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Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III sent Thursday two of his Cabinet officials to Malaysia where peace talks between the government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is going on.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles were deployed to Kuala Lumpur after Aquino admitted in a speech in one of his activities on Thursday that he stayed up late on Wednesday night discussing the "details about our ongoing negotiations" on the remaining three annexes of the framework agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB).
The 38th exploratory talks between the GPH and the MILF began Monday, but until Thursday, there was no feedback yet as to whether or not any of the remaining annexes were signed.
"The presence of Secretaries Deles and Lacierda is the manifestation of the entire government's continuing message of its firm and total commitment to the peace process and that all of its concerned agencies are at work to fulfill the aspirations of the Framework Agreement," Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a text message to reporters.
She said the two officials met with the different elements of the negotiations including the panels, the facilitator, the International Contact Group and the newly constituted Third Party Monitoring Team.
GPH chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer earlier expressed hope to sign at least the annex on wealth-sharing during the 38th formal talks.
Aside from wealth-sharing, the other two unsigned annexes include power-sharing and normalization. The annex on transitional arrangements and modalities was forged earlier.
The FAB and the four annexes will form part of the comprehensive agreement, which will pave the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro entity that will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and end the four-decade armed struggle in southern Philippines.
