Police vital in maintaining peace in BARMM

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- Enhancing law enforcement operations is vital in maintaining peace and security in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), particularly within government-acknowledged Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camps.

This was highlighted by Philippine National Police Brigadier General Madid M. Paitao during a recent information, education, and communication (IEC) campaign here.

“Let me reiterate that the coordination in the conduct of law enforcement operations in the MILF camps or communities is important even if we are no longer at war with them,” he said.

With the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law on January 26, 2019, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was abolished and replaced by the BARMM.

In April of this year, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed Executive Order 79 implementing the Annex on Normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace agreement signed between the Government of the Philippines and the MILF.

The normalization track primarily involves the decommissioning of combatants and putting their weapons beyond use, and the transformation of six MILF camps into peaceful and resilient communities.

For his part, OPAPP Assistant Secretary Dickson P. Hermoso stressed

that despite the creation of the BARMM, the ceasefire agreement remains strong and will continue to be strengthened to ensure peace and order in the region.

“Wala na tayong giyera with the Moro National Liberation Front and MILF so ano pa ang ating ceasefire? Nandiyan pa rin dahil sa adjustment period dahil hindi pa naiintindihan ng lahat sa ground. Kung may nag-commit ng crime, hindi niya p’wedeng sabihin na MILF siya. (We are not at war with the Moro National Liberation Front and MILF anymore, so what is our ceasefire for? It’s still there because we are still in the adjustment period since not everyone on the ground understands it. If someone commits a crime, he cannot claim that he is a member of the MILF),” he said.

“The keywords here are trust and confidence. There is an opportunity for us to gain peace in our area. Let’s grab it -- not for us, but for the next generation,” he added.

The IEC campaign is part of a series of activities conducted by OPAPP for members of the region’s security sector to further enhance their understanding and appreciation in the Bangsamoro peace process.