PEACE PACT. Two warring clans led by Sata Mukahil and Hamid Muhammad of Tabuan Lasa, Basilan province inked a peace pact on Wednesday (Oct. 5, 2022), ending their five-year-old dispute. The signing of the pact was initiated by the provincial and municipal governments, as well as military and police authorities in the area. (Photo courtesy of the Army's 4th Special Battalion)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Two feuding families in an island town of Basilan province have signed a peace covenant ending their five-year-old dispute, officials said Friday.
The warring families of Sata Mukahil and Hamid Muhammad inked a peace pact at the covered court of Barangay Bukut Umus, Saluping Island, Tabuan Lasa, Basilan on Wednesday.
The signing of the pact was initiated by Basilan’s provincial government, the Tabuan Lasa town government, the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade (101Bde), and the provincial police office.
Supporters of the two warring clans and residents from different barangays in Tabuan Lasa have surrendered 14 assorted firearms consisting of nine Garand rifles, two .45-caliber pistols, an M16 Armalite rifle, an M4 rifle, and a .38-caliber revolver.
Tabuan Lasa Mayor Moner Manisan said the voluntary surrender of the loose firearms was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the municipal and provincial governments, as well as that of the military and police.
Brig. Gen. Domingo Gobway, 101Bde commander, hailed the latest peace development in Tabuan Lasa.
“The undertakings were the results of this unit's campaign on rido settlement and loose firearms in support of the Small Arms and Light Weapons program of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Basilan provincial government,” Gobway said in a statement Friday.
In a separate statement, Brig. Gen. John Guyguyon, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police director, said the locals could now expect a more peaceful community regaining commitment and obedience to the laws of the nation.
“Let this be a good reminder to everyone that armed battles are not the only way to achieve justice,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Arturo Rojas, acting commander of the Western Mindanao Command, also commended the government troops and the local government unit for their active actions to end the rido. (PNA)
