MILF, MNLF urged: Stay out of politics

ISABELA CITY, Basilan — The provincial government has called on members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Basilan province to “stay united and never involve themselves in politics” and instead focus on the peace and development process program of the government.

Basilan Gov Hadjiman S. Hataman-Salliman issued the statement during the Inter-Cabinet Cluster Mechanism on Normalization (ICCMN) Caravan held in Lamitan City on Tuesday.

“Let’s not give political colors to the process, but more on our collective efforts to achieve a sustainable peace in Basilan,” Salliman stressed.

Salliman said the national and local governments are having collaborative efforts aimed at helping the former MILF and MNLF combatants in the normalization and transformation process.

 The ICCMN Caravan was an activity led by ICCMN member agencies to bring essential government services to decommissioned MILF combatants, their families, and communities in the six previously-acknowledged MILF camps.

 The activity’s key objectives were to address the immediate needs of decommissioned MILF combatants, their families and community members through the provision of government services.

Hundreds of MILF and MNLF members, together with their families, availed of the various government services through the ICCMN Caravan.

“Rest assured that the provincial government will never give up in our collective quest for peace and unity,” the governor added. 

Salliman also expressed his gratitude to the government agencies that rolled out their programs in Basilan to assist the former combatants as they transition to becoming peaceful and productive citizens of society.

 The ICCMN ensures a “whole-of-government” approach aimed at transforming the MILF combatants and their families into becoming productive and peaceful members of society and turning their camps into zones of peace and development.

 The ICCMN Caravan delivered essential services directly to the communities, addressing their immediate needs and informing them of longer-term initiatives that will be carried out in their areas such as infrastructure projects, scholarships and livelihood programs.

 Around 24 ICCMN member agencies including six ministries from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) government, the provincial government of Basilan, and Lamitan City participated in the caravan, providing various interventions such as agricultural inputs, medical services, civil registration, cooperative registration, health insurance, internet access and amnesty applications for former rebels.

International partners, such as the UNDP, Non-violent Peace Force, Fondation Suisse de Deminage, and private sector groups like the Ayala Foundation also set up education booths at the main gymnasium and explained to beneficiaries how to access their peace, educational, development, gender, and social enterprise programs.

The ICCMN is a body created by Executive Order No. 79, as amended by EO No. 6 s. 2022, to ensure timely, appropriate, and efficient delivery of the Normalization Program including the coordination and mobilization of national government agencies in the implementation of the Normalization Program under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).