PRRD appoints Misuari as special economic envoy to OIC

President Duterte appointed Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari as Special Economic Envoy on Islamic Affairs to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to usher in the speedy creation of the Bangsamoro Development Assistance Fund (BDAF), one of the remaining commitments contained in the Tripartite Review Process (TRP) carried out by the Philippine government, MNLF, and the OIC.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said that Duterte made the announcement during his meeting with Misuari and members of the MNLF Peace Coordinating Committee in Davao City Friday evening.

"At least before I die I want to see peace in Mindanao," Duterte told members of the peace committee.

During the meeting, the government and the MNLF agreed to pursue the implementation of the two remaining commitments contained in the TRP of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement. The TRP was concluded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in January 2016.

The two remaining commitments were the establishment of the BDAF and the creation of the Tripartite Implementation Monitoring Committee (TIMC) which will oversee the implementation of the fund.

"I would like to see its creation at the earliest," Duterte said, adding that the parties involved should "pursue simultaneously" the establishment of the BDAF and TIMC "to have a meeting of the minds in the first quarter" of 2020.

"It may be selfish but I want to have the honor of having peace with the Moro during my time... I want everything fixed," the President added.

Under the TRP, the establishment of the BDAF required the assistance of the OIC and its financial institution, particularly the Islamic Development Bank. The mechanism will be used for "socioeconomic development projects for the MNLF communities."

Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said the Peace Coordinating Committee will expedite the full implementation within eight months.

"The setting of a trust fund to be given by the members of the OIC will greatly help the Bangsamoro people. Several Middle Eastern countries have already expressed their willingness to help," Galvez said.

The OIC is an international organization consisting of 57 member states, 53 of which are Muslim-majority countries. The organization deems itself as "the collective voice of the Muslim world" and works to "safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony."

According to the OPAPP, the OIC will play a crucial role in pushing forward the implementation of the peace agreements between the government and the Moro fronts. For years, the OIC has been actively involved in the Bangsamoro Coordinating Forum to harmonize all the Moro fronts in the Philippines and integrate all the development plans to foster long-lasting and enduring peace in Mindanao.

Misuari's appointment

President Duterte announced during the meeting the appointment of Misuari as Special Economic Envoy on Islamic Affairs to the OIC to fasttrack the implementation of the peace agreements and to develop further the support of the Islamic countries.

"Brother Nur has occupied several positions in the past. Consider it as an honor for me to delegate you as a special envoy of the government so that you can have a tete-a-tete with them," Duterte told Misuari.

Duterte added that Misuari will be able to push the immediate implementation of the peace agreements because the latter is friends with most OIC leaders.

"Historically, there is only one man that is being respected by the OIC. It's good that Allah has given you a longer life to see these things because I do not think that there is another Moro personality that could command the respect and trust of the OIC but only you," he said.

"You are the only one who can bring the case to the OIC and get results," he added.

Misuari is poised to attend the annual meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States in Burkina Faso in Western Africa from January 21 to 23, 2020. The leadership of the OIC is also set to visit the Philippines in February 2020.

President Duterte and Misuari met several times this year to discuss how to achieve sustainable peace in Mindanao.

In a meeting in Malacañang on November 11, both sides discussed the creation of the Peace Coordinating Committee as a platform to strengthen the peace process in Mindanao. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)