Cops help repair Datu Piang church damaged by BIFF attack

COMMUNITY SERVICE. Policemen in Datu Piang, Maguindanao helped repair and clean the Sta. Teresita parish church on Wednesday, December 9,  after it sustained bullet holes during the BIFF terror attack on December 3. Fr. Prudencio Alviar, OMI, (inset, center in white shirt) the parish priest, who is celebrating his 63rd birthday on the same day, said his “well-wishers” were the police officers who helped him restore the place of worship. (PHOTO COURTESY OF PRO-BARMM, MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

DATU PIANG, Maguindanao – Local police here on Wednesday, December 9, helped the parish priest renovate the Catholic church hit by stray bullets during a terror attack. 

Brig. Gen. Samuel Rodriguez, police director for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), said members of the Datu Piang municipal police, backed by the Police Special Action Force (SAF), helped Fr. Prudencio Alviar, parish priest of Sta. Teresita Church, repair the damaged glass windows and clean the parish compound.

Fr. Alviar was elated with the gesture, especially since he was celebrating his 63rd birthday. He called the policemen his “special guests” and human resources in restoring the partly-damaged church.

“Help the people of Datu Piang, help places of worship, and make everyone feel they are safe,” Rodriguez told the Datu Piang police, now under Major Alexander Butuan, the new town police chief.

About 50 gunmen of the extremist Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) attacked the town center shortly before midnight on December 3, trading shots with lawmen and setting a police car on fire.

BWC culminates 18-day campaign against VAW

                                                            BWC Chairperson Bainon Karon 

 COTABATO CITY – With high hopes for a VAW-free region, Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) culminated its successful 18-day campaign to end violence against women (VAW) on Friday, December 11, in Cotabato City. 

The 18-day campaign aimed to protect women and their human rights from any form of physical, emotional and sexual violence.

During the culmination activity, BWC Chairperson Bainon Karon presented the status of the commission’s efforts to formulate programs on gender, women, peace and security.

Karon noted that the drafting of Gender and Development (GAD) Code, which is now on its final consolidation stage, will soon be presented to Chief Minister Ahod ‘Al Haj Murad’ Ebrahim, the cabinet, and caucus of women MPs.

BARMM okays P14-M internet investment

 Lawyer Ishak Mastura, chairman of the Regional Board of Investments – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF RBOI-BARMM, MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

COTABATO CITY – The Regional Board of Investments in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (RBOI-BARMM) has approved the registration of Community Wireless and Power Corporation (CWPC), a community internet service provider, to operate in the region. 

In a statement on Thursday, December 10, the RBOI-BARMM said the P14-million worth of investment will initially serve the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao.

“The town of Wao in Lanao del Sur will be its first project site,” RBOI chair Ishak Mastura said.

Balabagan inaugurates newly-established municipal hall

 Façade of the newly-established and inaugurated municipal hall of Balabagan, Lanao del Sur.

BALABAGAN, Lanao del Sur – This local government under the leadership of Mayor Edna V. Ogka-Benito, DMD, inaugurated the newly-constructed two-storey municipal hall executive building situated along the old town hall building on Thursday, December 3. 

The inauguration ceremony was led by Mayor Edna V. Ogka-Benito, DMD, with the presence of Sec. Emmanuel “Manny” F. Piñol, chairman of Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and Mr. Emmanuel G. Herbosa, president and CEO of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

Mayor Edna V. Ogka Benito expressed her thankfulness to all the people behind the successes obtained by the said municipality.

OCM teams up with EU for organizational capacity building

 SUBATRA Core Governance Expert Rommert Folkertsma presents the OCM Development Plan to Assistant Executive Secretary Abdullah Cusain and the rest of OCM service directors and division heads.

COTABATO CITY – Service directors and division chiefs of the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) participated in a three-day Development Plan working group assembly with the European Union (EU) from December 7 to 10, this city. 

OCM and EU partnership is through the latter's Support to Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA) program, which aims to improve the structuring, organization, and processes of the OCM being the executive branch of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

BARMM's Assistant Executive Secretary Abdullah Cusain said, “this SUBATRA project, as one of its components is aimed towards improving governance in the OCM since this office exercises control and supervision over the rest of the Bangsamoro government. We want to improve our competence, capabilities and even work ethics."

7 suspected BIFF gunmen nabbed in Maguindanao

 SEIZED. The firearms confiscated from seven alleged members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao on Tuesday, December 8. Those arrested initially introduced themselves as members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front 105th base command when accosted but failed to present identification documents associating themselves with the MILF organization. (PHOTOS COURTESY OF 6ID, MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – Seven suspected combatants of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were arrested in Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao on Tuesday, December 8, the military here reported Wednesday (December 9).  

Lt. Col. Rogelio Gabi, Army’s 40th Infantry Battalion commander, said that the seven BIFF men were nabbed on Tuesday afternoon in Sitio Barugot, Barangay Mother Tuayan, Datu Hoffer, after posing as members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) 105th base command.

“However, when asked for proper identification, the armed group could not present any identification card or papers associating them with the MILF,” Gabi said, prompting Army troopers to arrest the seven and confiscate their firearms.

Seized from the group were two M1 Garand rifles, an M14 rifle, an M4 rifle, and ammunition.

6ID lauds BARMM reform programs for former BIFF combatants

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – The 6th Infantry Kampilan Division lauded the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in its provision of skills and development training to the former Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) combatants.

Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of 6ID and Joint Task Force Central, expressed gratefulness to the BARMM in his message conveyed by Col. Jovencio Gonzales, assistant division commander for Reservist and Retirees Affairs, during the commencement program of the Skills Development Training for Former Combatants on December 4, held at Darul Aman Convention Hall in Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. 

“Activities like these were made to ensure that our brothers are given a chance to achieve renewed lives in the civic areas,” Col. Gonzales said.

1 killed, 4 arrested in Maguindanao drug bust

 BUSTED. Four drug suspects hide their faces as PDEA agents account for the P102,000 worth of shabu items seized at the drug den they are operating in SPDA Village, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. The PDEA operation on Wednesday night, December 9, 2020, also resulted in the killing of principal target Angkino Mamalangkas who attempted to lob a grenade towards the law enforcers. (PHOTO COURTESY OF PDEA-BARMM, MINDANAO EXPOSE’) 

 COTABATO CITY – A drug suspect was killed while four others were arrested following a drug buy-bust operation that yielded some P102,000 worth of suspected shabu in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao on Wednesday night, December 9.

Juvenal Azurin, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM) identified the slain suspect as Angkino Mamalangkas, of SPDA Village, Barangay Semba in the municipality.

Soldier, militiaman hurt in Maguindanao grenade attack

COTABATO CITY – A soldier and militiaman survived a rifle grenade attack by suspected Daesh-inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao on Wednesday dawn, December 2, the Army here said.

Lt. Colonel Anhouvic Atilano, speaking for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said that Sgt. Randy Guleng of the Army’s 1st Mechanized Brigade and Marek Sangcopan, a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit, were manning a checkpoint in Barangay Labu-Labu, Shariff Aguak, when two rifle grenades landed near them.

“One of the rifle grenades landed in one of the shanties inside the fenced para-military detachment,” Atilano said, adding that the explosive projectiles were fired from a distance.

Atilano said the two sustained minor injuries and are now in stable condition at the Camp Siongco Hospital in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

Atilano believed the attackers were members of BIFF out to avenge the death of their companions in recent military operations in Maguindanao and Region 12. (EDWIN FERNANDEZ, PNA, MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

Sinarimbo: Transition extension bid because of ‘practical considerations’

COTABATO CITY – Bangsamoro Spokesperson Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo explained Friday, December 4, why the transition government needs another three more transition years.

In an interview by ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), Sinarimbo pointed out that several factors were the reasons for the bid to transition extension.

Sinarimbo, who is also the minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), added both the national government and the Bangsamoro government were ‘distracted’ in implementing its commitments to the normalization and mandates to the transition due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

“Pati sa atin po medyo na disturb ‘yung focus natin doon sa pagpapatibay ng institusyon ng awtonomiya ng Bangsamoro Government, and then ‘yong paglalatag ng mga programa na maramdaman ng mga kababayan natin sa baba,” Sinarimbo added.

According to Sinarimbo, the normalization track peace deals entered into agreement between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), are yet to be accomplished due to many factors and this was even acknowledged by Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., who heads the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

Sinarimbo said some of obligations of the national government to the normalization were not fulfilled, and is taking more time to be completely implemented.

It can be noted that there have been delays in implementation of several components of decommissioning process of former combatants, in addition to other problems in camps transformation of six MILF camps, organization of Joint Peace and Security Teams, turn-over of ‘opt-in territories’, among others.

In a separate interview, Sinarimbo said that there have been delays in implementing some provisions of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). 

“The bureaucracy moves in a way na hindi kasing bilis ng desire natin,” Sinarimbo said noting that obligations of the national government cannot be fulfilled in the three-year transition term of 2019 until 2022.

Sinarimbo further explained that these are “practical considerations” that the Bangsamoro government is looking into in the bid to extend transition period from 2022 to 2025.

Residents in remote NoCot villages trained on agro-technology

TULUNAN, North Cotabato – At least 50 residents from eight far-flung villages here are set to complete an agriculture technology training initiated by the military in partnership with the Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA).

Participants in the agro-technology training are from the villages of Batang, Bacung, Bituan, Banayal, Nabundasan, Daig, Tuburan, and Magbok, all former communist-influenced areas in the municipality, according to the military.

1Lt. Walter Jhun Orille, the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion (IB) civil-military operations officer, said that the agriculture program forms part of the government’s Enhanced Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) that aims to improve the villagers’ agricultural output 

NPA official, 4 others killed in Army operation

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – Five members of New People’s Army (NPA) were killed, including a high-ranking official in a law enforcement operation conducted by the Lake Sebu Municipal Police Station officers and 5th Special Forces Battalion under 6th Infantry Kampilan Division in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato on Wednesday, December 2.

The slain NPA suspects were identified as Romeo Libron and spouse Merly, Rogelio Magsaya, and two others initially identified only as Macoy and Megan.

Accordingly, Libron was a head of Regional Ordnance of Southern Mindanao Regional Command (SMRC), a subject of warrant of arrest with criminal cases no. 5739 and 5740 for murder and several other warrants.  

The troops of army and PNP raided the suspects’ hideout in Sitio Kibang, Brgy Ned in the said town, around 5:00 in the morning.