Thousands benefit from ARMM relief mission in remote Basilan town

BASILAN --- Thousands of displaced Muslims benefited from Sunday’s government relief mission in a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf in Tipo-Tipo town which government forces took over two weeks ago.
The relief mission, dubbed People’s Day in Barangay Baguindan,” was a joint project of the office of Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the provincial government of Basilan and the Anak Mindanao Party-list.Thousands of Yakan villagers were displaced in the military’s recent offensive that forced some 300 Abu Sayyaf gunmen out of Barangay Baguindan in Tipo-Tipo, where they established a camp, mulcted money at gunpoint from hapless residents and taught them to hate non-Muslims.Hataman and his older brother, Jim, who is incumbent governor of Basilan, led volunteers in Sunday’s dispersal of individual food packs, medicines and farming inputs, to more than 7,000 internally-displaced residents.The relief operation, facilitated by ARMM’s Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Response Team, was assisted by the local government of Tipo-Tipo and by Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman and Kadil Sinolinding, Jr., the regional government’s social welfare and health secretaries, respectively.Hataman said he is thankful to military units in Basilan and the provincial police office for helping in the day-long humanitarian outreach activity in Barangay Baguindan.