MILF chair decries decommissioning delays

DAVAO CITY — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has suspended the final phase of its decommissioning process, with a top official accusing the national government of undermining the peace agreement.

Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF’s peace panel chair, said Tuesday that the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) is to blame for the delays, claiming it forced a leadership change in the Bangsamoro region without consulting the MILF.

In a forum, Iqbal criticized the government’s appointment of Abdulraof “Sammy Gambar” Macacua as Chief Minister in March, which he said removed MILF Chair Murad Ebrahim from the position.

He also stated that the government violated the Bangsamoro Organic Law by excluding six of the MILF’s 41 nominees to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

Iqbal called the moves a “divide-and-rule tactic” and said the MILF would not resume decommissioning until other commitments, such as amnesty, camp transformation, and socioeconomic programs, are fulfilled.

OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government is open to dialogue and explained that some activities were paused due to an election gun ban ahead of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) first parliamentary elections on 13 October.

The Council for Climate and Conflict Action Asia and the Institute for Autonomy and Governance, two peace monitors, warned that the MILF’s decision could harm the fragile peace and cast doubt on the upcoming elections.

They urged both parties to set aside blame and pursue an inclusive review of the peace process.