On October 12, 2023, the Ministry of Public Order and Safety organized a “Mashuwara Kalilintad: Peace and Security Dialogue for a safe, orderly, and peaceful Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections 2023” at the Farmland Resort in Isabela City, Basilan. Key players concerned with safeguarding the security and integrity of the electoral process were present for the dialogue.
These include the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Provincial Election Supervisor, Atty. Roberto V. Dela Peña; the Deputy Provincial Director for Administration of Basilan Police Provincial Office, PLTCOL Dennies M. Gimena; and the various COP of Basilan Police, BGEN. Alvin V. Luzon, PA Brigade Commander of 101st Infantry Brigade; the Member of Parliament of BTA, Hon. Muslimin Jan Jakilan; the former Member of Parliament, Hon. Abdulmuhmin Mujahid; the MPOS Basilan CAO III, Mr. Shahid Akbara; the Coast Guard Station Representatives, CG PO1 Ibrahim Idris, Chief Master at Arms of Coast Guard Station Basilan; various representatives from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF); and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Basilan Police Provincial Office Deputy Provincial Director for Administration of PLTCOL Denise M. Gimena said, “𝘈𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘕𝘗 𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘦𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦, 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘴𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘈𝘙𝘔𝘔 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯.”
The dialogue strives to discuss and address potential security concerns and challenges that may arise during the upcoming election in October 2023. Further, it aims to foster cooperation and coordination among agencies and groups that support peace and security during the electoral process.
As the governing organization in charge of regulating elections in the Philippines, the COMELEC played a crucial role in the discourse. They presented election preparation updates, discussed security measures, and addressed all possible issues or challenges.
Atty. Roberto V. Dela Peña from COMELEC shared his insights for the upcoming election, he said, “𝘐𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘢 𝘉𝘚𝘒𝘌 2023 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪 𝘱𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘯𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳, 𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦, 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”
The AFP and PNP, serving as the country’s security forces, shared their plans and strategies to maintain peace and order during the elections. They emphasized the significance of a collaborative approach and the need for a strong security presence to deter any threats or acts of violence. In addition to this, they also proposed the establishment of an Election Monitoring Action Center (EMAC) in every municipality to further enhance a collective and immediate response force for addressing threats or violence during the said BSKE.
BTA MP Hon. Jan Jakilan and Former MP Hon. Mujahid, along with the MILF representatives and CCCH Hji. Samad Ahaddin expressed their commitment to supporting the gun ban policy of the law enforcement agency. They further reiterate that in their upcoming meeting with their different unit commanders, such commitments will be properly disseminated and discussed among them as part of their adherence to the peaceful and orderly BSKE. “𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘔𝘕𝘓𝘍 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘢 𝘪𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘯. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴,” MP Jakilan said during the dialogue.
Furthermore, representatives from the MILF and MNLF demonstrated their commitment to supporting a peaceful electoral process and their willingness to work with the government and security forces.
“𝘈𝘯𝘨 101𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘋𝘌 𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢 𝘔𝘗𝘖𝘚 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘯𝘢 𝘪𝘵𝘰, 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘯𝘢 𝘪𝘵𝘰. 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘰 𝘯𝘢 𝘪𝘵𝘰, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.” remarked by Brigade Commander BGEN Alvin V. Luzon PA of 101st Infantry Brigade, AFP.
The Ministry of Public Order and Safety, as the organizing body, facilitated the dialogue and ensured that all participants had the opportunity to voice their concerns and suggestions to deepen their partnership. The dialogue is part of the Ministry’s SAFE BARMM program that provided a platform for open and constructive discussions, to develop effective strategies and measures to guarantee a safe and peaceful Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan election on October 30, 2023.
#SAFEBARMM #CLEAR #MPOS #BangsamoroGovernment #Bangsamoro #BARMM
