KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The Peace Implementing Panels of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) successfully concluded their Special Meeting on Friday, September 25, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, reinforcing their shared commitment to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
The meeting builds upon significant progress achieved in the CAB’s political track with the successful conduct of the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections, according to the joint statement signed by GPH Peace Implementing Panel Chairperson Mel Senen Sarmiento, MILF Peace Implementing Panel Chairperson Mohagher Iqbal, and Malaysian Third Party Facilitator and/or Special Adviser Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Panglima Ts Haji Zulkifli Bin Zainal Abidin.
The Special Meeting was held following the invitation of the Malaysian facilitator during the 38th Panel meeting on 4 August in Davao City, Philippines. The meeting resulted for the signing of the Declaration of Continuity of the Partnership between the GPH and the MILF in the implementation of the CAB.
Key Resolutions and Roadmap Approvals
To sustain momentum across political and normalization tracks of the CAB, the Panels approved the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Roadmap Development for the Implementation of the CAB.
The Panels also signed the Addendum on the GPH-MILF Peace Implementing Panels’ Decision Points on the Socioeconomic Development Program for the Decommissioned Combatants and the Six Previously Acknowledged Camps of the MILF, adopting an integrated, beneficiary-centered mode of delivery to accelerate the implementation of agreed socioeconomic interventions for decommissioned combatants.
To maintain security continuity and community protection, the Panels renewed the mandates of the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG), whose term was extended, and the Civilian Protection Component (CPC). Their terms were extended until September 25, 2027, and September 25, 2028, respectively.
Security Mechanisms and Mandate Extensions
On the security aspect, the Panels agreed in principle to the proposed GPH-MILF Framework for the Small Arms and Light Weapons Management (SALW-M) Program and directed the TWG on the Reduction and Management of SALW to finalize the same, considering the matters of disbandment of private armed groups (PAGs) and decommissioning of combatants, among others.
The TWG shall submit the framework to the Joint Normalization Committee (JNC) for endorsement to the Panels for approval. The Panels also agreed that the agenda on the proposed revitalization of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the recommendations on putting weapons beyond use (PWBU) shall remain as items for their continuing discussion.
Transitional Justice and Legislative Endorsement
The Panels adopted and approved Resolution No. 3, series of 2026, submitted by the TWG on Transitional Justice and Reconciliation (TWG-TJR). This measure outlines proposed enhancements to pending legislative measures filed in the 20th Congress for the establishment of the National Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission for the Bangsamoro (NTJRCB). Both Panels agreed to formally submit and endorse these recommendations to the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives for legislative action.
“This shall be subject to the refinements that may be made from the writeshop of the TWG-TJR; furthermore, the Panels direct the TWG-TJR to immediately conduct the writeshop and extend invitations to the Philippine Congress – Bangsamoro Parliament Forum (PCBPF) and other relevant stakeholders,” the joint statement said.
In a closing message, GPH Chairperson Sarmiento said: “We are clear about the direction ahead. With the political track now complete, the road before us runs through the Normalization Track, and the period ahead must be one of intensified implementation…We intend to deliver that change without delay.”
For his part, MILF Chairperson Iqbal said: “The MILF remains committed to the peace process and to the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues. Much has been achieved. Important commitments remain. Our task now is to finish what we started, so that the combatants who laid down their arms and the families who waited with them [to] see the promise of normalization fulfilled in their lifetime.”
The Parties expressed deep appreciation to His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. for his leadership and commitment to realizing the peace pact’s provisions, to the Malaysian Government led by The Honourable Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, and through the Third Party Facilitator and/or Special Adviser His Excellency General Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Panglima Ts. Hj. Zulkifli bin Hj. Zainal Abidin, as well as to MILF Chair Al Haj Murad B. Ebrahim and the MILF Central Committee for their steadfast pursuit of enduring peace in the Bangsamoro. Gratitude was likewise extended to Secretary Antonio Ernesto F. Lagdameo, Jr. of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP), the Bangsamoro Transition Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), international and local peace partners, among others, for their continuous support.
