ZAMBOANGA CITY, (PNA) -- Over 300 peacekeepers have been
deployed to secure the "peace corridor" to ensure safe passage of
humanitarian aid to families displaced by the Marawi City conflict.
The peacekeepers consist of soldiers, policemen and members of the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Irene Santiago, chair of the government's Implementing Panel, announced
that the deployment of peacekeepers came after President Rodrigo R. Duterte
approved last Monday the creation of a Peace Corridor, to provide "a safe
and secure corridor for women, men and children fleeing the crisis in Marawi as
well as a reliable space for humanitarian assistance to pass through."
"On behalf of [presidential peace adviser] Secretary Jesus Dureza,
I am pleased to announce that today [Friday] the Peace Corridor has been set up
by a composite team of the AFP, PNP and MILF who are, as we speak, traveling
from Malabang [Lanao del Sur] to Marawi to set up the Joint Coordinating,
Monitoring and Assistance Center (JCMAC)," she said in a statement.
"There will be two centers, one in Marawi and one in Malabang and
a mobile center plying the corridor. More than 300 trained members of the Joint
Peace and Security Teams are being deployed throughout the length of the
corridor and will be augmented as the need arises," she added.
The 73-kilometer "Peace Corridor" has been set-up after top
officials of the MILF met with President Duterte and offered their assistance
to the present crisis in Marawi City.
Santiago said establishment of the peace corridor "is a testament
to how far the Bangsamoro peace process has come and the partnership that has
been established between the government and the MILF."
Both sides agreed to use the ceasefire mechanisms to manage the peace
corridor.
"This ceasefire agreement remains in effect to this day and the
ceasefire mechanisms are in place and working to prevent any armed conflict
between the two parties," Santiago said.
"The ceasefire agreement states that the MILF does not condone
and, in fact, rejects all kinds of terrorist acts. It has also committed not to
provide sanctuary or assistance to terrorists and other lawless elements. The
fact that no major violations have been reported in the last three years is a
testament to the effectiveness of the mechanism," she said.
The government designated retired Colonel Dickson Hermoso, assistant
secretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
(OPAPP), to head the JCMAC.
Hermoso has been a pioneer in setting up this effective ceasefire
mechanism, tried and tested for more than 12 years now.
"The JCMACs will be cooperating with the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which is tasked with delivering humanitarian assistance
in these areas," Santiago said. "The Peace Corridor is a
manifestation of the shared vision of government and MILF of what our society
should look like--one that is open, inclusive, compassionate, just, and
cooperative. This is the complete opposite of the kind of society the
terrorists want in Marawi--a closed, isolationist, violent, ruthless society
ruled by fear with total disregard for human life and the integrity of our
government and our diverse Philippine society."
Santiago said the Peace Corridor is more than a safe passage way for
people and goods.
"In working jointly to deal with this humanitarian crisis, the
government and the MILF are also building a major corridor to peace," she
said.
Santiago said President Duterte reassured the MILF and the Bangsamoro
people that he will honor all signed peace agreements and implement the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro starting with the passage of the
Bangsamoro Basic Law.
"Today, I am pleased to report that the Bangsamoro Transition
Commission is holding plenary sessions in Davao to finalize the draft law,
which will be submitted to the President by mid-June," she said.
(DWTW/PNA)
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