14,000 MILF combatants still need decommissioning — OPAPRU

MANILA — Eight years since the Bangsamoro Organic Law was passed, around 14,000 combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front still need to be decommissioned,  according to the Office Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian raised the concern in the Senate budget hearing on Tuesday, emphasizing the need to sustain decommissioning efforts to maintain peace in the Bangsamoro region.

“The Bangsamoro Organic Law, however we have to sustain it. Itong pinakamahirap… yung sustainability of peace is a challenging matter and that’s where OPAPRU will come in,” Gatchalian said.

Senator JV Ejercito who chaired the hearing also sought a timeline for the completion of the decommissioning process.

“Bangsamoro Organic Law was signed 2018 and implementation started in 2019 so this will be the eight year… Gaano katagal pa ho yung inaasahan natin for total decommissioning?”

Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento however assured lawmakers that since 2018, around 26,145 MILF combatants have already been decommissioned, with 4,625 weapons turned over.

“There are still 14,000 remaining to be decommissioned. And we’re still yet waiting for the list but this will be based on the discussion by the government and the MILF panels,” he added.

Sarmiento, meanwhile, cited funding for the socioeconomic packages promised to decommissioned combatants as one of the challenges facing the government.

“Unfortunately, there was an amount eventually declared that each decommissioned combatant is supposed to get 1 million pesos worth… yun po ang naging malaking challenge sa aspeto po ng gobyerno.”

Gatchalian pointed out that providing packages to the remaining 14,000 would entail P14 billion. The 2027 proposed budget for the OPAPRU is only P9.3 billion.

“Ang kulang dito sa budget niyo is for that decommissioning,” Gatchalian said.

Sarmiento said he cannot further divulge the detailed budget proposal on the part of the MILF but could personally brief the lawmaker outside the budget hearing.

The Bangsamoro Organic Law signed in 2018 replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and implemented the 2014 peace agreement with the MILF.