By Francis T. Wakefield, Manila Bulletin

The ceasefire committees of the Government of the Philippines and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) agreed to enhance their cooperation by signing the Guidelines for Mutual Understanding towards the conduct of peaceful elections next month.

The document, signed in Cotabato City Friday by the respective Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities of the GPH and MILF at the International Monitoring Team Eleven (IMT-11) Headquarters, “outlines the roles of both parties related to [their] ceasefire functions which are relevant to safeguard the ceasefire while the government conducts honest, orderly and peaceful elections on May 09, 2016,” said GPH-CCCH Chairman Brig. Gen. Glenn Macasero.

The guidelines include the “provision of quick response teams in terms of monitoring and in preventing confrontational situations in MILF communities and camps.”

“This is in anticipation of the massive deployment of AFP troops in the areas from the installation of the voting and counting machines until they are pulled-out,” Macasero said, noting that the signed document covers the critical period of both the national and local elections from 22 April to 20 May, 2016.

The guidelines fall under the GPH-MILF Agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities, the Security Aspect of the GPH-MILF Agreement on Peace signed on June, 2001; the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) signed on October 12, 2012 in Malacañang Palace, Manila and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed last March 27, 2014 also in Malacañang which mandates the GPH and MILF ceasefire mechanisms are in place to prevent possible eruption of violence between the parties during elections.

However, MILF-CCCH Chair Butch Malang clarified that the signed guidelines should “not be interpreted as MILF’s inconsistency to its standing policy not to take part or meddle in whatever capacity on the government electoral processes,” as it is purely a function of the ceasefire mechanisms.

He assured that the MILF gives its full commitment to the terms and conditions of the signed peace agreements with the government towards the envisioned clean, free and peaceful May 2016 elections.

AVOID CONFRONTATIONS

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen Datuk Wira Zamrose Bin Mohd Zain, IMT 11 Head of Mission, stressed “the enumerated guidelines are [to be] strictly followed to avoid unnecessary confrontations in the field.”

Although not a party to the undertaking, the IMT, which monitors the ceasefire between the parties, guarantees its support to the efficient coordination and monitoring of the unhindered movements and deployment of election personnel, equipment/paraphernalia, documents, voters, AFP/PNP election security personnel, as deputized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), to and from all the polling centers situated within the MILF areas.