COTABATO CITY, Feb. 19 (PIA)—The Phase II of the decommissioning of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front-Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (MILF-BIAF) combatants and weapons resumed on Tuesday, February 18, at the Old Provincial Capitol, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
Some 106 MILF-BIAF from Lanao del Sur, with 304 firearms underwent the decommissioning process led by the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB).
The IDB was created based on the Annex on Normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro (CAB). Its mandate is to oversee the process of decommissioning of the MILF combatants and weapons.
Each of the decommissioned MILF-BIAF combatants received P100,000 cash and socio-economic assistance packages that will help them reintegrate into mainstream society.
Chair of GPH Implementing Panel and Head of Joint Normalization Division Undersecretary David Diciano underscored that the laying down of arms represents the sincerity of the MILF-BIAF to transform from an armed group into a peaceful and productive organization.
“Your weapons will be a reminder of all the sacrifices you have made so that you and your families will have a brighter and more prosperous future that is free from violence, fear, and animosity,” Diciano told the MILF-BIAF combatants.
He also said that after the decommissioning, the national office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will hire social workers to evaluate the status of the MILF-BIAF combatants in their respective communities.
Under the phase 2, the IDB is to decommission a total of 12, 000 combatants and 2,100 weapons. On August to December 2019, the first batch of the phase 2, IDB was able to decommission 8,879 MILF-BIAF combatants with 1, 542 weapons and 617 pieces of ammunition.
The resumption of the 2nd phase of the decommissioning will run until March this year.
It can be noted that the Phase 1 of the decommissioning of the MILF-BIAF and weapons was held on June 16, 2015. (PIA-Cotabato City)
https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1034919
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