102 former Moro rebels take oath as PNP patrolmen

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Former Mindanao secessionist guerrilla Abdullah Lumambas took his oath on Thursday, August 10, as a patrolman in the Philippine National Police (PNP), in historic rites at the Bangsamoro region’s police headquarters in Camp Salipada K. Pendatun, Parang town, Maguindanao del Norte.

“It feels good that what was promised to us is finally a reality,” a visibly excited Lumambas said when asked by journalists how he felt about becoming a law enforcer from being a rebel who once fought the government.

Lumambas is among the 102 former rebels – 52 from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and 50 from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) – who qualified during the 2023 police recruitment, as provided in the peace agreement of the MILF and the government.

Abdulradzak Anao, a former MILF combatant whose son passed the qualifying examination, said it was a wish granted for his son to become a policeman. His son also used to be an MILF rebel.

The new patrolmen will immediately begin a six-month PNP training.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, who led the mass oath-taking of the recruits, called the first batch of 102 Bangsamoro police recruits the “best of the best.”

The new policemen are among the 11,000 former rebels who took the qualifying examination conducted by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) on May 29, last year.

Abalos said the government has committed to producing 400 new policemen in 2023 from the ranks of the MILF and MNLF, but only 102 initially qualified.

“We will try to review the numbers and see what can be done,” Abalos said.

He said they were pressed for time to recruit the 400 personnel that the government has committed to having by year-end.

The PNP-BARMM said those who did not make it may come to its regional headquarters to receive instructions on what they need to do. – Rappler.com