BANGSAMORO NEWS UPDATES

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- A peace advocate and professor of the Mindanao State University (MSU) here was killed while his wife was wounded in a shooting along the national highway on Tuesday afternoon.

Col. Aden Lagradante, city police director, said Wednesday the car being driven by Prof. Mohamad Taha Abdulgapor, with his wife Salimah as passenger, was waylaid by two persons on a motorcycle at a portion of the highway in Barangay Apopong at past 5 p.m.

COTABATO CITY --- The Basilan provincial government has an efficient process in handling of residents returning from regions outside and from abroad while the country is beset with a COVID-19 problem.

This was witnessed by Basilan’s local communities three days ago, when the office of Gov. Jim Salliman, through personnel of the provincial health office, the Basilan Integrated Provincial Health Office and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council screened efficiently three residents who have just arrived from abroad where they are employed as contract workers.

COTABATO CITY  – A dozen Maguindanao students "rescued" by the provinciqal government from Cebu through its “Balik Probinsya Program” were tested positive to coronavirus, health officials said.

Dr. Elizabeth Samama, chief of Maguindanao Provincial Hospital, confirmed that 11 new cases were confirmed to have the virus after confirmatory test conducted in Cotabato City.

Of the 16 persons sent home from Cebu City, one have tested positive of the virus upon arrival last week. Eleven were suspected of having the virus too because of their association with the first patient.

MAGUINDANAO --- The Western Mindanao Command shall support an impartial investigation on Sunday’s four mortar blasts in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town that killed two children and injured 14 others.

Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of WestMinCom, said Tuesday only a deep and impartial probe can put closure to the incident.

“That is something we shall welcome,” Sobejana told reporters Tuesday.

The WestMinCom has jurisdiction over the 6^th Infantry Division that covers Maguindanao province where the municipality of Datu Saudi Ampatuan is located.

COTABATO CITY  – The father of a two girls who died when a mortar landed in their home on Sunday has been crying for justice.

Speaking to reporters, Said Tambak, father of Aslamiya, 10 and Asnaida, 7, said only justice can appease him and his family.

“Hinihiling ko ang hustisya sa pamilya ko, gusto ko lumabas ang totoo, sana magawan ng paraan ang nangyari sa pamilya ko, gusto ko makamit ang hustisya (I want justice for my family, I want the truth),” Tambak said in between sobs.

COTABATO CITY - Minister Naguib Sinarimbo of the Bangsamoro region Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG-BARMM) has condemned the mortar shelling in Datu SAudi Ampatuan, that interrupted the Eid'l Fitr celebration and death of two innocent minors on Sunday.

MAGUINDANAO --- Soldiers killed Friday a suspect in the fatal ambush Tuesday of a companion from a six-hour coronavirus quarantine checkpoint duty in Radjah Buayan town. 

Sainudin Nilong of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters died on the spot from bullet wounds sustained in a brief clash with personnel of the Army’s 33^rd Infantry Battalion dispatched to check on his reported presence in Barangay Tabungao in Radjah Buayan, Maguindanao.

COTABATO CITY --- A Islamic policy group and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos have separately asked Muslims not to converge outdoor for the Eid’l Fit’r rites to cap off the culmination of Ramadhan to prevent exposure to the deadly coronavirus.

Malacañang has declared May 25 as a non-working Eid’l Fit’r holiday, but Muslims in the country are likely to end the Ramadhan either on May 23 or 24, depending on the sighting of the new moon according to the lunar-based Islamic Hijrah calendar.

EID'L FITR WILL BE ON SUNDAY, MAY 24!!! NCMF-BUREAU OF MUSLIM CULTURAL AFFAIRS ANNOUNCES: NO MOON SIGHTED TONIGHT

MAY 22 | The NCMF-Bureau of Muslim Cultural Affairs, headed by Director Laman Piang, in cooperation with all the NCMF regional and field offices' committees, held the moonsighting activity tonight in multiple locations nationwide.

Due to the inclement weather, no moon was sighted. Therefore, Eid'l Fitr will be on May 24, Sunday.

Likewise, the BARMM has announced through the Darul Ifta that Eid'l Fitr is on May 24.