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Two rival Philippine militant groups joined forces June 18, at least in the political realm.

Two rival Philippine rebel organizations are joining forces against the government, the groups said June 18 in a statement. The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), both representing the Moro ethnic group based in Mindanao, are forming a joint coordinating group called the Bangsamoro Solidarity Conference (BSC). The rebels said in their statement that “unity is paramount in the search for (a) genuine solution to (the) centuries-old Moro Problem in Mindanao, which the Manila neo-colonial regime tries to wreck consistently.”

If successful, the alliance will allow the groups to present a united front against Manila, but it appears to be more of a negotiating body than a joint military command. As such, it stands to strengthen the MILF’s hand in stalled peace talks with the government. However, it also could help simplify things for Manila, which is facing a number of insurgencies and could benefit from having a smaller number of adversaries to keep track of.