AFP mourns death of MNLF chair Jikiri

October 18, 2020

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday mourned the passing of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairperson Yusop Jikiri, calling him as one of the strong pillars in achieving peace in the Bangsamoro region. “The AFP joins every peace-loving Filipino in mourning the passing away of Yusop Jikiri, the beloved chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front,” AFP spokesperson Marine Major General Edgard Arevalo said in a statement. Arevalo said Jikiri’s work with the MNLF and in Sulu as one of its former governors and congressional representatives was instrumental in the forging of a strong partnership between the AFP and the MNLF in the quest for peace that culminated in the realization of the 1996 GPH-MNLF Peace Agreement. “He is one of the strong pillars who advocated trust and respect as key to achieving lasting peace and development not only in the Province of Sulu but of the Bangsamoro,” he said. The AFP hopes that Jikiri's legacy will be an inspiration to all Filipinos in achieving lasting peace in the country. According to a news report, Jikiri, at age 66, died of bone ailment in his house in Pasil, Indanan, Sulu. Ella Dionisio/DMS