“COMMANDER BRAVO” ATTENDS LANAO NORTE JOINT PPOC-PADAC MEETING, DIMAPOROS CALL FOR UNITY, RECONCILIATION AND HEALING

LANAO DEL NORTE – A significant milestone in the province of Lanao del Norte towards achieving peace and development when Honorable Abdullah “Commander Bravo” G. Macapaar, Member of Parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), attended the CY 2021 first quarter meeting of the Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) conducted recently.

This milestone symbolizes healing and reconciliation and a manifestation of the dividends of peace following the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace agreement and the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). It can be recalled that now MP Macapaar as MILF Commander of the North Western Mindanao Front (NWMF) with its Core Camp, Bilal situated in Kora-kora, Tamparan, Munai, Lanao del Norte led the bloody attacks in the coastal towns of Kauswagan and Kolambugan in 2000.

Prior to the PPOC and PADAC joint meeting, a reconciliatory dialogue was brokered by Pakigdait, Inc., a Civil Society Organization (CSO) based in Iligan City and Lanao del Norte which has been actively engaged in peace-building efforts in the province between MP Macapaar and the couple Dimaporos, Governor Imelda “Angging” Quibranza Dimaporo and Congressman Abdullah Dimakuta Dimaporo on February 24 at the 2nd Mechanized Brigade Camp, Iligan City.

PD Bruce A. Colao of DILG Lanao del Norte took the initiative to recommend that in order to sustain the gains of the peace process and officially declare to the public the message of reconciliation and healing towards lasting peace and development in the province, MP Macapaar will be invited on the joint meeting.

Furthermore, during the meeting, resolutions were also passed, to wit:

• Resolution No. 1, series of 2021, “A resolution expressing support to House Bill no. 8222, an act amending section 13 Article XVI of RA 11054, the organic law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region In Muslim Mindanao, for the purpose of extending the transition period to ensure the successful implementation of the annex on normalization under the framework agreement on the Bangsamoro (fab), allowing the first regular election for the Bangsamoro parliament to be synchronized with the 2028 national elections of the Hon. Mohamad Hhalid Q. Dimaporo to extend the BARMM transition period”.

• Passage of Resolution No. 3, series of 2021, “A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE “GOVERNANCE, PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT CONVERSATIONS” INITIATIVE AS A FRAMEWORK AND STRATEGY TO SUSTAIN THE GAINS OF THE PEACE PROCESS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES (GRP) AND THE MORO ISLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT (MILF) AND AS A MECHNISM TO PREVENT EXTREMISM IN AREAS IN THE PROVINCE WITH MILF CAMPS, CONFLICT AFFECTED AND HAS POTENTIAL TO BE INFILTRATED BY VIOLENT EXTREMISTS ACTIVITIES”. Originally, an initiative of DILG-Lanao del Norte in partnership with the Pakigdait, Inc. and the Office of 2nd Congressional District Representative, Abdullah Dimakuta Dimaporo, the Governance, Peace and Development Conversations has been adopted and institutionalized by the PPOC

• Passage of Resolution No. 4, series of 2021 “A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND TO UNDERTAKE THE REALIZATION OF THE HARMONIZATION OF THE MORO ISLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT (MILF) CAMP TRANSFORMATION PLANS IN ORDER TO HAVE INTEGRATIVE AND CONFLICT-SENSITIVE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS IN AREAS IN THE PROVINCE OF WITH MILF CAMPS SPECIFICALLY AND PARTICULALRY THE MUNICIPALITIES OF TAGOLOAN, MUNAI AND TANGCAL”. Initially undertaken by DILG-Lanao del Norte and Pakigdait, Inc., the project is now being adopted as a peace and development program of the province as its contribution to the Normalization Process to sustain the gains of the peace process between the GRP and the MILF.

 (DILG 10/[Lanao del Norte]/[LGOO II/Abulcair D. Lindao])