Qualified ex-Moro National Liberation Front, Moro Islamic Liberation Front members welcome to join PNP

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 21, 2023): Qualified ex-Moro National Liberation Front, Moro Islamic Liberation Front members welcome to join PNP (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo (File photo)

MANILA – Former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) can apply to join the police force as long as they have no criminal records, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Wednesday.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said Republic Act 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) gives former MILF and MNLF combatants the chance to join the police ranks.

“We expect that they will be with us in the ranks, they will be with us to ensure that there will be lasting peace in the BARMM,” Fajardo told reporters in Camp Crame.

Last May 2022, around 7,000 of 11,000 MNLF and MILF members passed a special qualifying eligibility examination to join the PNP.

Fajardo said they have started the processing of 1,000 passers who have been endorsed by the Bangsamoro government -- 700 of whom are from the MILF and 300 are from the MNLF.

The applicants would have to pass the body mass index (BMI) test, physical agility test, psychological examination, physical and dental examination.

“Kasama din diyan yung complete background examination para alamin din yung mga background ng ating mga applikante para tingnan din, baka may mga previously criminal records. Definitely that will be a ground for their disqualification at once matapos mo itong mga nasabi kong proseso ay yung final board at kapag matapos ito at makumpleto at makapasa at manunumpa (That also includes complete background examination to find out their backgrounds of our applicants to check as well if they have previous criminal records. Definitely that will be a ground for their disqualification. Once you finish this process, next is the final board which they have to finish and and passed afeter which they will be sworn in),” Fajardo explained.

After their oath-taking, the successful applicants would undergo a one-year basic recruitment basic course and a six-month field training program.

Once they finish these courses, they would be given a temporary appointment status and would be assigned to the PRO-BAR.

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) earlier said the age requirement for MILF and MNLF applicants shall not be below 20 and not over 35 years old.

One of the major requirements for the applicants to the special qualifying exams is a certification from the MILF and the MNLF that they are indeed bonafide members of the two organizations.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1204007