C. Visayas cops engage Muslim leaders, youth for peace dialogues

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 5, 2023): C. Visayas cops engage Muslim leaders, youth for peace dialogues (By John Rey Saavedra)

'SALAAM' MEETING. Muslim leaders recite prayers before their meeting with officials of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) at the Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr. in Cebu City on Tuesday (Dec. 5, 2023). The meeting aims to promote cooperation amid the recent bombing of the Mindanao State University gymnasium in Marawi City on Sunday (Dec. 2, 2023). (Photo courtesy of PRO-7 PIO)

CEBU CITY – Amid the recent bombing at the Mindanao State University gymnasium in Marawi City, the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Central Visayas (Region 7) on Tuesday engaged Muslim leaders and youth volunteers to promote peace in Cebu and the region.

Brig. General Anthony Aberin presided over a meeting with the Muslim leaders in Region 7 at the PRO-7 headquarters in Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr. to pitch in cooperation and coordination in ensuring peace and prevent spillover of violence amid the bombing incident that killed four and injured at least 50 last Sunday.

The event, he said, would also “guarantee that our brothers and sisters in the Muslim community are not discriminated, oppressed, or singled out.”

Aberin also engaged young volunteers from Zamboanga Peninsula in a three-day Youth-Salaam Volunteers Facilitator’s Course that started Tuesday at the Radisson Blu Hotel here.

The training for Muslim youth volunteers has been supported by the US government, said Aberin.

“You will be the hope of the future, of course for Zamboanga and nearby provinces, and especially now that recently, maybe you know what happened in Marawi. We don’t want that thing to happen in Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, or Tawi-Tawi or Lanao del Sur or other places, especially in Cebu, not in my time,” Aberin told the youth volunteers in his keynote speech.

Aberin pledged more engagement activities like volunteer training program for the youth to prevent any spillover of the violence in MSU.

“When you go back to your different barangays, you can re-echo what you have learned here,” he added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1214911