Future Bangsamoro not to be cradle of religious extremism: official

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The future Bangsamoro region in southern Philippines will promote collective security, not cradle threats of religious extremism as espoused by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or other regional violent groups like the Jemaah Islamiyyah (JI), a senior government official said here Friday.

The Government of the Philippines (GPH) peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said that the peace deal signed in March this year by the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest Muslim rebel group, aims to establish genuine autonomy in the south that respects the diversity of the people in the area, the basic rights of all and collective security.

"The intention is to put in place a better system that would be able to address security issues, such as those that involve extremist groups that may try to move in and out of these territories," she said.

Coronel-Ferrer aired optimism that the "implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which includes a normalization process, can contribute to enhancing collective security in Mindanao and in the country, as well as security cooperation with neighboring countries."

The security aspect of normalization includes policing, gradual decommissioning of MILF forces and weapons, redeployment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from or within the conflict- affected areas, and the disbandment of private armed groups.

Earlier reports said that some 100 Filipinos from southern Philippines have trained in the Middle East to join ISIS.

But the Philippine government said there was no confirmation regarding those reports.