8/6/2019 PCOO - Press Statement - Dean Marvic Leonen on the Meeting Between President Aquino and MILF Chairman Al Ha

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FORIMMEDIATERELEASE

FORIMMEDIATERELEASE

WearepleasedtosharethefollowingPressStatementfromDeanMarvicLeonen,ChairoftheGovernmentPeaceNegotiatingPanel

fortheTalkswiththeMILF,onthemeetingofPresidentAquinoandMILFChairAlHajMuradIbrahim.

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StatementofDeanMarvicLeonen,ChairoftheGovernmentPeace

NegotiatingPanelfortheTalkswiththeMILF,onthemeeting

ofPresidentAquinoandMILFChairAlHajMuradIbrahim

ThePresidentlastnightmetwiththeChairoftheMoroIslamicLiberationFront(MILF)AlHajMuradIbrahimforabouttwohours.

Themeetingwascordialbutconsistedofafrankandcandidexchangeoftheirviewsabouttheframesofthecontinuingpeacetalksandsomepossibleapproachesthatthepartiescantaketobringaboutapeacefulsettlement.Bothagreedthattheimplementation

ofanyagreementshouldhappenwithinthecurrentadministration.Bothagreedtofasttrackthenegotiations.

ItwasthePresidenthimselfwhosoughtthemeetingpriortothegovernmentssubmissionofitsownagendaforthetalks.

Itshouldbe recalledthattheformalmeetingsetforJune27,2011wasconvertedbythepanelsintoaninformalmeeting. Itwas

duringthatmeetingthatthepanelsdiscussedthepossibilityforthemeetingbetweenthePresidentandtheChairoftheMILF.The

GPHpanel shared itsproposeddetails andagenda. TheMILF panel on theotherhandcommunicated theview of their Central

Committee that theofferfor ameetingwasa grandgestureon thepartofgovernment. Theyalsomentioned that itwasan

honorthatthishistoricalmeetingwasgoingtotakeplace.

OnlythePresident,ChairMuradandtheirnotetakerswereinthemeetingroom.Themeetingwasinformal.Themeetinghelpstheformalnegotiationsbetweenthepanelsofbothsides.Itwillfacilitateitsprogress.

ThisisthefirsttimethataPresidentmeetswiththeChairoftheMoroIslamicLiberationFrontsincethenegotiationscommenced14

yearsago.

ThePresidentwasaccompaniedtothemeetingplacebytheSecretariesofNationalDefense,BudgetandManagement,Financeas

wellasthePresidentialAdviseronthePeaceProcess,thePresidentialSpokespersonandtheChairoftheGPHNegotiatingPanel.

ChairMuradwasaccompaniedtothemeetingplacebysomemembersoftheCentralCommittee,theChairandsomemembersof

theMILFsNegotiatingPanelandsomebasecommanders.

To ensure thesecurity of theparticipants andprovidethe necessary environment free from anyagendawhich would cloud the

discussions,themeetingtookplacein thesuburbsofTokyo.ThePresidentarrivedinJapanatabout6 intheeveningofAugust4,

ThursdayandlefttoreturntoManilaatabout10oclockinthemorningofAugust5.Themeetingtookplaceatabout8:30inthe

evening,afterIftar.ThisPresidentialtriptoJapanwasunofficial.

ThenextformalmeetingofthepanelswillbescheduledwithinthemonthofAugust.

We thank Japan for providing the facilities consistent with their longstanding commitment to peace, as well as the Malaysian

facilitatorforassistingwitharrangementsbetweenthetwopartiesforthishistoricmeeting.

August5,2011

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