The Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have come to an agreement on the crucial Annex on Power Sharing. The signing is yet another step towards finally resolving the decades-long armed conflict that has claimed tens of thousands lives in the southern Philippines.

A joint statement by the GPH and MILF said:

The Annex embodies the Parties’ agreement on the delineation and sharing of power between the Central Government and the Bangsamoro Government.

Parties signed a Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro in October last year, which laid out the principles for a new self-governing entity in Western Mindanao. The details of that agreement are contained in four annexes. This Annex on Power Sharing follows the previous signing of the Annex on Transitional Arrangements (February) and the Annex on Wealth Sharing (July). The negotiators still need to finalise discussions on the last remaining Annex on Normalisation in order to complete the comprehensive peace pact.  

Emma Leslie, Conciliation Resources’ Philippines Programme Associate and representative as part of the International Contact Group said:

This is a significant milestone, in this stage of the journey for peace in Mindanao. This particular annex took over a year of work by committed and hard working people from both parties. I will always think of it as a part of the document that was achieved through determination, grit, creativity and political will. It is not the end, but a very significant next step in the developing of the Bangsamoro.

The signing of the power sharing agreement upholds the Parties’ commitment to continue to campaign for peace and engage all stakeholders in a consultation in support of the peace process.

Conciliation Resources is part of the International Contract Group, a hybrid mediation group supporting formal peace negotiations in the Philippines. 

Read more about a recent agreement signed between Conciliation Resources and The Bangsamoro Transition Commission which paves the way for increased public consultations on the Bangsamoro Basic Law, and our work more broadly to build peace in the Philippines.