CEASEFIRE officials from government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front yesterday agreed to “observe maximum restraint” following the launch of an official investigation into the circumstances surrounding the bloody incident in Basilan last July 10.
Fourteen Marines were killed, ten of whom were beheaded and mutilated, by alleged MILF, Abu Sayyaf, and other lawless elements in Barangay Guinanta, Al Barkah, in the rugged interiors of Basilan.
A joint resolution signed in Cotabato City called for the creation of a fact finding mission that would probe the incident, and cautioned both sides to hold hostilities while the incident “is being resolved peacefully in accordance with the General Ceasefire Agreement.”
The resolution also called for the establishment of a Mobile Joint Monitoring and Assistance Team (Mobile JMAT) to be composed of ceasefire committee representatives, selected local government officials, and members of civil society groups such as Bantay Ceasefire.
An Agreement for the General Cessation of Hostilities was signed by the two contending sides last July 21 in Cagayan de Oro City.
The Joint Fact-Finding Committee is composed of representatives from the Government of the Republic of the Philippines-Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (GRP-CCCH) and MILF-CCCH.
The Committee, whose establishment was witnessed by officials of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), is mandated to “determine the proximate cause of the incident, possible violations to the ceasefire agreements, pinpoint persons responsible for acts of atrocities, and recommend measures to prevent its occurrence.”
The IMT is an internationally-composed contingent that assists in monitoring compliance to ceasefire agreements.
In a statement, Armed Forces chief B/Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, chair of the GRP-CCCH, said that the resolution “manifests the strong spirit of cooperation and unity between government and the MILF in resolving the unfortunate incident, regardless of the outcome of the probe, in the interest of truth and justice.”
He added: “We must seriously look into the reasons behind this incident, ensure that the perpetuators are dealt with to the full extent of the law, and move on to pursue our quest for lasting peace in Mindanao. We cannot afford an incident like this to undermine the gains we have achieved in the peace process.” (PIA)
Fourteen Marines were killed, ten of whom were beheaded and mutilated, by alleged MILF, Abu Sayyaf, and other lawless elements in Barangay Guinanta, Al Barkah, in the rugged interiors of Basilan.
A joint resolution signed in Cotabato City called for the creation of a fact finding mission that would probe the incident, and cautioned both sides to hold hostilities while the incident “is being resolved peacefully in accordance with the General Ceasefire Agreement.”
The resolution also called for the establishment of a Mobile Joint Monitoring and Assistance Team (Mobile JMAT) to be composed of ceasefire committee representatives, selected local government officials, and members of civil society groups such as Bantay Ceasefire.
An Agreement for the General Cessation of Hostilities was signed by the two contending sides last July 21 in Cagayan de Oro City.
The Joint Fact-Finding Committee is composed of representatives from the Government of the Republic of the Philippines-Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (GRP-CCCH) and MILF-CCCH.
The Committee, whose establishment was witnessed by officials of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), is mandated to “determine the proximate cause of the incident, possible violations to the ceasefire agreements, pinpoint persons responsible for acts of atrocities, and recommend measures to prevent its occurrence.”
The IMT is an internationally-composed contingent that assists in monitoring compliance to ceasefire agreements.
In a statement, Armed Forces chief B/Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, chair of the GRP-CCCH, said that the resolution “manifests the strong spirit of cooperation and unity between government and the MILF in resolving the unfortunate incident, regardless of the outcome of the probe, in the interest of truth and justice.”
He added: “We must seriously look into the reasons behind this incident, ensure that the perpetuators are dealt with to the full extent of the law, and move on to pursue our quest for lasting peace in Mindanao. We cannot afford an incident like this to undermine the gains we have achieved in the peace process.” (PIA)