General Order No. 58

December 24, 1976

GENERAL ORDER NO. 58

WHEREAS, the Philippine Government recognized the need to find a just, lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict solution to the conflict in Southern Philippines;

WHEREAS, are n accord was reached with the representatives of the Ministerial Committee of Four of the Islamic Conferences in Manila in August 1976 to resume the talks between the representatives of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF);

WHEREAS, during the visit to Tripoli, Libya in November 1976, by the First Lady and Metro-Manila Governor, MRS. IMELDA ROMUALDEZ MARCOS, an agreement as forged the Libyan Arab Republic that the resumption of talks between the representatives of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moros elsewhere be scheduled to take place on December 15, 1976 in Tripoli, Libya;

WHEREAS, in pursued of the above agreement, the Philippine Government sent the RP Negotiation Panel headed by Undersecretary CARMELO Z. BARBERO to Tripoli, Libya to resume the talks with the representatives of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) under the auspices of the Secretariat and the Quadripartite Commission of the Islamic Conference, with the Libyan Arab Republic acting host during the negotiation;

WHEREAS, as a result of the negotiation on December 13-15, 1976 an agreement in or general principle was signed between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF); and

WHEREAS, among the provisions of the Agreement is the declaration of ceasefire in Southern Philippines effective-immediately after the signature on the Agreement at 2300H of December 23, 1976 (0500H December 24, in the Philippines).

NOW, THEREFORE, I FERDINAND E. MARCOS, Commander in-chief of all Armed Forces of the Philippines and President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, do hereby order a general ceasefire in Southern Philippines to like effect today, December 24, 1976.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 24th Day of December, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen-Hundred and Seventy-Six.

n Note from the Publisher: Copied verbatim from the official document.