Mindanao Peace Process

COTABATO CITY - Three units of the 6^th Infantry Division got special awards during Wednesday’s 87^th anniversary celebration of the Armed Forces for having neutralized two major fronts of the New People’s Army in Sultan Kudarat province.

COTABATO CITY - Local executives, the security sector and Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez, Jr. are to address together the nagging security problems in Bangsamoro barangays in Cotabato province.

Galvez, Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, Bangsamoro Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo, members of the regional parliament, police and Army officials met Tuesday and agreed to cooperate in restoring law and order in troubled areas in Cotabato’s Pikit and Aleosan towns.

COTABATO CITY --- The military is expecting the surrender in 2023 of no fewer than a hundred more New People’s Army guerillas from across central Mindanao.

Commanders of brigades and battalions under the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division said Tuesday they have been receiving surrender feelers since last week from NPAs in South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat provinces, for them an indication that more from the group are to return to the fold of law soon.

The Department of Agriculture sets its role in the Government Peace Implementing Panel in transforming erstwhile camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) into production hub.

Agriculture Undersecretary Zam Ampatuan CESO I said strategies to achieve this goal have been drawn and were discussed in an interagency meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City on December 14, 2022.

DAVAO CITY – First under the Marcos Jr administration, members of the national and Bangsamoro governments gathered here Thursday for the 12th meeting of the Inter-Governmental Relations Body of the Bangsamoro Government and National Government where issues and concerns between the two governments were discussed and resolved.

It aims to strengthen collaborative efforts on how to move the Bangsamoro peace process forward as the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) convened, its first under the Marcos administration.

MANILA – Beyond beliefs, culture, and even religion, the celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace should be a goal for every Filipino, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said Thursday as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) joined the nation in the observance of the 25th celebration of the event.

“The week-long celebration is a reminder for all Filipinos – regardless of one’s status in life, religion, or culture – should always strive to achieve lasting peace, unity, and harmony,” Estrella said in a statement.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao del Norte – Tatlong mga miyembro ng Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters – Karialan Faction ang sumuko sa tropa ng pamahalaan sa Brgy. Zapakan, Radjah Buayan, Maguindanao hapon nitong Miyerkules (Nobyembre 16).

Bitbit ang kanilang mga armas ay sumuko sa tropa ng 33rd Infantry (Makabayan) Battalion ang tatlong mga BIFF sa tulong na rin ng barangay opisyal sa lugar at ng pamahalaang lokal ng Radjah Buayan.

Kabilang sa mga baril na kanilang isinuko ay ang isang Garand Rifle at dalawang Carbine Rifle.

COTABATO CITY  - Security officials support the efforts of the Bangsamoro government to resolve the nagging security woes in Pikit, Cotabato where 34 people perished in gun attacks in the past 21 months.

No fewer than 10 people have also been killed in clashes between heavily armed groups in Pikit since 2020.

GENERAL CITY - Fifteen members of the New People’s Army, six of them from a group extorting “protection money” from traders, surrendered Wednesday.

They pledged allegiance to the government, before Brig Gen. Jamili Macaraeg of the Police Regional Office-12 and local executives, during a surrender rite held at the PRO-12 headquarters in Barangay Tambler here.

Six of the 15 NPAs confessed to their participation in the collection of monthly “protection money” from traders.

COTABATO CITY --- Thirteen more members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, five of them experts in fabrication of home-made bombs, pledged allegiance to the government Wednesday.

The 13 BIFF terrorists from Midsayap in  Cotabato province and Maguindanao’s Datu Salibo, Datu Unsay and Mamasapano towns yielded through the intercession of local executives and officials of the Army’s 1^st Brigade Combat Team and the 6^th Infantry Division.