In 2014 the MILF and Philippine government signed a peace agreement. This lead the establishment of the BARMM in 2018. Part of the agreement was that the MILF would deactivate and decommission all of its fighters. This was supposed to be a gradual process that allowed batches of combatants to integrate back into society. Now the MILF has stopped that process claiming the Philippine government has reneged on their obligations.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will not deactivate its remaining 14,000 combatants until the government substantially complies with the provisions of the Annex on Normalization in the peace agreement the two parties signed in 2014.
The decision, which was only made public on Saturday, July 26, was reached by the MILF’s central committee during its regular meeting at Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao del Norte on July 19.
“It is hereby resolved that the decommissioning of the remaining 14,000 MILF combatants and 2,450 weapons shall commence only upon the substantial compliance of the GPH (Government of the Philippines) in the other tracks of normalization, including the provision of socio-economic package as agreed upon by the GPH and MILF Peace Implementing Panels to the 26,145 combatants,” said part of the resolution signed by MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and MILF secretary Muhammad Ameen.
Ebrahim said that to be true to the letter and spirit of the Annex on Normalization, there should be some showing of substantial compliance of the socio-economic interventions for combatants profiled for decommissioning before other combatants were even made to undergo the initial steps towards decommissioning.
As of 10 a.m. Sunday, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace, Unity and Reconciliation, headed by Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., has yet to comment on the decision of the MILF.
Datuan Magon Jr., spokesperson of the MILF peace implementing panel, explained that the decommissioning of the remaining MILF forces would proceed after the Philippine government substantially implements the normalization components, particularly the socio-economic aspects.
“The decommissioning of MILF forces should be parallel and commensurate…We are looking into that aspect because it would be difficult for us if the government almost finish the decommissioning process but other components for normalization were not yet moving,” Magon told the Inquirer on Sunday in an online interview.
Section C Item 9 of the normalization annex states that the decommissioning of MILF forces shall be parallel and commensurate to the implementation of the agreements of the parties.
So far, a total of 26,145 MILF combatants had been decommissioned, or 65 percent of the 40,000-strong MILF forces.
But the MILF Central Committee lamented that of the 26,145 decommissioned MILF members, “not a single one has successfully undergone ‘transition to productive civilian life,’ as other interventions for decommissioning have essentially not been provided, save for the P100,000 per combatant.”
The Annex on Normalization is an integral part of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB). The FAB, among others, constitutes the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the final peace agreement signed by the Philippine government and the MILF in 2014 after 17 years of negotiations.
The other tracks in the Annex on Normalization include policing, the redeployment of troops and units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) away from the former conflict areas, the disbandment of private armed groups, socio-economic development, detection and clearance of unexploded ordnances, transitional justice and reconciliation and the confidence-building measures of camps transformation, and amnesty, pardon and other available processes to persons charged with or convicted of crimes connected to the armed conflict in Mindanao.
Under the normalization track, the MILF shall undertake a graduated program for the decommissioning of its forces so that they are put beyond use.
In a show of goodwill during the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III, the MILF deactivated 145 combatants and 75 weapons on June 16, 2015.
The second phase of decommissioning commenced on September 7, 2019 involving 12,000 combatants and 2,100 weapons, during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The third phase began on November 8, 2021, with the deactivation of 14,000 MILF combatants and 2,450 weapons, also during the Duterte administration.
The Philippine government and the MILF have created the foreign-led Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) to oversee the process of decommissioning of MILF forces and weapons. The IDB is chaired by Turkey along with Norway and Brunei, and two representatives each from the Philippine government and the MILF.
Ebrahim, however, assured that the decommissioning of the remaining 14,000, or 35 percent of the MILF forces, and 2,450 weapons would proceed once the government substantially complies with the other tracks of normalization, including the socio-economic provisions agreed in the peace agreement.
Remember the leader of the MILF Ebrahim Murad is on record saying decommissioning does not mean surrender.
“We have not given up on our struggle.”
“We are not surrendering. Decommissioning is not tantamount to surrendering,” said Ebrahim, who is also Chief Minister of the interim Bangsamoro government.
“I would like to emphasize that the decommissioning doesn’t mean we have given up on what we used to fight for,” Ebrahim emphasized.
The government's response to this breach of trust is quite muted.
The government on Thursday expressed disappointment over the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) decision to again postpone the final phase of decommissioning its combatants and firearms, calling it a setback for the Bangsamoro peace process.
In a statement Thursday, Presidential Assistant David Diciano of the Office for Bangsamoro Transformation under the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), said the deferral of the decommissioning of 14,000 MILF combatants and 2,450 weapons “undermines a core commitment” under the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
“This batch of combatants would have constituted the fourth and final group scheduled for the decommissioning process,” Diciano said.
He also disagreed with the MILF Central Committee’s claim that the government has fallen short of its socioeconomic commitments.
He cited the PHP100,000 transitional cash assistance per decommissioned combatant and more than PHP4 billion worth of socioeconomic programs since 2019, including health coverage, skills training, and education assistance benefiting thousands.
“For this year, a total of 2,500 (combatants or their dependents) are benefiting from the (educational) program. For 2026, the OPAPRU has allocated funds for an additional 3,500 beneficiaries,” he added.
Diciano lamented that government funds amounting to more than PHP788 million earmarked for Phase 4 of the decommissioning had to be returned to the Treasury due to repeated deferments.
“It is unfair and unjust for those who are willing to undergo the decommissioning process, depriving them of their opportunity and right to be transformed into productive, peaceful citizens… The decision of the few should not deny the aspirations of the many,” he said.
The government noted that since 2015, about 26,000 MILF combatants have been decommissioned and six MILF camps have received about PHP8.5 billion in development projects.
The political track of the CAB also led to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which has received more than PHP420 billion in block grants and an annual PHP5 billion in normalization funds since 2020.
Diciano urged the MILF to uphold its side of the peace agreement.
“We respectfully remind the MILF, our partner in peace, to utilize the appropriate channels… to address issues concerning the implementation of the peace agreement,” he said.
“As the BARMM gears up for its first parliamentary elections this October, we invite the MILF to reaffirm our shared vision: a BARMM that is free of armed groups and illegal firearms, where peace reigns.”
Ultimately it comes down to he said, she said. The MILF says the Philippine government has not fulfilled its obligations and the Philippine government disagrees. Hopefully these problems will be worked through and the decommissioning process will continue. As it stands the actions of the MILF show why they cannot be trusted and why establishing the BARMM which is a terrorist state within the Philippines was a bad idea.
In Sultan Kudarat the Army has seized high-powered guns and other war material including RPGs.
The Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion (7IB) seized assorted high-powered firearms in a remote village here on Monday, a military official reported Tuesday.
Lt. Col. Tristan Rey Vallescas, commander of the 7IB, said the soldiers responded swiftly to a tip from residents indicating firearms were hidden in a residential compound in Lagandang, a village situated 15 km. from the town center.
"The war materials were owned by an alias ‘Mutin Ali’ who hid his firearms in his compound,” Vallescas said in a statement.
Recovered were two fabricated caliber .50 rifles, one fabricated M79 grenade launcher, three rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers, and two RPG anti-tank ammunition.
“The firearms were placed in a sack and studded with stones,” Vallescas said, adding that the alleged gun owner was not present at his residence during the Army-led operation.
Brig. Gen. Michael Santos, the Army’s 603rd Infantry Brigade commander, lauded the accomplishment of the 7IB and emphasized the importance of continued community cooperation.
“I urge our communities to remain vigilant and work hand-in-hand with us in eliminating the tools of violence such as these loose firearms,” Santos said.
The recovered firearms were temporarily placed under the custody of 7IB and will later be transferred to the Army’s 6th Infantry Division’s (6ID) headquarters for safekeeping.
Since January, the Army’s 6ID has collected more than 3,000 assorted firearms from lawless elements, Moro rebels, and civilians who voluntarily surrendered their guns in support of the government’s disarmament campaign.
It's not clear if these weapons belong to the NPA or the Muslim insurgency.
In Masaate 7 NPA rebels were killed in a clash with the AFP.
Seven members of the New People's Army (NPA) were killed and nine high-powered firearms were seized during an armed encounter in Uson, Masbate on Sunday.
In a report on Monday, 9th Infantry Division (9ID) Public Affairs Office chief Maj. Frank Roldan said troops from the 2nd Infantry Battalion engaged the NPA members in a firefight for about 30 minutes.
Six out of seven were identified by their aliases -- Waren, Mayong, Alex, Tata, Ruwel and Rick.
Recovered from the encounter site were four M16 rifles, two M203 grenade launchers, one M14 rifle, one M653 rifle, one Bushmaster rifle, personal belongings and subversive documents.
“This successful operation delivers a major blow to the already weakening communist terrorist group in the region,” he said.
Roldan said they continue to urge remaining NPA members to return to the fold of the law and take advantage of the government’s reintegration programs for a better future.
Meanwhile, Dimasalang Mayor Mac Naga has suspended classes and work where the armed conflict occurred to ensure the safety and protection of students, teachers and school staff.
The covered villages are San Vicente, Balantay, Buracan, Buenaflor, Mambog, Cabanoyoan, Cabrera and Calabad.
In North Samar 4 NPA rebels were killed during a clash with the AFP.
Four New People’s Army (NPA) combatants were killed in a clash with soldiers early Thursday in the upland San Isidro village in Las Navas, Northern Samar.
The Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division (ID) reported that government forces also recovered from the NPA hideout four M16 rifles and one M203 grenade launcher after the clash that started at 2:30 a.m.
“The terrorist’s hideouts were heavily fortified and surrounded by International Humanitarian Law-banned anti-personnel mines that prompted the troops to call for fire support,” Capt. Jefferson Mariano, 8th ID spokesperson, said, citing initial reports.
Reinforcing forces from the Army’s 803rd Infantry Brigade also encountered more rebels at around 10 a.m. near the first encounter site.
According to the military, the armed rebels were members of the NPA Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.
Soldiers launched the operation following the information given by a concerned civilian that a group of armed men was conducting extortion activities and threatening farmers in the area.
The mountains of Las Navas town are considered a lair of the NPA. For several years, clashes between government forces and rebels have been reported in the town’s upland villages.
Overall 8 NPA fighters have been killed recently in North Samar. This comes after President Marcos declared there are no more guerrilla groups during his State of the Nation address.
Eight alleged members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in separate clashes in Northern Samar on Thursday, or a few days after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s remarks alluding to the end of Maoist armed insurgency that the communist party said “virtually ended” peace talk prospects.
The troops of the 8th Infantry “Stormtroopers” Division conducted “decisive strikes” on the regional headquarters of the NPA’s Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee in the hinterlands of Barangay San Isidro in Las Navas town on Thursday.
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), which is the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), confirmed reports about the incident on Thursday. However, the NDFP said it is still awaiting complete details from this NPA unit.
The Philippine Army said it first conducted raids in a heavily-fortified hideout of the NPA at around 2:30 a.m.
“The clash yielded an intense exchange of fires,” the Army said in a statement on Friday.
The first encounter resulted in the death of seven NPA fighters and the seizure of five M16 rifles, one R4 rifle with an attached M203 grenade launcher.
Another encounter occurred at 10:00 a.m. resulting in a 30-minute firefight resulting in the death of one alleged NPA member and seizure of one R4 rifle.
Meanwhile, 8ID Commander Major General Adonis Ariel Orio urged remaining NPA fighters in Northern Samar to surrender.
“This may be your best chance to lay down your arms, abandon the armed struggle, and return to the fold of the law,” Orio said in a statement.
There is no official truce between the NPA and military despite the NDFP and the government agreeing to come up with a framework to restart the peace talks.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said “there are no more guerrilla groups” in the country.
“This grand declaration of having crushed the people’s armed resistance will explode in Marcos’ face,” Marco Valbuena, CPP chief information officer, said in a statement on Monday.
Valbuena said Marcos’ remarks are “a virtual declaration ending prospects of peace negotiation” with the NDFP.
Established on March 29, 1969, the NPA wages the world’s longest Maoist insurgency.
At its height in the 1980s, the NPA had 25,000 members, according to Philippine military estimates.
Obviously there are still guerrilla groups in the hinterlands. This is wishful thinking on Marcos' part but at least it sounds good. Optics are what it's all about.
