The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have agreed to set up “buffer zones” in certain parts of Mindanao to protect civilians from attacks and harassment by “saboteurs of peace and the peace process.”
Aside from protecting civilians, the MILF said the buffer zones were meant to promote and protect the primacy of the peace process. In addition, it aimed to contain the “malicious movements, offences and activities of the saboteurs of peace and the peace process,” according to the MILF on its website.
In its statement the MILF pointed out that some groups have been blatantly and maliciously challenging the security forces in the region and the peace process as a whole. Though it did not identify the groups but it was obviously referring to the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), which recently launched a series of attacks particularly in North Cotabato province that killed at least 10 people and displaced thousands of villagers. |