The government must not waste any more time fulfilling its promises to extend assistance to former fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) who availed of the state’s amnesty program.
Senator Robin Padilla stressed this after chairing a consultative meeting with officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) at the Senate.
“Sa totoo lang, ang daming pinag-uusapan ngayon na hindi pa pinag-uusapan. Dapat pinag-uusapan, paano tayo makaka-deliver sa pinangako ng gobyerno sa MILF,” said Padilla, who chairs the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs.
Since 2014, only 26,145 decommissioned combatants have received assistance, while 14,000 more have yet to be decommissioned.
During the meeting, participants bared how the government has not fulfilled its promises to former MNLF and MILF fighters who availed of amnesty. Since 2014, only 26,145 decommissioned combatants have received assistance, while 14,000 more have yet to be decommissioned.
Of the 26,145 who received any form of assistance, not all have been given the full socio-economic package promised to them.
“Frustrated ang combatants namin, bakit hanggang ngayon ‘di pa delivered ang commitment ng gobyerno.”
“Frustrated ang combatants namin, bakit hanggang ngayon ‘di pa delivered ang commitment ng gobyerno… siguro ‘di dapat parang pagong na umuusad ‘yan,” said Mohagher Iqbal, a former official of the MILF and now a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament.
The legislator said he will discuss the matter with fellow Mindanao senators Migz Zubiri and Ronald dela Rosa, to look into what happened. The lawmaker said he and Zubiri in particular were surprised by the situation.
“Hindi ba meron tayong pinasang batas? ‘Yun pala kwentuhan pa lang ‘yan. So ‘yan aasikasuhin natin,” the senator concluded.
