Joint AFP-PNP, Moro Islamic Liberation Front security teams face evolving role in Bangsamoro peace process

 From the Manila Bulletin (Mar 10, 2024): Joint AFP-PNP, Moro Islamic Liberation Front security teams face evolving role in Bangsamoro peace process (By MARTIN SADONGDONG)

(L-R) Moro Islamic Liberation Front and GPH Joint Peace Security Committee (JPSC) co-chairmen Senior Minister Von Al Haq and Maj. Gen. Francisco Ariel Felicidario III (Ret.) give updates on the Bangsamoro peace process during a recent media engagement at the JPSC Operations Center in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. (Photo by Martin Sadongdong / MANILA BULLETIN)

The Joint Peace Security Teams (JPSTs) deployed in Mindanao are facing an evolving role in the ongoing peace process in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), owing to the “very high” expectations from the communities.

Francisco Ariel Felicidario III, the co-chair of Philippine government (GPH) Joint Peace Security Committee (JPSC), said this was the result of an assessment on the efficiency of the JPSTs made by a third-party non-violent force, the International Organization Migration (IOM), with funding support from the Government of Japan.

“After we deployed the JPSTs, when it was time for us to do the assessment, a third party group shouldered the expenses and they were supported by the Japanese government because we had no funds for that,” Felicidario, a retired Army major general, said during a recent interview with select members of the media in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte.

“They had researchers who went to the ground, who interviewed the people in the communities. The assessment went well. When they had the report, the feedback was mostly positive from the communities. The only negative thing about the report is that the people are expecting more from the JPSTs. Since they are the only people in those remote areas, they expect that the JPSTs could do a lot more which is already outside their mandate,” he added.

From foe to allies

The JPSTs are a composite force between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces.

From being adversaries, the security forces from AFP-PNP and BIAF now work as comrades-in-arms to ensure stability in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao following the signing of the final peace agreement between the GPH and Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Operating since the creation of BARMM in 2019, the JPSTs assist the communities in efforts to sustain peace, manage conflicts and foster resolution, especially for those impacted by horizontal and vertical conflicts such as “rido” or clan wars. They also track and document lawless elements in areas where they are deployed.

At present, there are 24 JPSTs deployed in various areas in Mindanao: 13 teams in Maguindanao; three in North Cotabato; two each in Basilan, Lanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur; and one apiece in Zamboanga Sibugay and Sultan Kudarat.

Each JPST is composed of 30 members: eight PNP personnel, seven AFP personnel, and 15 decommissioned BIAF members. They are supervised by the Joint Peace Security Committee being co-chaired by Felicidario and his Moro Islamic Liberation Front counterpart, Senior Minister Von Al Haq.

Before the BIAF members are integrated with their AFP-PNP counterparts, they undergo a 45-day basic military training (BMT) at the division training unit of the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID) in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

Once they finish the BMT, the BIAF members can now legally carry a firearm, one thing which they cannot do before since they are part of a rebel group. They are to join another training on peacekeeping and security at the BARMM Police Regional Office in Parang, Maguindanao for almost one month where they learn about peace-building, mediation and harnessing synergy and camaraderie with their AFP-PNP counterparts.

Apart from their role as peacekeepers, the JPSTs are now being sought by the communities when disasters strike such as typhoons, flooding, and earthquakes, and they readily respond while facing limitations in terms of community safeguarding, communications, logistics, and operational infrastructure. The enhanced southwest monsoon (amihan) experienced in Mindanao in recent months even destroyed 10 JPST stations which added to their woes.

“Because the perception of the communities has been high, the JPSTs have been responding to disasters. They are actually not mandated to respond to disasters but the communities seek for their help. So of course they are there, they would provide the support," said Erina Yamashita, IOM Philippines project development officer and head of IOM Cotabato sub-office.

"There has been an evolving role for JPST which is kind of like inevitable in terms of their capacity. We are trying to address some of the recent gaps through our projects,” she added.

Capacitating JPSTs

To address the issue, the JPSTs are now undergoing disaster response training at the 6ID.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front Senior Minister Al Haq admitted that there is an immediate need to provide assistance to JPSTs in order to enhance their resilience and effectiveness as catalyst for peace.

“We know we cannot stand alone except if there is a joint collaboration. I’m very optimistic that out of this collaboration with IOM and Japanese government, our JPSTs would be fully armed with all the aspect of a peacekeeper. This cooperation can truly tackle this issue,” he noted.

Almish Guimba, 37, is a co-team leader of the Joint Peace Security Team (JPST) based in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. (Photo by Martin Sadongdong / MANILA BULLETIN)

Almish Guimba, 37, an Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatant, said that his involvement with the JPST enabled him to send his two children to school, one of them already going to college.

Guimba joined the BIAF in 1994 and served as a general staff officer at Camp Abubakar. On the orders of his Moro Islamic Liberation Front commanders, he joined the JPST and trained with his counterparts from the AFP and PNP in 2019, and now serves as a co-team leader of the JPST based in the JPSC Operations Center in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte.

“Maganda ang JPST kasi ang mga dating kaaway mo, ngayon brother mo na, kaibigan mo na. Maganda ito para malaya na rin kami (Being with JPST is a good thing because our previous enemies became our brothers and friends now. This is a good thing for us because we have been freed),” Guimba said.

He also hopes that Mindanao will sustain the peace that the Bangsamoro people enjoy now.

“Malaking tulong ‘yung kapayapaan, 'yung peace negotiation kasi kami dati hindi kami nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral dahil sa struggle. Ngayon nakapag aral na yung mga pamilya namin (Peace and peace negotiation are really important because we were not able to attain any level of education due to our struggle. Now, we can send our families to school),” Guimba said.

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