Duterte urged to include Abu Sayyaf in amnesty plan

MANILA: A Mindanao lawmaker on Monday urged President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte to include Daesh-linked Abu Sayyaf militants in the government’s national amnesty programme instead of just limiting the coverage to communist rebels who want to have a new leash on life.

Congressman Mujiv Hataman of the island province of Basilan in Mindanao pointed out that including the Daesh-inspired Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) would help hasten the return of peace to troubled Southern Philippines.

“Opening our door to rebels who want to surrender and reintegrate themselves to society is a key towards peace. We have proven that in Basilan,” Hataman, also a deputy speaker in the House of Representatives, pointed out.

He was referring to the Programme Against Violent Extremism (PAVE), which he launched when he was the governor of Basilan, adding that it proved successful in encouraging the Abu Sayyaf to surrender and thus, help bring peace to the island province.

“I hope former members of the Abu Sayyaf and the BIFF will be included in the amnesty programme,” Hataman said. “This will help our country’s fight against terrorism and violent extremism and also constitutes a big leap towards peace.”

The military considers the BIFF a breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which was founded by the late MILF commander Ameril Umbra Kato who seceded with about 1,000 of his armed followers following major differences with the front leaders over the conduct of their peace negotiations with the government.

The government and the MILF later signed an historic peace agreement which resulted in the enactment by Congress of a law signed by Duterte, which set up a new political entity called the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ( BARMM).

Under the law, the initial BARMM territory came from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi as well as the cities of Marawi and Isabela.