Mindanao Peace Process

ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat  – The military in Sultan Kudarat see the continuous diminishing of communist rebels’ strength with the latest blow on the organization – the Army’s recovery of 34 high-powered firearms.

On Sunday, Lt. Colonel Romel Valencia, 7^th Infantry “Tapat” Battalion commander, said the discovery of high-powered firearms buried in a shallow graves in the mountains of Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat came after a tip from civilians.

COTABATO CITY --- Four confessed bomb couriers in the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters returned to the fold of law Monday.

Sanny Boy Satol Mamalumpong, Ato Menis Sandato, Satol Gamblay Butuan and Darang Katog pledged allegiance to the government in the presence of Col. Jovencio Gonzales of the Army’s 602^nd Infantry Brigade, officials of the 34^th Infantry Battalion and representatives from the municipal government of Midsayap, North Cotabato.

At 7 a.m. today, I and my team jumped off from Kidapawan City for a 3-hour trip to Barangay Karim, Buldon, Maguindanao, site of the main lair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Camp Abubakar.

Ten years ago, my visit to Camp Abubakar would have been unthinkable, if not an outright suicide.

For most of the years that I was Governor of Cotabato, I was considered Enemy No. 1 by the MILF but I survived several assassination attempts.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao –  Military officials in Central Mindanao region said communist movement in the province continue to dwindle as a ranking New Peoples Army (NPA) leader and his men surrendered to the government.

In a statement Thursday, Lt. Colonel Rommel Valencia, 7^th IB commander, the ranking NPA leader and seven of his followers decided to surrender and withdrew their allegiance to the terrorist group during programs held Wednesday afternoon at the old capitol compound in Barnagay Kalawag, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.

COTABATO CITY – Some 60 former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from Camps Bilal and Busrah in Lanao provinces each received Php10,000 financial aid from the Ministry of Public Order and Safety’s (MPOS) Peacebuilding Towards Normalization program.
 
This intervention is intended for the vulnerable and marginalized sectors, such as the MILF combatants who did not qualify in the decommissioning program of the national government.
 

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – The military’s two-pronged approach in dealing with communist combatants in the mountains of Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat has turned out to be effective, an Army officer here said Monday.

“The two-pronged approach is a continuous military pressure against rebels, and at the same time highlighting the government’s offer for them to rejoin the mainstream society peacefully,” Lt. Col Allen Van L. Estrera, Army’s 37th Infantry Battalion (37IB) commander, told reporters here in an interview Monday.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao  – Tired of fighting the government and realizing they were duped to join armed struggle even without proper training, eight members of a communist movement who belonged to the Indigenous Peoples (IP) community in Sultan Kudarat have surrendered to military authorities Thursday.

Lieutenant Colonel Romel S Valencia, commander of the 7^th Infantry Batalion Battalion, said the New Peoples Army (NPA) also turned in 13 firearms and numerous explosives during surrender rites in Barangay Masiag, Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao - Eight more members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters surrendered Wednesday.

The BIFF, tagged in all deadly bombings in central Mindanao since 2013, operates in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Major Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division, said Thursday the eight BIFF members are led by Johar Palaguyan.

COTABATO CITY  --- Peace advocates agreed to foster together unity among Muslim, Christian and non-Moro indigenous sectors in Maguindanao and in Cotabato City during a forum Wednesday.

The event, dubbed “Mindanao One for Peace,” was led by Cathleya Diocolano, area chairperson of the Junior Chamber International (JCI).

Diocolano is also involved in humanitarian outreach programs for Muslim and non-Muslims.

The JCI is a transnational cause-oriented organization.

COTABATO CITY --- Four more members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, two of them henchmen of the long wanted Kagui Karialan, surrendered Wednesday.

They yielded through the efforts of the Army’s 92^nd Infantry Battalion and local leaders in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.

Major Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division, said Thursday the four men, Ustadz, Magdusa, Kano and Abu Zubair, shall be reintroduced into mainstream society with the help of different line agencies and the Bangsamoro regional government.