MANILA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have agreed on a framework agreement that would pave the way for a "final enduring peace" in Mindanao, southern Philippines, according to a joint communique issued Sunday by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
The joint communique, issued at the 32nd round of Exploratory Talks which concluded Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, said, "The Framework Agreement serves as the overarching architecture for the Mindanao peace process and provides the foundation for a just and enduring peace in Mindanao. It defines the powers and structures of the new Bangsamoro entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)."
It sets the principles, processes and mechanisms that will shape the new relations between the Central Government and the Bangsamoro, it added.
The Parties committed to continue discussions until the details are settled, the communique said.
Philippine Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Teresita Deles said in Manila that the Bangsamoro will cover the existing ARMM, " plus a few areas contiguous to the area that had previously voted to be part of the autonomous region," namely the six municipalities in the province of Lanao del Norte, barangays in six municipalities in North Cotabato, and the cities of Cotabato and Isabela in Basilan.
The people of these areas will be asked in a plebiscite whether they favor their inclusion in the Bangsamoro.
The five ARMM provinces are Basilan (except the city of Isabela) , Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Maguindanao.
The 32nd round of Exploratory Talks between the Negotiating Panels of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) held on October 2-7, 2012 in Kuala Lumpur successfully ended today under the facilitation of the Government of Malaysia.
