ARMM to commend local government, barangay execs in Lamitan

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will issue special commendations to barangay officials and the local government unit of Lamitan City for helping government forces thwart the attempts by followers of Nur Misuari to take over the city hall last week.

Anwar Malang, local government secretary of ARMM, said Gov. Mujiv Hataman is keen on issuing citations to the  public officials for their “exemplary performance” in helping authoritie repel  the MNLF fighters.

“None of them were absent from office since the hostilities in Zamboanga City started last September 9. They even joined the police and the military in fighting the rebels in a siege that lasted for four days,” Malang said.

Malang said all their residents were kept safe during the attempt of Misuari's followers to take over the city.

Barangay officials have confirmed,  citing tips from villagers and  leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), that Misuari’s followers had planned to take over their city plaza and hoist there the red flag of the Moro National Liberation Front.

The rebels retreated with no less than 20 wounded companions after four days of attempts to enter the city proper via the adjoining barangays Bulanting, Kulay Bato, Maganda and Colonia.

The rebels, according to Lamitan City Vice-Mayor Roderick Furigay, also intended to burn villages and the city’s commercial district since some of them were seen carrying torches made of dried coconut palms as they marched toward the four barangays from the outskirts.

Barangay folks recovered at least three bullet riddled plastic containers that smelled  of kerosene, which the rebels left when they fled  after realizing that all routes leading to the city plaza had been blocked by soldiers, policemen and armed Muslim and Christian villagers.

Malang had issued a directive, per Hataman's instruction, to all of the ARMM’s 116 town mayors and five provincial governors for them  to refrain from  leaving town  while the hostilities in Zamboanga City have yet to end.

Malang said except for last week’s hostilities in Lamitan City, the ARMM remains peaceful, unaffected by the Zamboanga crisis.

The ARMM covers Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, which are both in Central Mindanao, the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.

“We ought to thank all our 116 mayors and the five provincial governors for their continuing dialogues with local religious leaders and commanders of MNLF forces that are not supporting Misuari’s group to prevent any spill over to the region of the conflict now raging in Zamboanga City,” Malang said. - John Unson