating the
National Task Force for the Disbandment of Private Armed Groups (NTF-DPAGs).
The NTF-DPAGs is mandated to be in charge of policy, planning and
implementation of the program for the disbandment of the PAGs, including coordination with
the relevant bodies pursuant to the CAB and other entities as may be necessary, in accordance
with the schedule provided in the Annex on Normalization. It shall focus its operations in the
proposed areas of the Bangsamoro and the adjacent Regions IX & XII. Led by the Department of
Interior and Local Governments, the NTF-DPAGs is in the process of finalizing its implementing
rules and operational guidelines and drawing up an action plan.
SEPTEMBER 11-13, 2015
Members of the Normalization bodies and mechanisms from both Parties participated in the
Orientation and Planning on Community Based Normalization, a three-day workshop in Davao
City sponsored by the World Bank (WB).
NOVEMBER 2015
The Sajahatra Bangsamoro was terminated as a program
with most of its targets implemented. Implementation of
remaining targets continues.
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 15, 2015
The second and third batches of JPST trainees underwent
internal retooling and training.

Distribution of durian seedlings in

Tagabakid, Mati City, Davao Oriental

DECEMBER 9, 2015
The TJRC submitted its final report to the GPH Panel, containing recommendations on how to
address the legitimate grievances, correct historical injustices, address human rights violations
and marginalization in order to achieve justice and reconciliation. The same report was also
submitted to the MILF Panel in Cotabato City.
DECEMBER 16, 2015
The House of Representatives formally ended its period of
interpellation led by Cong. Rufus Rodriguez, chair of the
House Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL.
mindanews.com

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STATEMENT OF AUTHORS OF THE ARMM AUTONOMY LAW

We, former senators who enacted RA 6734 creating the Autonomous
Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), call on our honorable lawmakers of both
houses to expedite the enactment of a genuine and meaningful Bangsamoro
Basic Law for the good of our country and people.
We faced the same challenges and opposition that you now face, including the
threat of loss of support from constituents.
In addressing important issues that impact our national constituency, we tried
to prioritize the urgent need to address generations of inequity suffered by our
Muslim brothers and sisters in Mindanao.
We also upheld the wisdom of supporting the governments peace agreement,
wherein autonomy was accepted by the Bangsamoro in lieu of a war for
independence. Following the dictates of our Constitution, we passed R.A.6734.
We urge you to seize the historic opportunity of passing the BBL to promote
real and enduring peace in Muslim Mindanao which will in turn bring in
significant progress and socio-economic development in our country.
Perhaps the most judicious, viable and pragmatic option is to pass the BBL
subject to all the concerns of the members of Congress, for or against the bill.
WE BELIEVE THAT Members of Congress should rise to the challenge of
stopping the cycle of violence and poverty that has stalled peace and progress
in Mindanao for generations.
Heherson T. Alvarez
Teofisto T. Guingona, Jr.
Jose D. Lina
Orlando S. Mercado
Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr.
Santanina T. Rasul
Leticia R. Shahani
Rene A.V. Saguisag
Wigberto E. Tanada
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The BBL is a product of a peace agreement, forged after decades of peace negotiations, borne
out of the countrys exhaustion with war Legislation must be seen, therefore, as a continuation
and finalization of the peace agreement.
Citizens Peace Council
on the Bangsamoro Basic Law
Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Ambassador Howard Dee,
Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Bai Rohaniza Sumndad-Usman

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We call on the esteemed members of Congress to keep their avowed commitment to their
constitutional mandates and to perform the twin task of legislating and peacebuilding since
what they will enact is not only a social justice instrument for the Bangsamoro but also
a peace and change agenda for the indigenous peoples and Christian inhabitants of the
Bangsamoro region.
Mindanao PeaceWeavers
(MPW)

InterFaith Council of Leaders

of Zamboanga City

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