This long-hoped-for Philippines news item seems good news for everybody ..
26,132 MILF Members Decommissioned
By Franco Jose C. Baroña, Published Today March 31, 2024
https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/03/31/regions/26132-milf-members-decommissioned/1939204
THE Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru) has reported that 26,132 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have been decommissioned, together with their 4,625 organization-owned weapons, as it moves to harmonize plans and activities for the amnesty applications of former combatants.
The Senate adopted Presidential Proclamations Number 403, 405 and 406, that grant amnesty to former members of the Rebolusyunaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas / Revolutionary Proletarian Army / Alex Boncayao Brigade, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) / and MILF.
Opapru Presidential Assistant David Diciano said that 20 dispute resolution initiatives were supported by the cluster as of March 2024.
"Aside from decommissioning, we have also deployed 24 Joint Peace and Security Teams, and we have [supported the entry of] 396 former MILF and MNLF combatants into the Philippine National Police," Diciano said.
Meanwhile, Cesar de Mesa, Opapru executive director, said they are now harmonizing plans and activities for the amnesty application of MILF members.
"We will also conduct information, education and communication activities in the MILF areas to share this good news, as well as educate them if they are eligible and how they can avail the amnesty," de Mesa said.
The ICCMN also recently agreed to adopt the Localized Normalization Implementation (LNI) as part of national government-led strategies to ramp up the implementation of programs and other interventions that will benefit former MILF combatants.
The LNI is designed to complement and support the program under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the landmark peace agreement signed between the government of the Philippines and MILF in 2014.
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