DAVAO CITY – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has barred Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) commanders and other officials from participating “in any decommissioning or normalization activities” organized by the national government and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) “without prior written approval or authorization.”

“Pursuant to the July 19, 2025 Resolution of the Central Committee which temporarily suspended the Implementation of the Fourth and Final Phase of the decommissioning process, it is important that all Front Commanders, Base Commanders, heads of line agencies of the organization, and their subordinates strictly observe protocol and official channels in dealing with our National Government counterparts,” said MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim in MILF Memorandum Order No. 37 dated Aug. 16.

Murad’s directive states that any non-compliance will be considered a “serious breach of command discipline” and could lead to administrative and disciplinary action.

The directive was issued less than a month after the MILF suspended the fourth and final phase of the decommissioning process for MILF combatants and weapons.

In the Central Committee resolution issued on July 19 but released on July 26, the MILF insisted that the suspension of decommissioning process will take effect until there is “substantial compliance by the (Philippine government) in the other tracks of normalization, including the provision of socio-economic package as agreed upon by the GPH and MILF Peace Implementing Panels to the 26,145 (decommissioned) combatants.”

The MILF and Philippine government signed a peace agreement – the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro – on March 27, 2014, paving the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Murad held the position as interim chief minister from February 2019 to March 2025. The BARMM is now headed by Abdulraof Macacua, concurrently the BIAF Chief of Staff.

Both parties agreed to decommission 40,000 MILF combatants and 7,200 weapons.

Of this number, 26,145 MILF combatants and 4,625 weapons have been decommissioned since the process commenced in 2015.

In the fourth phase, at least 14,000 combatants and 2,575 weapons are expected to be decommissioned.

OPAPRU has expressed dismay at the group’s decision.

David Diciano, head of the OPAPRU Office for Bangsamoro Transformation, belied the MILF’s claim that the Philippine government (GPH) has not substantially delivered on its socioeconomic commitments to MILF fighters who have been deactivated.

The decommissioning of MILF forces is a major commitment made by the government and the MILF under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), contained under the normalization track.