President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. lauded the resumption of the decommissioning of former Bangsamoro fighters and their weapons in Maguindanao, saying it brings the country a step closer to achieving peace in Mindanao.
Marcos said this as the third phase of the decommissioning process of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members resumed in Sultan Kudarat on Tuesday, September 27.
In a Tweet, the President described the event as a milestone that reaffirmed the government's commitment to the peace process.
"The resumption of the decommissioning of former Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces fighters and their weapons in Maguindanao yesterday reaffirms our commitment to the peace process and the BARMM region," he said.
"This milestone event brings us closer to securing a lasting peace in Mindanao," he added.
The resumption of the decommissioning of former Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces fighters and their weapons in Maguindanao yesterday reaffirms our commitment to the peace process and the BARMM region. https://t.co/jmjRCxY7h6
— Bongbong Marcos (@bongbongmarcos) September 28, 2022
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim described the event as a testament to the "continued mutual confidence, trust and commitment of the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to the Bangsamoro peace process."
"This signifies a new, brighter beginning for our combatants, as they integrate themselves into progressive mainstream communities," he added.
For his part, Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. expressed gratitude to the Government and MILF Implementing Panels for their steadfast commitment to implementing the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
The decommissioning is among the key provisions of the Annex on Normalization of the CAB, the peace agreement forged between the government and MILF in 2014, which aims to help former MILF combatants make the successful transition to civilian life.
A total of 14,000 combatants are targeted to be decommissioned under the phase 3 decommissioning process. At least 7,200 have been decommissioned under the first batch of phase 3, which started last November 8, 2021.
At least 5,500 combatants are scheduled to be decommissioned under phase 3 until the end of 2022.
Since the start of decommissioning in 2015, a total of 19,345 MILF combatants have successfully undergone the process, while 2,175 weapons were put beyond use.