Manila: The government on Thursday expressed disappointment over the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) decision to again postpone the final phase of decommissioning its combatants and firearms, calling it a setback for the Bangsamoro peace process.

According to Philippines News Agency, Presidential Assistant David Diciano of the Office for Bangsamoro Transformation under the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) stated that the deferral of the decommissioning of 14,000 MILF combatants and 2,450 weapons ‘undermines a core commitment’ under the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). Diciano emphasized that this batch of combatants was meant to be the fourth and final group scheduled for the decommissioning process.

Diciano also disputed the MILF Central Committee’s claim that the government has not met its socioeconomic commitments. He highlighted the PHP100,000 transitional cash assistance provided per decommissioned combatant and over PHP4 billion in socioeconomic programs since 2019, which include health coverage, skills training, and education assistance benefiting thousands. For the current year, 2,500 combatants or their dependents are part of the educational program, with funds allocated for an additional 3,500 beneficiaries in 2026.

The repeated deferments have resulted in more than PHP788 million earmarked for Phase 4 of the decommissioning being returned to the Treasury, Diciano noted. He expressed concern that those willing to undergo the process are being deprived of the opportunity to become productive, peaceful citizens, stating, “The decision of the few should not deny the aspirations of the many.”

Since 2015, approximately 26,000 MILF combatants have been decommissioned, and six MILF camps have benefited from about PHP8.5 billion in development projects. The political track of the CAB also led to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which has received over PHP420 billion in block grants and an annual PHP5 billion in normalization funds since 2020.

Diciano urged the MILF to fulfill its commitments under the peace agreement and to use appropriate channels to address any issues related to the implementation. With the BARMM preparing for its first parliamentary elections this October, Diciano invited the MILF to reaffirm the shared vision of a BARMM free of armed groups and illegal firearms, where peace prevails.