Decommissioning body to inventory MILF weapons this month

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 3): Decommissioning body to inventory MILF weapons this month

An independent decommissioning body led by the Turkish Ambassador to the intergovernmental military alliance North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will convene this month to roll out the decommissioning of weapons of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants.

The independent body, which is a mix membership of foreign experts from Brunei and Norway and four locals, has already fine-tuned the process of a gradual phase manner of decommissioning. However, the process does not necessarily follow a certain framework of an international body on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR).

Lawyer Al Jukifli, a member of the GPH peace panel, said a symbolic turn-over will happen anytime to start the decommissioning process. He said the decommissioning process will apply to the peculiarities of the local situation.

Decommissioning of weapons of the MILF combatants is part of the normalization process to bring conflict affected areas into a state of normalcy in terms of human security and economic stability while the legislative mill for the approval of the Bangsamoro Basic Law continues.

Julkifli said the first task of the independent body will be to conduct an inventory and validation in order to determine the types and number of weapons of the MILF. He disclosed that the surrender of weapons would by phase and percentages. The inventory will also start this month.

Meantime, Julkifli said other normalization process or other confidence building measures are underway such as the infusion of livelihood and turning the six previously identified MILF camps into productive civilian communities.

Julkifli disclosed that task forces have been formed towards this development with the Department of Agriculture (DA) conducting surveys for the livelihood and production programs and projects.

On the other hand, the legal process for the amnesty of MILF members and supporters is also rolling out. A group will be conducting a study towards this step. Julkifli said the Transitional Justice is also working on a development study.

Jukifli likewise disclosed that a study for the disbandment of armed groups and loose firearms.

“So all these activities will be rolled out as parallel efforts while the legislative process continues,” Julkifli said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=721343