OPAPRU vows to release delayed funds for joint security teams, MILF scholars

COTABATO CITY — The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) has assured members of the Joint Peace and Security Teams (JPST) and beneficiaries of the educational assistance program for Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) decommissioned combatants that delayed funds will be released, following concerns raised by stakeholders.

In a statement dated Sept. 29, OPAPRU said JPST personnel can expect to start receiving their allowances and operational funds this October.

The agency said it had facilitated the approval and completed the downloading to the Armed Forces of the Philippines of the fund support for all 24 JPST teams deployed across Mindanao this September, and that implementing partners are now processing the disbursements.

For the Educational Assistance Program (EAP), OPAPRU said it is coordinating with the Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and their Communities, MILF counterparts, and case managers from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to resolve the delayed releases for fiscal year 2025 beneficiaries.

The program supports the children and next of kin of MILF decommissioned combatants.

OPAPRU said dedicated teams are expediting compliance requirements, enrollment verification, and document clearing with the concerned universities so that pending scholarship allowances can be disbursed “immediately.”

“OPAPRU takes the concerns raised by our stakeholders with the utmost seriousness,” the agency said, adding that it is working with partner government agencies to ensure “every committed obligation will be delivered.”

To prevent a repeat of what it called administrative bottlenecks, OPAPRU said it is overhauling its disbursement mechanisms, moving away from complex intermediary transfer arrangements toward the direct downloading of funds to operational units and beneficiary accounts.

The agency said the reform is intended to streamline compliance, reduce bureaucratic layers, and ensure the prompt release of future entitlements.

As the coordinating agency for the Government of the Philippines–MILF peace process, OPAPRU said it remains committed to honoring all obligations under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

The statement did not specify the amounts involved, the number of affected JPST personnel and EAP beneficiaries, or a specific release date for the pending scholarship allowances.