COTABATO CITY — The Peace, Public Order, Safety and Security Committee (PPOSSCom) under the Bangsamoro Economic and Development Council (BEDC) successfully conducted on Wednesday, November 18, its second regular meeting to discuss the peace and security of measures of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The meeting was presided by Hussien P. Muñoz, Committee Chair and Minister of BARMM’s Ministry of Public Order and Safety (MPOS).
Muñoz emphasized the members of the committee are under full cooperation in ensuring the peace and security in the Bangsamoro.
“We are here as a matter of responsibility and obligation to support this government and should continue to unite, solidify, and cooperate with each other to enhance our cooperation and coordination,” Muñoz said.
In attendance during the meeting were representatives from the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG-BARMM), Bangsamoro Darul-Ifta’ (BDI), Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission (BHRC), Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command (AFP WestMinCom), Police Regional Office (PRO-BAR), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-BARMM), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP-BARMM), Bureau and Fire Protection (BFP-BARMM), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-BARMM), and the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) as the head secretariat.
The MPOS presented their plans for programs and activities concerning the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) approved Resolution No. 62 entitled “Resolution requiring all ministries and offices, including schools, to initiate and develop comprehensive policies, programs, and activities every March 18 in commemoration of the anniversary of the Jabidah Massacre as one of the Transitional Justice Mechanism.”
To raise awareness in the Bangsamoro communities on the historical injustices and human rights violations, MPOS will conduct a one-day program, in commemoration of the Jabidah Massacre. Also, they will hold a week of peace program wherein a series of learning sessions and study tours on transitional justice in the Bangsamoro will be conducted.
Furthermore, the PRO-BAR gave an update on their assessment of the peace and security of the BARMM and their operational accomplishments on anti-illegal drugs, illegal gambling, and implementation of existing local ordinances which are contributing factors to the region’s development.
The WestMinCom also reported the AFP continues to deploy their forces to support the peace effort in the security operations and programs on Community Support Program on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (CSP-PCVE), information operations, stakeholders’ engagement, and legal actions among others, as its mission to support the BARMM government.
Meanwhile, the MILG discussed the constitution of a Regional Peace and Order Council, which is the government’s platform for stronger collaboration between LGUs, law enforcement, and the community to fight criminality, illegal drugs, insurgency, and violent extremism, creating an enabling environment to harmonize and effectively implement peace, security, public order and safety to the community. Other matters discussed were ways to move forward and the schedule of its third sectoral meeting. (Lovella Lao-Lastimosa, IKMD, BPDA-BARMM)