EU to train MILF Bangsamoro members on policy, governance

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte greets one of the guests during the ceremonial confirmation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite canvass results and oath-taking ceremony of the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority at the Malacañan Palace on February 22, 2019. SIMEON CELI JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA— The 41 members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will be trained on public policy, governance and management through a European Union-funded program this summer, the EU delegation in Manila announced Friday.

Of the 41 MILF members, six are from the MILF central committee, the EU said.

A consultation is set between the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS), a Cambodian-based organization working on peace-building in Asia, and the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) to align the design, content, and timeline of activities included in the program.

According to the delegation, part of the EU-funded technical support is a seven-day study tour to yet unspecified “country or countries where peace processes allowed for revolutionary organization’s transition to political organization”.

The CPCS and the BLMI, on the other hand, would jointly implement the initiative in close coordination with the MILF Peace Implementing Panel, chaired by Mohagher Igbal.

EU Ambassador Franz Jessen said the upcoming transition in the region is “definitely critical” but also presents an opportunity for all actors to work toward the laying down of a solid foundation for political, economic and social stability in Mindanao.

“The EU remains committed to support the need for a better future for Bangsamoro and its people- the aspirations and visions for the future of every well-meaning citizen, not only of Bangsamoro but outside of Bangsamoro,” he said.

“While there will be challenges along the way, there is so much hope and dynamism in the Bangsamoro region. This is extremely important because any peace process cannot be successful, if not supported by economic success, growing prosperity and inclusive growth,” he added.

MILF chairperson Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim, the Interim Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, thanked the bloc for its support to the peace process in Mindanao.

“Together we can make peace. Together nothing is impossible when there is peace,” he said.