BANGSAMORO NEWS UPDATES

Nine more members of outlawed BIFF surrender in Maguindanao MAGUINDANAO - Nine more members of a notorious Islamic State-inspired bloc pledged allegiance to the Philippine flag on Friday.The militants, led by Parido Balabagan, also known as Commander Banog, belong to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, blamed for all the deadly bombings in central Mindanao since 2010.They yielded voluntarily to the Army’s 6thInfantry Division through the intercession of officials of the 33rdInfantry Battalion led by Lt. Col.

COTABATO CITY – Vice President Maria Leonor Leni Robredo led the awarding ceremony of the winning 10 youth organizations in this year’s Angat Buhay Youth – ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) Summit competition on Thursday, October 25, at this city’s Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex.Robredo was assisted by ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman, Cabinet Secretary John Louie Balagot and Office of the Bangsamoro Youth Affairs (OBYA-ARMM) Executive Director Nizam Pabil.During the ceremony, Robredo emphasized the vital role of the youth in nation-building.

MAGUINDANAO - The military on Wednesday destroyed hundreds of unlicensed firearms collected in recent months under a decommissioning program meant to boost the southern Mindanao peace process.The symbolic disposal of the seized firearms in Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao was led by Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana of the Army’s 6thInfantry Division, Lt. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega of the Western Mindanao Commandand Maguindanao Gov.

COTABATO CITY – The roadshow aimed at raising public awareness on the proposed shift to a federal form of government has started in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

COTABATO CITY - The couple whose leadership was thrice cited for good governance in the past three years is again seeking reelection for mayor and vice mayor of Lamitan City unopposed.Rose Furigay and spouse Roderick are aspiring for their third and last terms as mayor and vice mayor there, respectively.They both acknowledged on Thursday the role of their political principals, Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and his older brother, Basilan Gov.

LANAO DEL SUR --- The United States government on Tuesday promised $25 million for the rehabilitation of the conflict-wracked Marawi City.US Ambassador Sung Kim announced the support package during his visit to Marawi City on Tuesday.He and local officials have agreed to continue cooperation in restoring normalcy in the conflict-torn Marawi City, the capital of Lanao del Sur.While in Marawi City, the ambassador had a dialogue with Mayor Majul Gandamra and Lanao del Sur Gov.

COTABATO CITY -- Three prominent regional figures vocal in supporting the peace process between Malacañang and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are aspiring for the congressional seats in their provinces.The outgoing three-termer Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu and his staunch political ally, Mujiv Hataman, regional chief executive of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, simultaneously filed on Tuesday morning their certificates of candidacy for congressional representatives in the second district of Maguindanao and in Basilan, respectively.

COTABATO CITY -- It will be a three-cornered fight for mayorship of Cotabato City
after a veteran House representative and a neophyte aspirant filed their
respective certificates of candidacy to challenge reelectionist Mayor Cynthia
Guiani-Sayadi.

Mayor
Guiani-Sayadi and her party filed their certificates of candidacy on Day 1 of
filing under One Kutawato Party. Her running mate is incumbent Vice Mayor
Graham Dumama.

STATEMENT OF SUPPORTOF THE NATIONAL ULAMA CONFERENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES (NUCP) TO THE BANGSAMORO ORGANIC LAW (BOL) And help one another in goodness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and aggression.

BASILAN - Normalcy is back in the town where Islamic militants had killed more than 50 soldiers in a spate of encounters in recent years and brutally beheaded many of them.The barangay governments in Al-Barka, Basilan had also been restored, run by vigilant and armed elected officials now actively cooperating with the efforts of the police and military to prevent remnants of the Abu Sayyaf from coming back.Al-Barka was once the most troubled town in Basilan, a component province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.The town hit the news many times over following the spate of deadly c