PASAY CITY, MAY 16, 2023 โ Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Datoโ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino bin Anthony paid courtesy visit to Secretary Isidro L. Purisima, the Acting Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity on Tusday, May 16.
The Malaysian ambassador said their government will continue to extend an helping hand in the Bangsamoro peace process, and assist the Philippines government and the Bangsamoro achieve their common desire to fully implement the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) that Malaysia brokered.
โI want to assure that Malaysia is one in our common desire to achieve long lasting peace. You can count on us,โ Ambassabor Castelino said, adding the Malaysian government will โassist the Philippine government in peacebuilding effort.โ
For his part, Sec Purisima thanked the unwavering support of Malaysia from the negotiating stage to the eventual signing of the peace pact between the Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
โWe have gone a long way. As the third party facilitator, Malaysia helped the parties achieved the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the CAB,โ Sec Purisima said.
Since 2001, the Malaysian government acts as the third party facilitator until the signing of the peace agreement in 2014. Malaysia continues with the same position as special adviser to the both implementing panels of Philippine government and the MILF.
Accompanying the ambassador are Minister/Deputy Chief of Mission Mohd Fareed Zakaria, Defense Attachรฉ Col. Ahmad Jafri Zuliyadai, Counsellor, Political/Social/Cultural Information Section Shukri Ahmad, Political/Social/Cultural/Information Section Hazlina Mohammed Hatta, Police Attachรฉ Supt. Norazman Hassan Basri, and Counsellor Nadhirah Zanuddin.
For OPAPRU, Sec. Purisima was joined by Presidential Assistant Wilben M. Mayor of the Office for Local Conflict Transformation and Peace Sustainability, Presidential Assistant David B. Diciano of the Office for Bangsamoro Transformation, Chair Cesar Yano, GPH Peace Implementing Panel for the GPH-MILF Peace Accord, Dir. Wendell P. Orbeso head of MILF Peace Process Office, Director Farrah Grace V. Naparan Chief-of-Staff of the Joint Normalization Division (JND), Dir. Darwin Wally Wee head of Communications and Public Affairs Service, and Prisci Val R. Bulanhagui of the International Cooperation and Partnerships Office.ย
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