13 July 2016•Update: 13 July 2016
By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines
The Philippines' one-time largest Muslim rebel group has agreed to coordinate plans with the government to combat the scourge of illegal drugs in areas formerly under its control.
The agreement -- signed by the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front officials at a hotel in the southern city of Davao on Tuesday -- strengthens President Rodrigo Duterte's “hardline policy on drugs”, which has seen over 100 suspects killed in the seven weeks since his election.
Under the deal, all government agencies have been given the primary responsibility to implement anti-illegal drugs programs in MILF-controlled areas, according to the Philippine News Agency on Wednesday.
Last year, the former rebel group, which is engaged in an ongoing peace process with the government in southern Mindanao island, launched its own "war on drugs" under which thousands of drug pushers were identified.
In 2016, however -- expressing alarm over the growing incidence of illegal drugs, yet warmed by the election of Mindanao resident Duterte and his drug policy -- the MILF central committee passed a resolution to take immediate action.
According to state media, the agreement provides mechanisms and procedures to be observed by both sides in the conduct of law enforcement operation in the MILF-controlled areas.
"The anti-illegal drug campaign includes conduct of information drive on the ill-effects of illegal drugs in coordination with the barangay [village], municipal, city or provincial anti-drug abuse councils," the report said.
"On information exchanges and sharing, the MILF has to submit the list of drug personalities identified in its areas subject to validation of the law enforcement agencies.”
The agreement strengthens Duterte's pre-election promise to kill tens of thousands of drug dealers and other criminals, while urging police and civilians to help.
Since his landslide May 9 election win, thousands of drug pushers and users have surrendered to police to sign a pledge to stop trading and using illegal drugs.
While civil rights campaigners have called for an enquiry into recent police operations amid concerns some of the dead could have been summarily executed, police have said they operated within the boundaries of the law in killing 103 suspects between 10 May and 7 July.
In 2014, the MILF and the government signed a peace deal that would have been sealed by a proposed law that would have replaced the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with a more inclusive Bangsamoro autonomous region.
The Bangsamoro Basic Law, however, stalled in Congress earlier this year, as it adjourned for campaigning for the polls.
