MNLF mourns Ermita’s death

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the Bangsamoro region are mourning the passing of former executive secretary Eduardo Ermita, who served as their “bridge” to the government during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Bangsamoro Labor and Employment Minister Muslimin Sema, chairman of the MNLF’s central committee, said that Ermita was approachable and always listened to issues and concerns besetting the MNLF.

Ermita was executive secretary during the Arroyo administration. He had also served as presidential peace adviser and acting chief of the Department of National Defense.

Sema was mayor of Cotabato City when Ermita was Malacañang’s executive secretary.

“To us, he was always a smiling person who immediately acted on our concerns, particularly on issues pertaining to the peace and development agenda in the MNLF’s peace agreement with the government,” Sema said.

He was referring to the MNLF’s September 1996 peace agreement brokered by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, an organization of more than 60 Muslim states.

Hatimil Hassan, MNLF representative to the Bangsamoro parliament, said Ermita always reached out to the MNLF whenever he needed help to push forward Malacañang’s peace and security programs in Mindanao.

“He was a non-Muslim who actively supported, in his various capacities, the government’s peace overtures with the Moro National Liberation Front,” Hassan said.