The 331 decommissioned combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and their relatives are awarded training certificates after completing livelihood courses in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao on March 10, 2022. The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Friday (Dec. 27, 2024) said it has returned to the Bureau of the Treasury the PHP658-million budget allocated for the fourth phase of the decommissioning process due to delays in the official list of beneficiaries. (Photo courtesy of OPAPRU)
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has returned to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) the P658-million budget allocated by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) for the fourth phase of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) decommissioning process.
DSWD Undersecretary Alan Tanjusay of the Inclusive-Sustainable Peace and Special Concerns Cluster said the funds from the OPAPRU were initially intended for the provision of socio-economic interventions to another set or decommissioned MILF combatants as part of the normalization track under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
“We were supposed to proceed with the fourth phase of the decommissioning process this year. However, since there were delays with the finalization of the official list of beneficiaries, the DSWD and the OPAPRU arrived at the mutual decision to return the funds allocated for the said phase to the Bureau of Treasury,” Tanjusay said in a news release Friday.
The DSWD, as part of the Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and Communities chaired by the OPAPRU, is among the agencies mandated to provide packages of assistance to decommissioned combatants (DCs) and their families in the form of cash grants, livelihood grants, and endorsement for skills training.
Tanjusay said the list of verified MILF beneficiaries is one of the requirements needed by the DSWD to be able to proceed with the provision of assistance for the reintegration process of the DCs.
However, the DSWD has not received the official list of target beneficiaries for the fourth phase from the OPAPRU.
“Eventually, we returned the funds to prevent any potential violations of audit regulations and ensure that public funds are utilized responsibly,” he explained.
With this adjustment, Tanjusay said the agency anticipates swiftly providing necessary documents and beneficiary lists for 2025 to enable seamless fund releases for the decommissioning process.
“While delays and bottlenecks may arise, the DSWD remains committed to advancing the peace process and ensuring the successful implementation of the normalization program,” the DSWD official said.
“We want to reassure everyone that the national government’s dedication to achieving lasting peace and sustainable development in BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) will not be deterred.”
Signed by the Philippine government and the MILF in 2014, the normalization track under the CAB eyes to decommission a total of 40,000 combatants in five phases.
The first to third phases have been completed, while the fourth and fifth phases aim to decommission 14,000 more MILF combatants and reintegrate them and their families into mainstream society.
