By Julmunir I. Jannaral
COTABATO CITY
Members of the Bangsamoro Task Force – Ending Local Armed Conflict (BTF-ELAC) has completed a two-day workshop, last March 24-25, to formulate its framework and implementation plan aimed at ending the insurgencies in the Bangsamoro region.
Created thru Executive Order No. 0010 signed by Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim on October 30, 2020, the task force is mandated to develop a master plan on how to implement in the BARMM the objectives of Executive Order No. 70 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Said EO aims to institutionalize a ‘Whole-of-Nation’ approach as a government policy for the attainment of inclusive and sustainable peace.
BTF-ELAC is chaired by CM Ebrahim, who is also the Minister of Finance and Budget and Management. Its members include Executive Secretary and Environment Minister Abdulraof Macacua, Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal, Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo, Public Order Minister Hussein Muñoz, Public Works Minister Eduard Guerra, Social Services Minister Raissa Jajurie, and Agriculture Minister Mohammad Yacob.
Also composing the task force are the heads of offices of the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority, Bangsamoro Development Agency, Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office, Bangsamoro Information Office, and focal persons from the Philippine Army, Police Regional Office- BAR, and Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
The task force is divided into 12 clusters of Lines of Efforts, namely: Local Government Empowerment; International Engagement; Legal Cooperation; Strategic Communication; Basic Services; Livelihood and Poverty Alleviation; Infrastructure and Resource Management; Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support; Situation Awareness and Knowledge Management; Localized Peace Engagement; E-CLIP, Amnesty Program, TUGON; and Sectoral Unification, Capacity Building, Empowerment, and Mobilization.
The said cluster ensures that local government units, locally-based institutions, and other stakeholders are taking the lead in peace building efforts at the local level.
MILG also leads the E-CLIP, Amnesty Program, TUGON cluster which acts as the central coordinating body that will supervise the reintegration effort for returnees-members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Maute Group, Abu Sayyaf Group, and other terrorist groups as well as their immediate family members.
E-CLIP (Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program) is the national government’s complete package assistance to former rebels, while TUGON (Tulong mula sa Gobyernong Nagmamalasakit,) is Bangsamoro government’s humanitarian intervention to ex-rebels in the region.
Executive Secretary Macacua said among the regional government’s peacekeeping efforts include “being one with the nation in addressing the root causes of insurgencies, internal disturbances, and other armed conflicts in the region.” This, he said, has been formalized through the creation of the BTF-ELAC.
“Our accomplishments in this undertaking (workshop) will serve as the foundation of our future efforts in peace building,” Macacua said. JIJ
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