PH, MILF sign protocol for weapons decommissioning

On the eve of the National Day of Mourning to honor the 44 elite cops who died in a clash with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the government and the MILF signed a protocol for the decommissioning of rebel firearms in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The January 25 Maguindanao clash between elite cops and MILF troops has put at risk the passage of a proposed law seeking to create a new autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao – a primary commitment under the final peace pact signed in March 2014. A joint statement was released Thursday night reaffirming the commitment of the two parties to “the attainment of peace that has long eluded Mindanao,” echoing earlier statements from President Benigno Aquino III and MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim. The protocol provides details on how storage areas for decommissioned rebel firearms would be secured. It did not reveal where those sites would be.

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