Mindanao Peace Process

COTABATO CITY - Former bitter enemies, one fighting for Moro cause and the other for national sovereignty, were together in Thursday’s symbolic commemoration here of the 69^th founding anniversary of the Philippine Marine Corps.

The chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Hadji Murad Ebrahim, who is figurehead of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, was guest of honor in the event led by Brig. Gen. Eugenio Hernandez, commander of the 1^st Marine Brigade.

COTABATO CITY --- Officials of the Western Mindanao Command and 39 reforming former Abu Sayyaf bandits from Basilan had a historic “boodle fight” lunch Tuesday, first ever in WestMinCom’s history.

The traditional military boodle fight banquet was held at WestMinCom’s Headquarters in Zamboanga City.

The activity was organized by Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejena, commander of WestMinCom, and senior members of his staff core.

MAGUINDANAO --- There is a town in this province whose residents, the police and Army had cleared from Islamic State-inspired militants through concerted security efforts never ever initiated before.

Rajah Buayan Mayor Zamzamin Ampatuan reported during a security conference here Thursday that credit for the feat has to go to his constituents ---displaced many times over in previous years by incursions by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters --- for having pooled their efforts together to stop members of the group from roaming around their barangays.

ZAMBOANGA CITY - The WestMinCom’s campaign against violent extremism reaps good results as more terrorists yield to the government forces in its area of operation.

The most recent is the surrender of 3 Abu Sayyaf Group members under ASG sub-leader Nur Hassan in Basilan, Saturday.

Khadaffy Kalitut, 17th in the PSR list; Aliman Langkasan; and Jiyad Arabin, yielded to the troops of the 18th Infantry Battalion in Route Perez, Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan Province.

LANAO DEL SUR --- The Western Mindanao Command is confident it can soon defeat the now dwindling militant groups spreading violent extremism in far-flung areas in this province.  

“We are in fact anticipating the return to the fold of law of more misguided religious extremists from across Lanao del Sur soon," Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana of WestMinCom said Friday.

MAGUINDANAO --- Fourteen more Islamic State-inspired militants from interior towns in this province surrendered to the Philippine Army Monday.

The 14 members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters yielded to the Army’s 601^st Brigade through the intercession of its component-unit, the 33^rd Infantry Battalion.

The group, operating in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, is blamed for all bombings in central Mindanao since 2010.

COTABATO CITY --- President Rodrigo Duterte today promised to usher to mainstream society the decommissioned members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The president was in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao today to lead the decommissioning of 1,060 MILF fighters as part of the effort to restore normalcy in five provinces of the Bangsamoro region, locked in a secessionist conflict since the late 1960s.

He told the decommissioned MILF guerillas the government will do its best to hasten their return to mainstream communities.

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Military and local leaders facilitated the settlement of a 47-year feud among residents of Tipo-Tipo, barka, and Lamitan City in Basilan this morning, August 22.

The longstanding conflict among residents of Barangays Bohe Tambak, Bohe Lebbung, Bohe Baca of Tipo-Tipo and Barangays Cambug, Kailih of Albarka and Parang Basak of Lamitan City crippled the delivery of basic government services and the economy and education in said barangays.

BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi – Military officials in Western Mindanao and in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have asked local leaders to take the lead in the drive for sustainable peace and development in their communities.

Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, chief of Western Mindanao Command, on Sunday flew to Mapun, an island municipality in the Sulu Sea and situated on the south-western extreme of the Philippines. It is located very close to Sabah, Malaysia (6 hours by boat).

KIDAPAWAN CITY  – Former communist rebels in Arakan, North Cotabato can now live normal and productive lives with the skills they earned from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The 53 former New Peoples’ Army (NPA) rebels graduated from Mobile Training that TESDA-12 had conducted. It was held in Barangay Tumanding, Arakan, North Cotabato.