Mamasapano holds joint meeting of MPOC, MADAC

Mayor Tahirodin Benzar Ampatuan 

MAMASAPANO, Maguindanao --- This municipal government conducted last September  27 its Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC) and Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council meetings at the Sangguniang Bayan session hall.

Mayor Tahirodin Benzar Ampatuan led the meeting with the presence of municipal and barangay officials together with 40th Infantry Battalion Commander Col. Edgar Catu, Chief of Police Senior Inspector Regie Abellera, and representatives from the Municipal Health Office (MHO), Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), and Department of Education (DepEd).

“We are happy to announce that our town has listed a low crime volume. We have only listed some cases of rido and we all know there is the presence of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters,” the mayor said.

In an interview, Col. Catu, who reported the status of peace and security, said that most barangays in the town are generally peaceful.

“With the recent explosion in Datu Odin Sinsuat, we are strengthening the security in the area. Base on the report from the barangays, Mamasapano is generally peaceful, although we are closely looking at the interior barangays with marshy areas,”  Catu said.

Senior Inspector Abellera reported the update of the local government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

The barangay officials also reported the status of peace and order as well as the situation and campaign against illegal drugs. The MHO, MSWDO, and DepEd also delivered their report.

Mayor Ampatuan said the MADAC is pushing for the drug testing of drug surrenderees.

“Those barangays with drug surrenderees who will turn out negative after the drug testing will be pushed to be ‘drug-cleared.’ Based on our list, there are around 150 drug surrenderees in the town. While majority of them are still in the area, some went abroad and others have changed location,” Mayor Ampatuan said.

Mamasapano is politically subdivided into 15 barangays: Bagumbong, Dabenayan, Daladap, Dasikil, Liab, Libutan, Lusay, Mamasapano, Manongkaling, Matias, Pidsandawan, Pimbalakan, Sapakan, Tuka, and Tukanalipao. (GILMHAR A. LAO & ANNE ACOSTA - MINDANAO EXPOSE’)