COTABATO CITY – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has announced a halt to the decommissioning of its remaining 14,000 combatants, asserting that the Philippine government has not substantially complied with the provisions of the Annex on Normalization within the 2014 peace agreement. The decision, made public on Saturday, July 26, stems from a resolution passed by the MILF’s central committee during its July 19 meeting at Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.

The resolution, signed by MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and MILF secretary Muhammad Ameen, states that the decommissioning of the final 14,000 combatants and 2,450 weapons will only commence "upon the substantial compliance of the GPH (Government of the Philippines) in the other tracks of normalization, including the provision of socio-economic package as agreed upon by the GPH and MILF Peace Implementing Panels to the 26,145 combatants.”

Ebrahim emphasized the need for demonstrable socio-economic interventions for combatants already profiled for decommissioning before further deactivations proceed. 

Datuan Magon Jr., spokesperson of the MILF peace implementing panel, echoed this sentiment, explaining that the decommissioning would resume once the government substantially implements all normalization components, particularly the socio-economic aspects.

"The decommissioning of MILF forces should be parallel and commensurate," Magon told reporters, highlighting concerns that the government might nearly complete the decommissioning process while other normalization components remain stalled. This stance aligns with Section C Item 9 of the normalization annex, which stipulates that the decommissioning of MILF forces shall be parallel and commensurate to the implementation of the agreements.

To date, 26,145 MILF combatants, or 65 percent of the 40,000-strong MILF forces, have been decommissioned. However, the MILF Central Committee expressed deep regret that "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.”

The Annex on Normalization is a crucial part of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), which forms the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the final peace agreement signed by the Philippine government and the MILF in 2014 after 17 years of negotiations.

The normalization process encompasses several other critical tracks beyond decommissioning, including policing, redeployment of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) troops, disbandment of private armed groups, socio-economic development, detection and clearance of unexploded ordnances, transitional justice and reconciliation, confidence-building measures like camps transformation, and amnesty for conflict-related crimes. Under this track, the MILF is committed to a graduated program for the decommissioning of its forces.

Previous phases of decommissioning saw 145 combatants and 75 weapons deactivated in June 2015 during the Aquino administration. The second phase, involving 12,000 combatants and 2,100 weapons, began in September 2019 under former President Rodrigo Duterte, followed by the third phase in November 2021, which saw the deactivation of 14,000 MILF combatants and 2,450 weapons, also during the Duterte administration.

The decommissioning process is overseen by the foreign-led Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB), chaired by Turkey with Norway and Brunei as members, alongside representatives from both the Philippine government and the MILF.

Despite the current halt, Ebrahim reiterated the MILF's commitment that the decommissioning of the remaining 14,000 combatants, representing 35 percent of their forces, and 2,450 weapons, would proceed once the government demonstrates substantial compliance with the other agreed-upon normalization tracks, particularly the vital socio-economic provisions.