Cotabato City – The provincial peace and order council (PPOC) of Maguindanao was recently convened to map out measures that would strengthen efforts by the civilian sector, as well as the military and police, to stave off continued threats from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, PPOC chairman, convened the special meeting last week in Buluan town following reports that some civilian residents were already planning to take up arms to defend themselves any BIFF attack, it was learned yesterday.
Members of the PPOC secretariat said the governor, alongside local police and military leaders, received suggestions at the meeting for the continuous conduct of interfaith-building dialogues in strategic areas of Maguindanao where civilian residents have reportedly signified their intention to resist any BIFF attack.
SMILES HIDE THEIR FEAR – Life goes on for this Visayan-speaking peasant family in Buluan, Maguindanao as they wave to passing journalists from their carabao-drawn cart. The photo was taken after the provincial peace and order council (PPOC) met last January 5 to tackle the violent attacks of the BIFF on the civilians of Maguindanao. (Ali G. Macabalang)
Mangudadatu and Pangilinan personally visited barangay Kauran in Ampatuan town on December 29, and distributed relief assistance to local residents, majority of whom were Christians, who bore the brunt of recent BIFF threats. The governor also handed cash assistance to families of six Visayan peasants killed in a BIFF attack in the village on December 24.
Both officials had a dialogue with the village residents to dissuade them from taking up arms.
Some local reporters had earlier reported that a number of Christian residents in the village and other BIFF-threatened communities in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato had shown them samples of firearms they would use to fight the bandit group.
http://www.mb.com.ph/maguindanao-officials-ask-residents-not-to-bear-arms/
Members of the PPOC secretariat said the governor, alongside local police and military leaders, received suggestions at the meeting for the continuous conduct of interfaith-building dialogues in strategic areas of Maguindanao where civilian residents have reportedly signified their intention to resist any BIFF attack.
SMILES HIDE THEIR FEAR – Life goes on for this Visayan-speaking peasant family in Buluan, Maguindanao as they wave to passing journalists from their carabao-drawn cart. The photo was taken after the provincial peace and order council (PPOC) met last January 5 to tackle the violent attacks of the BIFF on the civilians of Maguindanao. (Ali G. Macabalang)
Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, commander of the Maguindanao-based Army’s Sixth Infantry Division (6ID), had earlier told reporters that military and police authorities would not allow the arming of civilians which was the case when the cultist movement, Ilaga, did so during the Martial Law years that “only led to nothing but more trouble.”
Both officials had a dialogue with the village residents to dissuade them from taking up arms.
Some local reporters had earlier reported that a number of Christian residents in the village and other BIFF-threatened communities in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato had shown them samples of firearms they would use to fight the bandit group.
http://www.mb.com.ph/maguindanao-officials-ask-residents-not-to-bear-arms/
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