DAVAO CITY – Peace advocacy groups from Mindanao have urged the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to resolve the issues that stalled the decommissioning process of Moro combatants.

This recent development could bring uncertainty on the gains of the peace process in the Bangsamoro region as it could impede the conflict-to-peace transition peace monitors in the region, they said.

In a joint statement, peace monitors Council for Climate and Conflict Action Asia (CCAA) and the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) believe that this turn of events sinks any hope of a peaceful parliamentary election in October. 

According to them,  the MILF and its political party, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), are gearing up for the first parliamentary elections in October  without having accomplished full decommissioning. 

“Promises and assurances that guns will not be used to intimidate and harass opponents are dubious and unreliable,” they added. 

With the impasse on the decommissioning process, CCAA and IAG warned that the accompanying development programs in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)  are facing the risk of failure.

The MILF on July 19    suspended the decommissioning of its combatants until there is “substantial compliance by the government in other tracks of normalization, including the provision of socio-economic packages as agreed upon by both panels."

The MILF also issued a directive over the weekend that barred its commanders from participating in any “decommissioning or normalization activities” organized by the government.

Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito  Galvez Jr. said that the recent directive from MILF

Chairman Murad Ebrahim was an internal matter for their organization.

”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,” Galvez said.

The decommissioning of MILF forces is a major commitment made by the government and the MILF under the CAB, contained under the normalization track.

At least 30 CSOs have signed a statement urging the government and MILF to resolve differences in the implementation of the normalization process. 

“We, civil society and peace advocates, express our deep concern over the unresolved differences between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and MILF in the implementation of the Normalization Process under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). If these differences remain unaddressed, they risk eroding the hard-earned gains of the peace process, undermining community trust, and weaken the hope for lasting peace among the Bangsamoro people who have long endured the struggles of conflict,” the CSOs said in a statement. 

They called on both peace implementing panels to immediately convene and resolve the issues in good faith.

The normalization process, they emphasized, is not merely a technical component of the peace agreement but it is the cornerstone of security, disarmament, and the holistic transformation of communities in the Bangsamoro region.

“Peace is too precious to be left solely in the hands of the GPH and MILF. Civil society, communities, and all stakeholders must be actively engaged to ensure transparency, inclusivity, and accountability in the peace process. Nurturing peace is a shared responsibility that requires vigilance, dialogue, and collective action,” the group concluded. 

Seasoned peace advocate Guiamel Alim suggested that both parties should  talk and resolve the issues surrounding  the decommissioning process. 

Alim, chairman of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), allayed fears of  violence. “Kailangan lang mapagusapan at maayos ang problema as soon as possible.” 

The delays in the implementation of the components in the peace deal may not just disrupt economic certainty and dampen investments but could also prevent any hope of reining in the shadow economies in the BARMM, the CCAA and IAG emphasized.

Furthermore, they added that "stalling the process over benefit claims rings hollow in the face of a huge block grant and continued access to special development funds that were allocated unilaterally to MILF combatants as well."

Thus, the CCAA and IAG urged the government and MILF to conduct an inclusive examination of the entire peace infrastructure with other sectors and stakeholders.

“Breaking the impasse will require a collective effort and a collective decision that includes other sectors such as the Moro clans and the non-Moro indigenous peoples."