The government has a "comprehensive plan" in place to facilitate the decommissioning process for the former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as it is eyed to be completed before the midterm elections in 2025, Presidential Peace Adviser, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said Thursday.

Galvez said the government's Independent Decommissioning Body is implementing the decommissioning process "with a level of trust and confidence, learning from the best practices and internationally accepted norms on the disarmament and demobilization of forces as done in other countries."

According to Galvez, the procedures instituted by the IDB ensure the integrity of the process which will further facilitate the smooth transition of combatants from their guerrilla identities towards transitioning to civilian lives.

"This is a comprehensive plan to carry out the decommissioning process for our MILF brothers and sisters until its completion, as well as the Normalization Program that will aid them in their transition," he said.

As of 10 August, the IDB recorded 26,132 MILF combatants, and 4,625 of their firearms have been successfully decommissioned since 2015.

Galvez said the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, and Reconciliation, in collaboration with concerned line agencies, upholds the "whole-of-government, whole-of-society" approach in the decommissioning process under the Normalization Track.

"We would like to address the perception by some that the decommissioning process is the sole responsibility of OPAPRU. This is not the case, because the process is an inclusive, concerted, and holistic effort," he added.

Galvez earlier said the government targets to complete the decommissioning of the remaining 1,301 MILF combatants ahead first-ever parliament election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

He noted that the decommissioning program provides emergency employment, social entrepreneurship projects, and skills development training to the former combatants.

"It's very critical that we build on the peace gains and ensure continuing progress in the BARMM," he added.

Under the decommissioning program, qualified family beneficiaries were also given a Bangsamoro Transitory Family Support Package amounting to P80,000 and P20,000 worth of Livelihood Settlement Grants.

This program is part of the normalization track under the Bangsamoro Organic Law—which is designed for the peaceful reintegration of former combatants into their communities with several support packages provided by the concerned national agencies and local government units.