IN PHOTO- Organizers and participants pose for a souvenir photo after the culmination of the summit

Basilan Multi-Sectoral Group holds Summit for Peace in support of BOL

• Oct 18, 2018
• Anis Basil, Luwaran
• HITS: 1679

Isabela Basilan-Basilan Multi-Sectoral group held 3-Day Peace Summit cum Workshop at Woodland Resort in Zamboanga City on October 12-14 2018. The said activity was attended by various sectors such as elders, youths, professionals, academe, and some members of BIAF of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). 

"While the politicians are very busy in filing their certificate of candidacies...the leaders of common people and more than a hundred representatives of various sectors gathered at Woodland resort in Zamboanga City to discuss peace and security issues including their expression of support to the Bangsamoro Organic Law", the organizers said in their message. 

The invited guests and speakers were Lt. Col. Gerry Besana a spokesperson of WestMinCom, Col. Shamshor B. Hj. Jaafar of the IMT Site-3, USec. Alzad Sattar of Bureau of Madaris, ARMM, and Exec. Director Chuck Crisanto of the Human Rights Victims Memorialization Board. 

On day one, Mr. Abbas Salung, Deputy Base commander of 114th Base Command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces Moro Islamic Liberation Front (BIAF-MILF) in a short message said, "We have been trained as combatants, and we are skillful in the art of war, but our duties and responsibilities in the armed struggle has stopped.”

IN PHOTO- Comdr. Abbas Salung, Deputy Base Commander of 114th Base Command, BIAF-MILF delivering his message to summit participants

Now, our struggle has shifted to another level which is a democratic struggle, and frankly speaking, we are not skillful on it. The responsibility is transferred to you, and you have to continue, make sure you should be successful as we did," Salung stressed to the summit participants. 

Mr. Salung urged the participants for the victory of the yes votes in the upcoming plebiscite for the ratification of R.A. 11054. “That is one of the main goals of this activity, to organize more people in order to campaign and support for the ratification of BOL, Salung added. 

Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, Spokesman of WestMinCom is his message enumerated some mandates of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in his power point presentation.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the state. This mandate shall be carried on in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region as the AFP and the BIAF will work hand in hand to carry out this mandate". 

The participants applauded Col. Besana when he said, “The military is the extension of the political will of the government”. 

 On the third day, Col. Shamshor Bin Hj. Jaafar of the IMT Site-3 said in his message, "When we saw the BOL signed by the President, we considered it as very important to the people in Mindanao...real promising era and will finally pave the way for the reign peace in Mindanao. 

“We, the IMT looked this progress as an achievement that every people in Mindanao should rejoice for its tremendous impact to the people in terms of political, economic, and environmental changes. 

IN PHOTO- Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, Spokesman of WestMinCom

“With the BOL, we believe the future of Bangsamoro government gets nearer to absolute control of the economy including the development of the natural resources in the region". Col. Shamshor further said.

"BOL will not have been finalized without the support of various stakeholders and cooperation of the grassroots level. Peace is a noble thing, and some spoilers of peace that intend to create chaos should calm down, and trust in Allah," Col. Shamshor further said.

 The activity was attended by more than a hundred participants from 11 municipalities and two cities of Basilan. It was sponsored by Mahadjana Basilan Development Initiative, Inc.

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