Lorenzana says not keen on separate army for Bangsamoro region
After President Rodrigo Duterte declared he was inclined to let the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have its own armed forces, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has clarified that the law allows the existence of only one military.
Over the weekend, Lorenzana said what President Rodrigo Duterte could have meant when he floated the idea in a speech last week was the BARMM could have its own military is that under the supervision of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“I think that subject matter has been discussed before but the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) does not allow it,” he told reporters, referring to the law that created BARMM.
“I believe what the president wants is for the BARMM to have its own armed forces supervised and controlled by the AFP. Our law only allows the existence of one armed force,” Lorenzana added.
Duterte said he would allow
BARMM to have its own armed forces and police “to kill the terrorists,” and not to use them against the government.
Lt Gen. Gilbert Gapay, Army commanding general, met with BARMM chief Minister Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim to reaffirm the Army’s commitment in supporting the decommissioning.
To facilitate the decommissioning, the Army is training joint peace and security teams. Each will have 30 members — 15 from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), eight from the Philippine National Police and seven from the Army.
The teams will also oversee the transformation of the MILF’s former areas and major camps into economic hubs, Gapay said.