Short link: https://wp.me/paaccn-rN6
By EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN — SciTech and Digital News
AWANG AIRPORT, Cotabato City (SDN) — The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin, Jr., is on a visit to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
He and his delegation arrived here today, April 10, on board Cebu Pacific Flight 5J 888 which touched down at around 8:51 a.m.
The Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR) laid down a welcome for Azurin and his delegation, welcoming him to PRO BAR, which has its headquarters at the Camp Salipada K. Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. appointed him to the top PNP post on August 1, 2022, Azurin is the 28th chief of the PNP.
Maj. Gen. Alex S. Rillera, the commander of the Philippine Army’s (PA) 6th Infantry Division (6ID) based at Camp Siongco here at Awang Airport was one of those who welcomed and met Azurin. They were seen exchanging pleasantries briefly as the latter was whisked to waiting service vehicles. Rillera assumed the top position of the Army’s 6ID in January 2023.
Azurin cites need for partnership on peace and order with BARMM
Rillera is a member of the Philippine Military Academy’s “SAMBISIG” Class of 1991. His ascent to a star rank is a fruit of his “untiring commitment to his duty and exceptional accomplishments” as described at army.mil.ph.
In a visit to Zamboanga City, Western Mindanao, in February, Azurin he said the PNP was seeking to open partnership with the Bangsamoro government for the region’s law enforcement, more so in communities of the former rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“We are really trying to establish partnership coordination and collaboration with the [Chief] Minister of BARMM. Our law enforcers need to have good communication with the local governments units and Chief Minister Murad (Ebrahim). We need help and cooperation from the BARMM leadership,” the PNP chief said as quoted on Inquirer.net
He cited the difficulties of entering MILF areas, thus a better communication is needed when it arises, mentioning the serving of warrant of arrests on former MILF members who had gone into criminal activities.
On the part of the Bangsamoro government, lawyer Naguib G. Sinarimbo, head of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) as early as on the 24th of May 2021, said the regional government “will further strengthen its cooperation with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to combat sporadic attacks in Maguindanao.” He was referring to the attacks being perpetrated by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
Also the spokesperson of the BARMM, Sinarimbo mentioned a “recommendation” for the creation of a “Joint Operation Center” (JOC) involving the AFP, PNP, International Monitoring Team (IMT), and the MILF in an arrangement for them to work tightly in controlling the BIFF, which split from the MILF.
The Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao (now split as Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte), Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the 63 barangays or villages dubbed Special Geographic Area (SGA) that voted “yes” in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction.
According to the Philippine Atlas has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities: Basilan, 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; Maguindanao, 36; Sulu, 19; and Tawi-Tawi, 11. Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur. (✓)