1. MNLF and the Government of the Philippines (GRP) are scheduled to resume tripartite talks with the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Qatar in July. The talks between GRP and MILF were scheduled for after the elections, but mistrust arose with the sudden resignation of the Chair of the GRP Peace Panel. Given the parallel peace processes covering the same territories between MNLF and GRP on one hand and between MILF and GRP on the other, tensions are also observable between the two Moro organisations. Sometimes, these tensions escalate into localised bouts of fighting that result in burning of houses and displacement of villagers. Although MNLF and MILF have a Coordination Committee to sort out differences and strengthen ties, its operational structure has loopholes through which violence emanates.

2. Sporadic bomb blasts and kidnappings are on the rise and often go unexplained as to who the real perpetrators were. The most high profile kidnapping that occurred in June was of the Italian priest, Father Bossi, in Zamboanga Sibugay province. Mindanao Peace Weavers, the network of civil society networks, is advocating fervently for his early release.

3. There is an observable surge in US military and civilian presence in both Central and Western Mindanao. The Visiting Forces Agreement between the US government and the GRP has increased the apprehensions of the locals about the intentions and impact of Balikatan (US-Philippines alliance).

4. The Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division, which is in charge of Central Mindanao, is participating in peace-building and conflict resolution workshops/seminars organised by local civil society movements. The objective of the chief of the Division is to make his officer corps and soldiers more thoughtful about diplomatically resolving tensions instead of resorting to arms.

5. In Sulu, the Philippine Army is still hunting down ‘Armed Lawless Groups’ as well as what it considers to be “loose commanders” of the MNLF. This pursuit is connected to the mini-war in Panamao in April 2007. As the situation is yet to settle down, there are rumours that formal military operations could be launched in July.

6. New provincial and municipality-level Local Government representatives (including Governors and Mayors) have been sworn in around the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, although disputes about some of the election results for the national level (Philippine Congress) still persist.

NP’s Work
Main Office
1. The Cotabato Main Office continued to support the ICP field teams by offering advice on day-to-day basis. This included all the programmatic aspects, with a special emphasis on ways to build constructive relationships with stakeholders on the ground. Main Office staff spent considerable time in the field sites to guide the ICPs in their initial steps.

2. To facilitate the work of both field sites, the Main Office had detailed meetings with various top-level arms of the Government of Philippines and the two revolutionary groups. These included the GRP and MILF Coordination Committees on Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), the MNLF political leadership, and relevant Mayors. To get overall support regarding the NP Project, the main office contacted the Department of National Defence of the GRP through one Advisory Board Member.

3. The Main Office, in collaboration with NP Brussels, submitted a funding proposal to the Delegation of the European Commission in Manila. It also made follow-ups with other potential donors and gave them relevant updates from the field sites.

4. The Main Office is developing a communications strategy, involving the Communications’ Officer and the Project Director. Regular meetings and consultations were kept up with all the key Advisory Board members and their point persons on the ground.

5. A new Administrative and Finance Officer was hired by the Main Office in mid-June. The Office interiors were rearranged after the training to reflect the fully operational nature of its work. A search has been launched to procure two second-hand vehicles of good condition. Alien Employment Permits of ICPs were secured by the Main Office from the Department of Labour and Employment in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

6. The Main Office acquired a name board, vests, T-shirts, stickers and other stationery items, all produced locally with NP insignia. The relevant items among these were instantly transferred to the ICP teams for usage in the field.

Sulu Team
1. The Sulu ICP team was invited to participate in the Multi-Stakeholder Forum on the Tripartite Talks between OIC, GRP and MNLF. This was an event convened by the NGO umbrella “Mindanao Peace Weavers” (MPW) wherein NP was warmly welcomed to Sulu by many speakers. One NP ICP addressed this gathering of community members, parties to the conflict and civil society movements for about 15 minutes. The Sulu ICP team was accorded the honour of being podium guests at the swearing-in ceremony of the new Provincial Governor and Board Members (legislators) in Jolo.

2. The Sulu team went on its first field trip outside Jolo to the Barangay (lowest administrative unit) of Buansa in Indanan municipality along with an MPW medical mission. Given the risks that are often associated with foreigners in Sulu, the team slowly increased its visibility in Jolo by eating outdoors, taking tricycles and roaming around with local partners. The Team also assigned internal codes to various actors in Jolo and beyond for use in NP’s telephonic and Email communication.

3. The Sulu team maintained existing contacts and followed up with old relationships. It also initiated new contacts by paying courtesy calls to highly placed officials. The attitude of the AFP towards NP’s intention of opening a field office in Jolo has gradually shifted in a positive direction. The team also discussed and negotiated with the AFP to have security downgraded to civilian-clothed policemen not carrying visible firearms. The understanding is that, in the long run, the team will not be required to possess armed escorts.
A final decision if a permanent team in Sulu is feasible given the security situation will be taken around end of July.

Central Mindanao Team
1. The Central Mindanao team, in consultation with the Main Office and local partners, identified Barangay Dapiawan in Datu Saudi municipality of Maguindanao province as the most suitable location for the field office that matches NP’s mandate. It continued the efforts for establishing the office in Dapiawan by visiting offices of the mayors of surrounding municipalities, local partners and MILF representatives in and around Dapiawan.

2. The Central Mindanao team, along with the Main Office, kept a watch on an armed conflict that broke out in Bakat area between two rebel commanders of different outfits. It was present along with local peace advocates in the Barangays of Ganta, Dapiawan, and Dasawao (which received evacuees from Barangay Bakat). The local partners appreciated the cautious response of NP, considering that these are the initial weeks of the team’s deployment. The team disseminated information about the situation in Bakat to NP main office, our partners in Cotabato on the ground, joint monitoring posts on the ground and international NGOs.

3. The Central Mindanao team strengthened relationships with the Local Government Units and some of the MILF and AFP commanders that it had already met. With the aim of boosting the legitimacy of NP’s presence, the team, in the company of local partners, met Barangay officials and scheduled meetings with communities in their respective areas. It also visited new Barangays to meet local leaders and community members for the first time. It was also invited by the community to two large social events in the municipality of Datu Piang, where the team has a temporary residence in a boarding house. Such events helped the team to immerse itself in the field site.

Report written by Atif Hameed (Project Director) and Christine Schweitzer (Programme Director)