HISTORIC The integration of 102 former Moro rebels into the Philippine National Police, as mandated by a peace deal with the government, has been described as historic for the Bangsamoro region. The police recruits are shown here with Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and other police officials during their oath-taking rites at Camp SK Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte, on Aug. 10. —PRO-BARMM
PARANG, MAGUINDANAO DEL NORTE — The Philippine National Police has taken into its fold 102 former Moro guerrillas who will be deployed to maintain law and order in communities of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The new recruits took their oath as police officers in a historic ceremony at Camp Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun here on Thursday, with Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos as guest of honor.
Police Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, PNP deputy director general for administration, said of the 102, 52 were from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and 50 from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Of them, 94 are men and 8 women. They will be ranked as patrolmen and patrolwomen, and will undergo a six-month training, including the PNP’s Basic Internal Security Operations Course.
“Today is a history in the making. This is the very first oath-taking ceremony with former members of the MILF and MNLF being sworn in to become members of the PNP,” Abalos noted.
“From now on, you are wearing police uniforms, and that uniform [should] remind you of your mission to guard the vulnerable,” Abalos told the police recruits. “Be the champion of truth, and be the example of bravery and responsibility,” he added.
‘Cream of the crop’
Abalos described the first batch of Moro guerrillas who are turning a new leaf as police officers as “the cream of the crop” as they belong to the 7,145 police aspirants who passed the special qualifying exam given by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) in May last year. Some 11,033 took the exam administered in Cotabato and Lamitan Cities.
Of those who passed, 1,249 candidates were endorsed by the Bangsamoro government to undergo the process of recruitment to fill a quota of 400 for this year.
After a series of physical and mental health hurdles since June 21, such as body mass index, physical agility, neuropsychological exam, general physical and dental examination, drug test, complete background investigation, and panel interview, only 102 had made the cut.
According to BARMM Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF peace implementing panel, they recommended for intake those who have higher chances of making it into the PNP standards.
Earlier, Sermonia said the Napolcom had made adjustments in order to accommodate the former Moro guerrillas although it did not mean it had lowered the quality standard for recruitment into the police force.
Those allowed to take the qualifying exam were high school graduates and age up to 35, instead of the maximum age of 30 and completion of a college degree.
The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the charter of the BARMM, mandates the waiving of the age, height and education attainment requirements to facilitate entry of MNLF and MILF members into the police force.
In keeping with the BOL, the Napolcom has decreed that those recruited from the MNLF and MILF ranks will be given temporary appointment as patrolman/patrolwoman and also given up to 15 years from entry into service to obtain a college degree so they can comply with the educational standards of the PNP and become permanent members of the police force.
Despite these adjustments, Sermonia assured that the former Moro guerrillas will have to undergo the processes that all police officers in the country had undergone.
Utmost loyalty
The peace deal between the government and the MNLF in 1996 also provided for the integration into the Armed Forces of the Philippines of some 5,750 qualified former combatants.
Sermonia explained that the recruitment of MNLF and MILF members into the PNP took some time to kick start because they had to ensure that the process take into consideration their culture, religion and life experiences.
“We know that many of the potential recruits grow up in conflict areas hence they could have a different perspective on the matters of nationalism, security and government,” he pointed out.
Sermonia said they expected the recruits from the MNLF and MILF ranks to display utmost loyalty to the PNP once they become part of the police force.