Cotabato City (March 30, 2020)—Mohalidin Latip was nostalgic as he recalled how he and his troop camped in the jungle, dauntlessly waiting for a possible encounter with the military.
He was only 20 years old when he joined the Bangsamoro’s struggle for self-determination and autonomy over ancestral lands in Mindanao.
For Latip, being a combatant of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was his ‘jihad’ to protect and defend the Moro land and its people at all cost.
Fearless as he may seem, Latip is vulnerable to the pain of being away with his loved ones, uncertain when they will meet again.
“Pag nasa bundok kami, maraming bumabagabag na tanong: Ano na kaya ang nangyayari sa pamilya namin? Kamusta na kaya sila? Nakauwi ba ng maayos?” he worried.
Latip had never thought his worries will come to an end.
All of these questions, he said, had been answered following the successful peace agreement between the MILF and the Philippine Government.
Latip, now aged 49, had never been happy and at ease as he is now, having to spend his precious time with his beloved family.
“Napakalaking pagbabago ay iyong makasama mo ang pamilya mo buong araw,” Latip said with glee.
“Yung asawa ko ay single mother kung maituring noon, pero ngayon ay may katuwang na,” he added, noting how hard it was for his wife to stand as the head of their family in his absence.
Latip was one of the 12,000 MILF – Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) combatants who underwent the second phase of the decommissioning process, which began in August 29, 2019 and ended this month.
The decommissioning of the MILF combatants is one of the key provisions of the Annex on Normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed by the MILF and the Philippine Government in 2014.
57 year-old Ibrahim Abdillah, also a decommissioned MILF, shares the same sentiments with Latip.
Having been a combatant for 30 years, nothing makes Abdillah happier now than being close with his family, especially with his grandchildren.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa Bangsamoro Government at sa Philippine Government dahil kung hindi po dahil sa kanila ay di po kami makakaranas ng ganitong buhay, na araw-araw ay nakakapiling namin ang aming pamilya,” Abdillah said.
“Hindi katulad noon na combatant pa kami ay palaging wala sa bahay, laging nasa duty. Di maiwasang mag-alala na walang naiwan sa pamilya mo tapos nasa bakbakan ka,” he said.
Each of the decommissioned combatants received P100,000 cash assistance from the government.
Latip used the money to start a small business with his family while Abdillah used them to buy livestocks.
“Ang natanggap kong (pera) ay ibinili ko ng mga baka dahil ako ay isang farmer. Yun ang aking skill – ang pagsasaka,” Abdillah said proudly, now that he is a productive member of the society.
These former combatants’ lives were drastically affected by the long history of the Bangsamoro struggle. But now, a promising future awaits not only for them, but also for their children and generations to come.
The decommissioned MILF-BIAF combatants continue to fulfill their commitment in achieving long lasting peace in Mindanao.
To date, a number of former combatants now serve in the Joint Peace and Security Team, alongside members of Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), after graduating a month-long basic military training.
Moreover, some of them were hired by the Bangsamoro Government as ‘palaw’ rangers to secure and protect mountains and forests in the Bangsamoro region.
While Latip and Abdillah live the best of their civilian lives, they have an appeal to the Philippine Government.
“Kami po ay umaapila sa mahal na Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na sana po ay lubusan na pong ibigay kung ano man iyong napagkasunduan noong decommissioning, at nang sa ganun ay lubusan na pong mabago ang pamumuhay namin,” said Latip.
Aside from the P100,000 cash, the government also promised a health, housing, and social package worth P950,000 to every decommissioned combatant to help them further improve their lives.
Yesterday, March 29, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) marked its first year anniversary. For Latip and Abdilllah, it was their pleasure to be of service in achieving the peace, freedom, and the bureaucracy the Bangsamoro people are enjoying today. (Bureau of Public Information)
