Galvez denies 'missing' list of MILF forces

Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday denied that there was a missing list of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces.

“We would like to set the record straight that it is inaccurate to claim or allege that there is a missing list of MILF forces,” Galvez said in a statement.

“The list of decommissioned combatants is safely secured and maintained by the [Independent Decommissioning Body] and the [Department of Social Welfare and Development],” he added.

Galvez issued the statement after Leyte Representative Richard Gomez slammed the agency over the “missing” list during a recent House briefing on the state of the peace process in the Bangsamoro.

Basilan Representative Mujiv Hataman said the fatal clash between state and MILF forces on November 8 would not have happened if only the government did have a full list of the 40,000 MILF combatants that are due for decommissioning.

Galvez said the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) has a copy of the list of decommissioned MILF combatants that was prepared and vetted by the IDB, a third-party body.

According to OPAPRU, IDB is composed of international experts from Turkey, Norway, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, and the designation of competent and local experts from the Philippine government.

“The processes, protocols and mechanisms established in the decommissioning program of the MILF forces were crafted under the peace agreement to ensure integrity, professionalism and level of trust and confidence in the process,” Galvez said.

“It is a product of careful and several consultation processes with various stakeholders, taking into account the best practices from disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes from other peace processes in other countries,” he added. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA Integrated News