DAVAO CITY — Vowing to defend the republic against its enemies, some 294 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) have pledged their allegance to protect the government during the official oath taking and acceptance ceremony On Wednesday, December 28, at PRO BAR Grandstand, Camp BGen Salipada K Pendatun, Parang, Maguindanao del Norte.
As the marching band played, parents were teary-eyed watching the transformation of their children from a combatant turned a member of the Philippine National Police.
Clad in full camouflage uniform, a great sense of pride was written on the faces of the new PNP memebrs.
PBBM’s commitment to Bangsamoro peace process
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr., who is also chair of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), underscored the significance of the occasion among the hundreds of spectators gathered here at the grounds of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) Headquarters.
“Sa pangunguna ng ating mahal na Pangulong [Ferdinand] Bongbong Marcos [Jr], we remained to be steadfast dito sa [Bangsamoro] peace process. Dito ninyo makikita ang sinseridad, ang kabaitan ng ating Pangulo, ng ating gobyerno,” Abalos said.
He emphasized that the NAPOLCOM recruitment process was transparent, stringent and most of all, fair, wherein the successful MILF and MNLF candidates made it based on their “own merits.”
“Walang pwedeng magsabi na ito ay palakasan. Walang pwedeng magsabi na ito ay binayaran. We made sure na hindi ganoon. Lahat kayo ay pinagpaguran niyo ito through [your own] merits,” Abalos said.
The DILG chief likewise called on the latest PNP recruits to never give up and remain strong amidst the challenges they will be facing as they undergo training and prepare for deployment in the BARMM.
“You will be training physically, and mentally to become instruments of peace. Undeniably, you will face challenges, hardship, struggles. At the end of this road, there is a triumph. Kung merong bagyo, merong araw. Kung may kadiliman, merong kalinawan,” Abalos said.
Pledge of commitment
For his part, BARMM Deputy Senior Minister Abdullah Cusain, who represented Interim Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, commended the new PNP recruits, as he urged them to become the best public servants and “exemplify the very best of duty, service, honor and justice.”
“This ceremony is indicative that the peace process that we have all worked so hard is working and is forging a new path [for] peace, progress and development in the Bangsamoro and in the entire county,” Cusain said.
“As one of the byproducts of the Bangsamoro peace process, we look forward to seeing new members of the MILF and MNLF as part of the uniformed personnel,” he pointed out.
“The oath that you took today as full-fledged members of the armed national police force of the country serves as a pledge of commitment and a symbol of your dedication to the common good, and to serve and protect every Bangsamoro and Filipino,” Cusain said.
PNP recruitment process
Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the NAPOLCOM issued Resolution No. 2022-0081, “Prescribing NAPOLCOM Special Qualifying Eligibility (NSQE) as Appropriate Eligibility for Temporary Appointment to the Rank of Patrolman/Patrolwoman in the PNP for Members of the MILF and MNLF.”
Following the issuance of said NAPOLCOM resolution, 11,062 individuals registered for the NSQE examination that was held on May 29, 2022. A total of 7,145 applicants, composed of 2,183 MNLF and 4,962 MILF members, passed the exam.
Out of the 400 slots allocated for PRO-BAR police personnel, only 102 applicants made it to the final stages of the NAPOLCOM screening process, and eventually took their oath as PNP patrolmen and patrolwomen on August 10, 2023 as the first batch.
To fill the quota of 400 slots, the PNP and NAPOLCOM decided to re-open the recruitment process to give way to qualified MILF and MNLF members who wish to join the ranks of the PNP.
The 294 MILF and MNLF who took their office on Thursday, including 39 women, is the second batch of PNP recruits who passed the NSQE, as well as the rigorous screening process which included a body mass index test, physical agility test, as well as psychological physical and dental examinations.
Full circle
Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Sec. Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. noted the importance of the event, as he highlighted how the MILF and MNLF members have made the complete transition to peacekeepers.
“As the pioneering batch of MILF and MNLF members who will be joining the ranks of the PNP as full-pledged police officers, you are all trailblazers within your respective organizations. You have paved the way for your other comrades who wish to follow in your footsteps in the future,” Galvez said.
“As you now don the uniform of the PNP, we can say that you have come full cycle. from being former combatants, you first made the transition as peaceful and productive civilians, and now have finally entered the country’s police organization as bonafide members,” he added.
Galvez said the integration of MILF and MNLF members into the PNP has given a major boost to the Bangsamoro peace process, pointing out that the recruitment process “is a testament that the foundations of peace have been laid and are now firmly taking root.”
“This ceremony symbolizes the government of the Philippines, MILF and MNLF’s steadfast determination to pushing forward, building on and sustaining the gains of peace in the Bangsamoro,” he said.-PR
