5,060 former Moro rebels in the Philippines eyed to join police force

COTABATO CITY, PHILIPPINES (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are preparing to mainstream former Moro rebels into the Philippine National Police.

Three years into the transition period, the move is to fulfil part of the promise of the Mindanao peace process, officials said on Monday (April 11).

Interim Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said the region had entered into an agreement with the National Police Commission for the conduct of the Special Qualifying Eligibility Examination for the members of the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) planning to enter the police force.

Those who pass the exams would be granted an eligibility for temporary appointment as patrolman or patrolwoman of the Philippine National Police.

"We are happy that we are finally taking the first step into making this provision a reality," Mr Ebrahim said on Monday.

Mr Ebrahim, who is also the MILF chairman, said he had signed a memorandum of agreement with National Police Commission Vice-Chairman and Executive Officer Alberto Bernardo as the first step towards normalisation.

The Special Qualifying Eligibility Examination will take place in the cities of Cotabato and Zamboanga on May 29.

Under the memorandum of agreement, 5,060 successful examinees will be granted an eligibility for temporary appointment as patrolman or patrolwoman of the national police force.

Mr Mohagher Iqbal, MILF co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Relations Body technical working group, said the body had earlier agreed on the 5,060 as the initial number of former MILF and MNLF combatants to enter the police force.

More former MILF and MNLF fighters were expected to apply for entry into the national police force as the number of Moro rebels who laid down their arms as part of the peace process in the Bangsamoro during the first phase of the decommissioning already involved some 12,000 combatants.

"Whoever will pass the qualifying examinations will be approved for the training. It's just like the regular training for hiring in the police force, except that this one is special because it will waive the height, age and education requirement," Mr Iqbal said.

"Once they complete the training, they will automatically be regular members of the police force," he said, referring to the former combatants.

Mr Ebrahim said he created an ad hoc office headed by Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao's Senior Minister Abdulraof Macacua to provide administrative support for former combatants to comply with the application process set by the National Police Commission.

Mr Macacua said the MILF and MNLF would be working together to come up with a list of the qualified members who could avail of the mainstreaming programme.

"At a personal level, the lives of the 5,060 individuals and their families can change for the better as they benefit from a stable career in the police service," Mr Bernardo said.

"They will undergo rigorous training to broaden their minds, sharpen their skills and deepen their value to become professionals. Ultimately, Filipinos win every time former combatants are mainstreamed into our society," he said.

"The Filipino nation wins every time the conflict is resolved and transformed into just and lasting peace."