Mindanao Peace Process

MAGUINDANAO --- Three supporters of a former town mayor surrendered assault rifles to the police Monday in support of the government’s disarmament campaign in the Bangsamoro region.

Brig. Gen. Eden Ugale, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said Tuesday Abby Aguak, Pendatun Ampatuan and Gani Macmod turned in their firearms through the intercession of local officials in Shariff Aguak and the Maguindanao provincial police.

NORTH COTABATO --- Barangay officials in Midsayap town voluntarily turned over Tuesday to the military 18 firearms in support of the government’s disarmament campaign in troubled southern provinces.

The cache --- a 5.56 Bushmaster, two M14 assault rifles, a .30 caliber Garand, five bolt-action rifles of different calibers, an M79 grenade launcher, a 12 gauge shotgun, five .45 caliber pistols and a .38 revolver --- were surrendered by 10 barangay officials to Brig. Gen. Roberto Capulong.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao  – The communist movement in Sultan Kudarat continues to decline and becoming non-essential as more and more rebels denounced the communist rebels and surrendered.

After 21 New Peoples’ Army (NPA) yielded to the Army in Lebak, 13 NPAs also followed suit in nearby Kalamansig, both in Sultan Kudarat.

On Wednesday afternoon, the rebels who are members of Sub-Regional Command (SRC) - Daguma under Far South Mindanao Region, surrendered to the military’s 37th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Kalamansig with their firearms.

SULTAN KUDARAT --- Enticed by how former comrades got reintegrated into mainstream society, 21 members of the New People’s Army surrendered in Lebak town on Tuesday morning.

Major Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division, said the 21 rebels yielded through the intercession of Col. Eduardo Gubat of the 603^rd Infantry Brigade and local officials in Lebak, a seaside town in Sultan Kudarat province.

The group turned over assorted firearms to Gubat in the presence of Lebak municipal officials.  

MAGUINDANAO --- There is this “arms-to-farms” initiative supported by the World Food Programme converting into productive agricultural enclaves the lands where Moro rebels and government forces had fought deadly battles.

The WFP, known as the “food assistance branch” of the United Nations, is the world’s largest provider of food for communities in conflict and calamity-stricken areas.

MAGUINDANAO – Six more members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters surrendered to the military Tuesday.

The six men, names withheld pending relocation to safe areas, pledged allegiance to the government after renouncing their membership with the BIFF at the headquarters of the Army’s 1^st Mechanized Brigade in Barangay Kamasi in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

MARAWI CITY --- Local officials in three towns surrendered unlicensed firearms Saturday in compliance with the government’s disarmament campaign as part of the Mindanao peace process.

In a statement Sunday, the Army’s 103^rd Infantry Brigade said the unlicensed firearms were voluntarily turned over by owners to the 82^nd Infantry Battalion based in Barangay Pawak in Saguiran, Lanao del Sur.

CAMP SK PENDATUN, Maguindanao - As PRO BAR adheres to the directives of the National Task Force on the Disbandment of Private Armed Groups (NTF-DPAGs) and the program under the security aspect of the normalization track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro that focuses on the disbandment of armed groups in BARMM, it managed to once again facilitate the surrender of one of the Private Armed Groups operating in the province of Maguindanao.

COTABATO CITY --- Sampung mga teroristang Abu Sayyaf sa Sulu ang sumuko sa pamahalaan noong nakalipas na linggo, ayon sa ulat ng Western Mindanao Command.

Mismong si Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr., commander ng WestMinCom na naka-base sa Zamboanga City, ang siyang nag-kumpirma ng naturang pagsuko ng mga myembro ng Abu Sayyaf na nais nang magbagong buhay.

SOUTH COTABATO --- Ethnic T’boli villagers got from the government solar power generating sets, among them women weaving T’nalak fabric at night after a daylong farm work.

Brig. Gen Roy Galido of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Brigade said Saturday 150 households in Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato received the packages from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority during a symbolic rite early this week.