Cotabato City — The International Monitoring Team 4 (IMT) is leaving Mindanao as it officially ends its tour-of-duty.
A farewell dinner was tendered in honor of the Malaysian IMT. It was attended by ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), as well as IMT members from Libya, Japan and Brunie and Cotabato City local government unit.
In his brief message, MILF Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) head Toks Ibrahim expressed MILF’s desire to extend the tour-of-duty of the IMT in Mindanao. However, with the stalled peace talks between the government and the MILF, Ibrahim said that the continued stay of the IMT would be of no use and irrelevant.
General Rey Sealana, the CCCH chairperson from the government side, thanked the IMT contingent for their support and efforts to attain peace in Mindanao. He cited the significant role of the IMT in containing the possible spillover to other areas of the armed confrontation between government troops and MILF elements
Both CCCH chairmen remain hopeful that the IMT would return to Mindanao when the mechanisms for the resumption of the peace talks shall have been set.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has repeatedly announced government’s preparedness to resume peace talks with the MILF based on authentic consultations with the stakeholders and affected communities. (pbc/RICC)
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Peace Process
