IMT has new head, sees hope in GPH-MILF peace process
DAVAO CITY – The new head of the 15-man International Monitoring Team-Mindanao 10 ( IMT- M10) expressed optimism for the success of the on going peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Maj. Gen. Dato Sheikh Muksin Bin Kasan took over as head of the IMT-M10 from outgoing IMT-M9 Head of Mission Maj. Gen. Datuk Abdul Samad Yaakub in a ceremony held in Cotabato City Sunday.
“The duty towards peace for the past 17 years has gone through turbulence, calm, good progress and challenges. The situation now is stable but tense and we hope that peace will prevail in Mindanao,” Kasan said.
The IMT- M10 head, to--
gether with top officers of the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) both from the government and MILF side, the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) of the government, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the local media, also welcomed the new members of the monitoring team who arrived Sunday from Malaysia on board a C-130 plane of the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
The IMT is mandated to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire, socioeconomic, rehabilitation, development, humanitarian, and civilian protection agreements of the government and the MILF.
IMT-M10 is composed of contingents from Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, and Norway.
Kasan cited the earnest efforts of both the government and MILF panels in working hand-in-hand for peace in Mindanao and recognized the challenges that both panels face today, which he said can be “captured through understanding.”
“It’s time for us to turn to each other not on each other. Working for peace in the future is to work in the present mind. And peace cannot be achieved through violence. It can only be attained through understanding. So let’s understand each other and proceed with peace. Together we can make it happen,” General Kasan pointed out.
On the same occasion, Brig. General Manolito Orense, chair of the GPH AHJAG and deputy commander of 6th Infantry Division expressed optimism that peace can be achieved in Mindanao as long as everyone shares in the endeavor.
“The IMT-M10, just like the IMT-M9 will be another partner in the peace process. By working together, hopefully, we will be able to gain peace in the near future,” Orense said.