President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the commemoration of the 28th anniversary of the signing of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Malacañang on Monday, September 2. The President also banged the gong to officially launch the celebration of the 20th National Peace Consciousness Month, an annual event symbolizing the country’s desire for greater unity, mutual understanding and harmony. (Photo: OPAPRU)
MANILA, (PIA) — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday reiterated his administration’s dedication to implementing all signed peace agreements with various rebel groups across the country, highlighting a commitment to lasting peace and development.
“Rest assured that you can depend on this Administration to implement all signed peace agreements for the security, inclusive progress, and stability not only in Mindanao but throughout our country,” he assured during ceremonies commemorating the 28th anniversary of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the event with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.
Marcos pointed to ongoing peace processes with groups such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and KAPATIRAN, urging all stakeholders to contribute to a peaceful atmosphere leading up to the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections in 2025.
The President called for a commitment to peaceful, orderly, and credible elections.
Marcos then emphasized the significance of the upcoming elections.
“The forthcoming election is an important reminder not only of the democracy that empowers us to mold our destinies but also of the visionaries who paved the way for the freedom that we all relish today,” he said.
In his message, Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito G Galvez, Jr. called on the MNLF to continuously support the GPH-MNLF peace process in the spirit of solidarity.
Galvez emphasized the need “to continuously tread the new path—the new path of peace…and to maximize the strong partnership forged through the years between the National Government and the MNLF.”
“To sustain the gains of our peace initiatives and co-create conditions that will uphold human dignity and achieve a better quality of life for former combatants, their families and communities,” Galvez stressed.
MNLF Vice Chairman and Chairman of the MNLF Peace Implementing Panel Abdulkarim Misuari and MNLF Management Committee Chairman Uttoh Salem Cutan cited the efforts of the national government to build on and sustain the gains of the GPH-MNLF peace process.
“We are happy to note that the present administration, led by His Excellency President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr, is committed to implement all the signed peace agreements,” Cutan said.
“Nakikita natin naman ngayon ang positive niya, fast paced siya,” Misuari pointed out, as he commended the Marcos administration for putting primacy to the peace process in Mindanao and for its “openness to fulfill all obligations from the side of the government.”
During a press conference on the sidelines of the event, MNLF Chair Muslimin Sema thanked the Marcos Jr.’ administration for honoring the national government’s commitments under the 1996 Final Peace Agreement.
Sema also lauded the efforts of former President Marcos, Sr. for addressing the plight of the MNLF and the Moro people as a whole through the signing of the Tripoli Agreement that led to “the peace that we have now.”
“We thank the leadership of the Republic of the Philippines for finally recognizing the rights of the Moro people,” he said.
He also reaffirmed the support of the MNLF to President Marcos’ peace agenda for the Moro people.
“Amin po itong susuportahan, the Moro National Liberation Front will stand with that. We will march with how our brothers who are no longer here, we will march, as they marched for peace,” Sema said. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
