Over 1,600 former MILF, MNLF rebels take PNP test

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – More than 1,600 former rebels in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are aspiring to become members of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) said the former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) took the special qualifying eligibility examination on Sunday, May 29.

If they pass the first test, the 1,617 examinees would likely be among the 11,000 former rebels who would become cops as provided under the 2014 peace agreement between the government and MILF, and the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

To facilitate the normalization process, the agreement relaxed the PNP’s age, height, and educational attainment requirements for the former rebels.

But Napolcom Commissioner Ricardo Bernabe III said the examination given on Sunday was just the first of several tests that the ex-rebels need to hurdle before they are admitted to the PNP.

The examination was held simultaneously in 11 schools in Cotabato City and in three others in Lamitan City, Basilan. – Rappler

Frencie Carreon is a Mindanao-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship.