By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Some 760 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) have applied for positions in the Philippine National Police, marking another step in the government’s effort to translate the Bangsamoro peace process into concrete reintegration opportunities.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru) said Friday that the applicants are seeking to enter the police service under a recruitment mechanism established for qualified MILF and MNLF members.
Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento met with the applicants Thursday during his visit to the Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region at Camp BGen Salipada K. Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte.
Sarmiento, who heads the government’s peace implementing panel, said the development demonstrates that government commitments under the peace process are being carried out.
Sarmiento described the program as part of the continuing transformation of former combatants, allowing them to move from armed struggle into formal government service.
“This is a testament that the government delivers on its commitments to ensure the continued transformation of the members of the MILF and MNLF under the Bangsamoro peace process,” he said.
He characterized the transition as a concrete peace dividend for Bangsamoro communities.
The recruitment initiative was launched in 2022 under Article 11 of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which provides a special eligibility framework for qualified former MILF and MNLF members seeking temporary appointments in the PNP.
Those who meet the requirements may be appointed to the rank of patrolman or patrolwoman.
The government and the Bangsamoro administration adopted National Police Commission Resolution No. 2025-0461 last year, allowing qualified MILF and MNLF members to continue applying to the police force until June 8, 2027.
The program forms part of the broader normalization and reintegration efforts associated with the Bangsamoro peace process.
For former combatants who qualify, entry into the PNP provides an opportunity to take on a new role as law enforcers and public servants within the communities they once served through armed organizations.
Sarmiento’s meeting with the applicants was also attended by senior police officials from the Bangsamoro region.
Among those present were Police Brig. Gen. Christopher Abecia, regional director of the Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, and Police Brig. Gen. Jemuel Siason, deputy regional director for administration and chairperson of the Recruitment Selection Committee.
Opapru Undersecretary Noel Alvarez Baraceros of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Bangsamoro Transformation also accompanied Sarmiento.
The government sees the recruitment program as part of the long-term effort to make the peace process meaningful on the ground—by giving former combatants a pathway from conflict to employment, public service and community security.
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