A MINDANAO congressman on Tuesday urged the top officials of the Philippine National Police Region 12, Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command (AFP WestMinCom) to team up to reduce the mounting level of violence in the Province of Maguindanao.
“I am appealing to the provincial authorities and the AFP to join forces to reduce, if not totally eliminate the problem of violence in Maguindanao so that our province will ensure stability and safeguard our constituents,” Mangudadatu said.
Mangudadatu made the call after violence hit the province that has been going on for months.
The latest of which is the botched assassination attempt to South Upi Mayor Reynalbert Insular and several relief workers last Sunday.
Mayor Insular, along with members of the South Upi Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC), has just concluded their relief aid operation to displaced families in Barangay Itaw when gunmen opened fire on their vehicles.
The displaced families whom Insular and his team were helping belong to the Teduray Tribe who were forced to flee their homes after gunmen opened-fire and burned their houses during New Year’s Day.
“We have seen a big increase in the number of deadly incidences against civilians who have lost lives, limbs, livelihood and their houses in the process. Napapanahon na para magkaroon ng mas malalim na pagtingin at pag-iimbestiga sa mga kasong ito, gaya umano sa ginagawang panggigipit sa ating mga kapatid na katutubo dahil pilit na inaagaw ang kanilang lupa o ancestral domain,” Mangudadatu said.
He also called on the Bangsamoro government to look into the issue and create a swift solution that has been negatively affecting the plight of the indigenous people in the province.
“The peace and order situation in Maguindanao is a far-cry from what it used to be years ago. It has now become the bedrock of insurgencies, deaths and terroristic acts. The constituents of the province need to be protected now more than ever,” said Mangudadatu.
