Residents see peace and calm Basilan in 2024

COTABATO CITY—  Residents of Basilan are optimistic of peaceful days on the island province in 2024 with the renewed pledges of support from two former secessionist groups for the security efforts of the police and the military in the province.

Local executives and members of the Basilan Provincial Peace and Order Council on Friday told reporters that they were elated by the peace dialogue between officials of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade and provincial leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Barangay Serongon in Hadji Muhammad Ajul town in Basilan last Thursday.

Both sides agreed to maximize cooperation in sustaining the fragile peace now in the province during the symbolic meeting, meant to bolster the peace initiatives of the local communities and the provincial government of Basilan.

Army Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade, and MILF officials Adham Undaring and Julkipli Abdullah also then agreed to intensify their support for the law-enforcement activities of all units of the Basilan Provincial Police Office and the efforts of Gov. Hadjiman Salliman to negotiate the surrender of the few remaining Abu Sayyaf members in the province.

“We are grateful for these renewed commitments of support for the joint peacekeeping missions of our units in Basilan and their counterparts in the Basilan Provincial Police Office,” Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, commander of the Philippine Army, told reporters via text message on Friday.

The MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front have separate peace deals with Malacañang that obliges both groups, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to address together security problems in southern provinces and cities.

Three ranking officials of the MNLF, Bangsamoro Labor Minister Muslimin Sema and two representatives of Basilan to the Bangsamoro parliament, Hatimil Hassan and Muslimin Jakilan, said in a statement last week that their followers in the province shall help push the police, the military and Salliman's joint peacebuilding programs forward. 

The three MNLF officials also directed their followers in Basilan to keep their enclaves free from local terrorists and