By Atty Lanang Ali

DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration)

The most dangerous proposal in the peace process, between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), was the 3-page government policy statement read by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita during a Malacanang Press Conference, announcing President Arroyo’s new paradigm on the peace process. Supposedly, this new paradigm was aimed to end all armed rebellion in the country. No revolutionary organization can consider DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) without reaching first a peace agreement with the Philippine government. At the first look it’s seemingly too ambitious if not impossible to realize its objective because it considers any engagement with all armed groups in the country, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), from here on will focus on DDR. What makes DDR impossible to achieve during this time is the fact that so far the GRP has not reached a peace agreement with the National Democratic Front (NDF) and the MILF.


The Parties are fully aware that DDR is a part of the peace process which the MILF does not dispute. There is the necessity of DDR, but not a priority because DDR should be agreed by the Parties at the proper time to signal the end of the conflict as there is no more need of these firearms because a peace settlement of the conflict has been reached. But to discuss DDR when a peace agreement has not been reached is dangerous as it serve no purpose at all, because by so doing you’re practically telling the armed MILF or NDF to surrender or to give up the armed struggle to end all armed rebellion in Mindanao. In other words the GRP should not talk about DDR but rather sign a peace agreement with the MILF to end the conflict as it has chosen to abscond from initialing the MOA-AD, and eventually abandoned the peace process. After you’re giving them the signal to continue fighting, the GRP is telling the MILF to talk about DDR. It is really a dangerous proposal because Malacanang now becomes actually an obstacle to the peace process, telling the MILF to continue fighting besides DDR becomes an impossible dream for the GRP to realize.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has allegedly said that “DDR is about the people and telling armed groups to give up armed struggle. Change shall be defined primarily by the people and the government.� Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita continued to say the policy for all armed groups is not just in the negotiations with the MILF but with “all the other existing peace efforts with other armed groups.� To be honest to the people, Malacanang should be asked, is there other Moro armed groups negotiating with the GRP? Everybody knows that only MILF. The MNLF had already the 1996 Peace Accord with the GRP. Malacanang is barking at the wrong tree. For the GRP to review all existing peace efforts with the MILF, agreed procedures of GRP-MILF Peace Talks must be followed. The proponent for review must formally inform the Malaysian Secretariat of the GRP-MILF Peace Talks of its proposal for review of MOA-AD. The proposals for review must not be under the guise of review, when in truth and in fact a renegotiation of the MOA-AD.

The discussion of DDR presupposes that the Parties to the negotiation have already reached a peace agreement so that the Parties by then have to negotiate for the details of DDR. Following the normal procedure, the DDR has to be placed on the agenda for discussion of the Parties. As far as the MILF is concerned, the GRP cannot make unilaterally any agenda or policy for MILF to follow. Though due to its expertise in many fields of human endeavor, the GRP may suggest or propose to the MILF for study, but never to impose anything for compliance. Let be reiterated that when the MILF entered into the GRP-MILF Peace Talks, both Parties were of equal footing when the GRP and the MILF signed on August 27, 1998 the General Framework of Agreement of Intent Between the GRP and the MILF and signed on December 17, 1999, the Agreement on the Rules and Procedures on the Conduct of the Formal Peace Talks Between the GRP and MILF Peace Panels and the Government of
Malaysia as Facilitator.

Such being the case, neither the GRP nor the MILF can unilaterally call for a DDR and implement it even after a peace agreement is reached by the Parties unless the details of the DDR are negotiated and agreed upon by the Parties. Moreover, it would be a blunder on the part of the GRP to consider at this point in time that DDR is about the people and government telling armed groups to give up armed struggle. Let it be understood well that only the MILF, not the people has engaged the GRP in active rebellion. It follows that only MILF, not the people, must be an active party in the DDR. In the first place, the people have no firearms as subject of the DDR; secondly, they did not rebel against the government; moreover, in view of the peace agreement that may be reached by the parties, it can even be said that the people are then in good terms with the MILF.