The Philippine government will engage in thorough discussions with concerned parties regarding the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) decision to suspend the decommissioning of its remaining combatants and weapons.
It was stated that the information has already reached President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“Yes, this is indeed sad news because we know that the government has allocated funds to provide a better future for those who wish to return to normal lives,” the statement said.
The forms of aid provided to MILF combatants were mentioned, including ₱100,000 cash assistance for each combatant as well as other socio-economic programs.
“Perhaps deeper discussions are needed to ensure better outcomes for the MILF members,” it added.
When asked about the next steps, the response was, “We will hold thorough discussions to achieve better results.”
It was noted that the decommissioning process had been suspended until the national government complies with the provisions of the Annex of Normalization, a component of the 2014 peace agreement between the two parties.
A resolution stated that the MILF would decommission its remaining 14,000 forces and 2,450 weapons “only upon substantial compliance by the Philippine government in other tracks of normalization, including the provision of the agreed socio-economic package for 26,145 combatants.”
