PRO BAR TRAINING CENTER, PARANG, MAGUINDANAO — Once standing on opposite sides of the battlefield, they are now working shoulder to shoulder — as peacekeepers and peacebuilders.
This newfound relationship was evident, as members of the Joint Peace and Security Teams (JPST) – composed of contingents from the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces – Moro Islamic Liberation Front (BIAF-MILF), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) began their month-long training on Monday, September 6.
The training’s opening ceremony was led by Major General Francisco Ariel A. Felicidario III, co-chair of the Joint Peace and Security Committee, the body that oversees and develops operational policies and guidelines for JPSTs.
The JPST is under the security component of the Normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
To date, twelve teams have been deployed since 2019 in areas mutually-agreed by the Philippine government and the MILF.
JPSTs are tasked to track and document private armed groups, and help in the reduction and control of weapons; support the observance of the existing ceasefire agreement to address and prevent hostilities; work on security arrangements for activities and personalities involved in the peace process; and support dispute resolution initiatives on the ground.
Peacekeepers all
Speaking on behalf of BIAF-MILF Chief of Staff Abdulraof Macacua, Toks Ebrahim highlighted the importance of cooperation among JPST members.
Ebrahim said the successful implementation of the programs and projects by the Government of the Philippines and MILF will depend on the support coming from all stakeholders.
He urged the JPST trainees to contribute in peacebuilding and development not only in the Bangsamoro but throughout the country.
“Peace can only be possible if all of us will do our share. Let us work together to sustain this peace in our region and in the whole country,” Ebrahim stressed.
Eduard Uy Guerra, co-chair of the Joint Normalization Committee, noted that the bond built and respect fostered between members of the first two JPST batches will help them effectively perform their duties as peacekeepers.
The JPST assigned in Lanao del Sur helped resolve a rido or clan war due to land conflict, while the team deployed in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat province helped recover a stolen motorcycle.
“Maganda ng report sa amin tungkol sa performance ng mga na deploy. Umaasa kami na gagampanan niyo rin ng maigi ang mga tungkulin ninyo pagkatapos ng training,” Guerra said.
Full support from security sector
Jose Narciso, assistant division commander of 6th Infantry Division, said the country’s security forces will continue to support the implementation of the Bangsamoro peace process with the goal of sustaining the gains of peace and development in the Bangsamoro region.
“We welcome this endeavor. We enjoin everyone to actively participate and take your share in this training so that we can contribute to nation-building,” Narciso said.
Over the years, the PNP and the AFP played a major role in the success of the Bangsamoro peace process.
Both institutions have actively participated and conducted various initiatives in support of the government’s peace and development agenda.
Meanwhile, Roger Dionisio, focal person of the provincial local government of Maguindanao’s AGILA HAVEN, a peacebuilding mechanism which aims to prevent violent extremism, pointed out that the JPST represents what the Bangsamoro struggle is all about — unity and peace.
Dionisio said that Maguindanao Governor Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu looks forward to partnering with JPSTs in the pursuit of just and lasting peace in the province.
“Umaasa ang ating Gobernadora na seseryosohin ninyo ang inyong pagsasanay dahil hinihintay namin kayo para kayo’y aming maging ka-partner sa pagsulong ng kapayapaan,” he said.
Also present during the event were Police Brig. Gen. Eden Ugale, PRO BAR regional director; Police Maj. Gen. Nickson Muksan, chair of the Government of the Philippines Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG); Col. Joel Q. Mamon, head of Secretariat of the government’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH); Alim Isah Bato, member of the MILF JPSC; and Kashmir Mohammad, JPST MILF focal person. END
