Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. called for a renewed dialogue between the government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) amid concerns about the status of the Bangsamoro peace process.

In a statement Tuesday, Aug. 19, Galvez said the government “remains fully committed” to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

This, after MILF Chairman Murad Ebrahim reportedly issued a memorandum order last Aug. 16 directing all MILF commanders, base commanders, designated deputy commanders, or heads of line agencies or their representatives to refrain from participating in “unilateral” decommissioning or normalization activities organized by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).

“We view the recent memorandum order from MILF Chairman Murad Ebrahim, which instructs his members not to engage in any ‘unilateral’ programs of the government, as an internal matter for their organization,” Galvez said.

“To address these apparent differences, we believe an open and sincere dialogue between both sides is the best way forward. We trust that both the government and the MILF are sincere in upholding the CAB and preserving the peace gains achieved so far,” he added.

Galvez said the decommissioning of MILF combatants and firearms, as well as other “activities”, will be temporarily suspended due to the election ban imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in preparation for the upcoming first parliamentary polls in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on October 13.

However, Galvez stressed that the OPAPRU “is very open” to discuss with the MILF leadership which programs can be jointly implemented during the said period “without violating the election ban.”

“The Bangsamoro peace process remains robust and dynamic owing to the steadfast commitment of both the government and the MILF to its broader aims,” he added.

Ebrahim’s order followed a July 19 resolution by the MILF Central Committee temporarily suspending the fourth and final phase of the decommissioning of its 14,000 combatants and 2,450 weapons.

The MILF Central Committee earlier disclosed that the GPH supposedly has not substantially delivered on its socio-economic commitments under the CAB, the final peace agreement signed by the GPH and MILF in 2014 which led to the creation of the BARMM.

According to the MILF Central Committee, the decommissioning of the remaining combatants and weapons shall commence only upon the substantial compliance of the GPH in the other tracks of normalization, including the provision of socio-economic package as agreed upon by the two parties’ peace implementing panels to the decommissioned combatants.

In essence, every decommissioned combatant shall receive P100,000 in transitional cash assistance, health insurance, skills training and livelihood programs, educational assistance for them or their families, and housing, civil registration, and other support services to jumpstart their reintegration to mainstream society.

At present, a total of 26,145 MILF combatants have been decommissioned, representing 65 percent of the group’s total strength of 40,000.

The MILF Central Committee argued that out of the 26,145 decommissioned MILF members, “not a single one has successfully undergone ‘transition to productive civilian life,’ as other interventions for decommissioning have essentially not been provided, save for the P100,000 per combatant.”

This was denied by the OPAPRU, as the peace agency revealed that major programs have been rolled out since 2015, even prior to the formal adoption of the socioeconomic framework in 2024.

OPAPRU said the 26,145 decommissioned combatants have received benefits such as transitional cash aid, PhilHealth coverage, civil registry documentation, skills training, and educational assistance. Government investments for these interventions have reached at least P4 billion since 2019, the agency added.

The agency also cited the implementation of P8.5 billion worth of infrastructure and development projects in the six recognized MILF camps, the disbandment of 15 private armed groups, and the recovery of over 9,000 loose firearms in the Bangsamoro region as evidence of progress in the normalization track.

It also highlighted the political gains made under the CAB, particularly the establishment of the BARMM, which has been under MILF leadership since its creation. From 2020 to 2025, the BARMM has received a total of P420.9 billion in block grants and annual allocations of P5 billion in Special Development Funds, the agency noted.