Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Assistant Secretary Wilven Mayor says a total of 12,000 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters will be decommissioned by 'early 2020'
DECOMMISSIONING. Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels stand guard at the entry of Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, on September 7, 2019, ahead of a weapons decommissioning ceremony. Photo by Ferdinandh Cabrera/AFP
MANILA, Philippines – Over 8,000 fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had been decommissioned by the end of 2019, announced Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Assistant Secretary Wilven Mayor.
During the Presidential Communications Operations Office's "Duterte Legacy" event on Friday, January 17, Mayor said 8,879 out of 12,000 former MILF fighters were decommissioned from September to December 2019.
Decommissioning MILF fighters, or the process of transitioning the 40,000-strong Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) back to civilian life, is spread out over several years and was premised on the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in January 2019.
During the Presidential Communications Operations Office's "Duterte Legacy" event on Friday, January 17, Mayor said 8,879 out of 12,000 former MILF fighters were decommissioned from September to December 2019.
Decommissioning MILF fighters, or the process of transitioning the 40,000-strong Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) back to civilian life, is spread out over several years and was premised on the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in January 2019.
(READ: Duterte tells disarmed MILF soldiers: Do not be disheartened)
The government targets to complete the decommissioning of 12,000 fighters – 30% of the BIAF – by "early 2020." After an initial decommissioning in 2015, this batch represents the second phase of the MILF's normalization process.
All 40,000 combatants are expected to be decommissioned by 2022.
Aside from this, Mayor said 1,542 out of 2,000 firearms, along with 617 pieces of ammunition, were turned over to the foreign-led Independent Decommissioning Body as of 2019.
According to Bangsamoro Transition Authority Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal, this is important because it embodies that the MILF's struggle "will no longer continue in military terms but as active participants in...[the] democratic system."
On top of other forms of aid from the government, each decommissioned former rebel received P100,000 in cash and livelihood assistance.
Agriculture exposure programs were also conducted for former MILF base and front commanders to help transform military camps into productive communities. Such aid is to set them on the path to normal, post-conflict lives.
Along with the decommissioning, Mayor said a draft transitional justice and reconciliation plan was crafted.
This plan involves ways to address the legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro people, historical injustices, and human rights violations from years of conflict in the area.
The government targets to complete the decommissioning of 12,000 fighters – 30% of the BIAF – by "early 2020." After an initial decommissioning in 2015, this batch represents the second phase of the MILF's normalization process.
All 40,000 combatants are expected to be decommissioned by 2022.
Aside from this, Mayor said 1,542 out of 2,000 firearms, along with 617 pieces of ammunition, were turned over to the foreign-led Independent Decommissioning Body as of 2019.
According to Bangsamoro Transition Authority Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal, this is important because it embodies that the MILF's struggle "will no longer continue in military terms but as active participants in...[the] democratic system."
On top of other forms of aid from the government, each decommissioned former rebel received P100,000 in cash and livelihood assistance.
Agriculture exposure programs were also conducted for former MILF base and front commanders to help transform military camps into productive communities. Such aid is to set them on the path to normal, post-conflict lives.
Along with the decommissioning, Mayor said a draft transitional justice and reconciliation plan was crafted.
This plan involves ways to address the legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro people, historical injustices, and human rights violations from years of conflict in the area.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.