Brunei, Japan to extend tour of duty of IMT personnel

MANILA, Philippines - Brunei and Japan have agreed to extend for three months the tour of duty of their personnel in the International Monitoring Team in Mindanao, the government said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters, presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles said the Department of Foreign Affairs had also communicated with Malaysia as head of the IMT. “We are very confident at this point that even Malaysia will agree,” she said.

Deles said the government has asked members of the IMT to extend their tour of duty to have a stable environment on the ground conducive to resuming peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The IMT monitors the ceasefire, socio-economic and humanitarian agreements between the government and the MILF.

Its current one-year mandate is covered by the terms of reference signed by the two parties in Kuala Lumpur on Dec. 9, 2009.

Deles said they were hoping for a resolution of the government’s request for Malaysia to replace Malaysian facilitator Datuk Othman bin Abd’ Razak.

“We have not withdrawn our concerns with that. Malaysia knows and we are confident there will be a response soon,” she said.

However, the MILF refused to conduct informal talks without Othman.

Deles said the Philippines was optimistic that Malaysia would address their concerns.

“Something will happen next week,” she said.

“We’ll know for sure. We’ll have a very definite word... Malaysia understands, we have concerns about the facilitation.

“They know what the concern is so we have received word that they will be sending us a message soon.”

The MILF central committee has yet to tackle the government’s request for the extension of the tour of duty of the Malaysia-led IMT.

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator and chairman of its committee on information, said they still have to decide on the issue.

“Definitely, the MILF will make a stand on this issue and it is forthcoming,” he said in a statement in the MILF official website.

Meanwhile, the MILF has accused security forces yesterday of violating the standing ceasefire agreement by continuously arresting its members.

Khaled Musa, MILF committee on information deputy chairman, said security forces acted in bad faith when they raided and arrested four of its members in Maitum, Sarangani province late last month.

“The government, the military, police and intelligence operatives are reducing the peace process and the ceasefire to nothing and useless as they continue to conduct raids, searches, and arrest of MILF personalities,” he said.

“This is treachery and mockery of the peace process and the ceasefire.”

Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta declined to answer or refute Musa’s claim in deference to negotiations for the resumption of peace talks.– Aurea Calica, Jaime Laude, Edith Regalado