By Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Jan 28 (PIA)
– A joint convention of the military, police, the Moro Islamic liberation Front
(MILF), and the International Monitoring Team (IMT) was conducted recently at
the “conflict-prone” town of Al-Barka in Basilan to help rebuild itself.
In a report, Basilan police chief
PSSupt Mario M. Dapilloza said that the convention had tackled the project
proposal offered and funded by the International Monitoring Team with Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The proposals discussed include the
construction of school buildings in the municipality that would address its
primordial need of educating its children and youth to build a better Al-Barka
in the near future.
The police chief said that the
convention held last Dec. 5 with the MILF commanders, together with the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the IMT was a manifestation of government’s
sincerity to complete the peace process and the on-going talks with the MILF in
implementing the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB).
Dapilloza said that the Aquino
administration is committed to the completion of the FAB, with the military and
the police providing the needed support on the ground. The efforts, he added,
include the support from local and international institutions to advocate for
the full realization of the peace framework of the government with the MILF.
“Everything is towards the common
goal of peace and development of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,” he
stressed.
He said the police is working
closely with the military and other agencies as part of its advocacy to promote
collaborative efforts in attaining peace and development for the Bangsamoro.
With the election period at hand,
the Basilan Provincial Police Office (BPPO) also introduced at the convention
its Safe and Secure Elections (SAFE) 2013 program and some issue and concerns
related to the elections. The police hope that the MILF could help in
maintaining peace and order during the forthcoming national and local
elections.
The police chief and the military’s 104th Brigade
Commander Col. Carlito V. Galvez have conveyed their appeal to the convention
participants of the need to work together, especially on the significant role
that each individual could contribute to attain a safe, free, and peaceful
elections.