In Al Barka, MILF members train to keep the peace

BASILAN, Philippines – It’s the site of many violent encounters between government troops and Muslim guerrillas, but on Tuesday, January 15, Al Barka played host to 1,381 fighters, women, and professionals from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who finished a 15-day training on maintaining peace.

Mohaqer Iqbal, chair of the MILF peace panel that negotiated a settlement with the previous Aquino administration, congratulated the graduates of a capacity-building program at the 114th Base Command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) in Al Barka in this province.

“I see hope for a better tomorrow,” Iqbal said after accepting the graduates who include 145 women from the Bangsamoro Islamic Women Brigade and 121 professionals.

The training comes days before the scheduled January 21 plebiscite on the Bangsamoro law which seeks to establish a more autonomous and powerful regional government in Mindanao. (LOOK: Questions, voting instructions for Bangsamoro plebiscite)

The MILF is expected to run the regional government once it is set up.

Hadji Dan Asnawi, commander of the 114th Base Command, BIAF-MILF based in Al Barka said, “These more than a thousand new members are not trained to fight, but they are trained to understand what is the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and how to protect and preserve the peace in their respective communities.”

Asnawi said that aside from having a better understanding of the BOL, the trainees were also taught how to respect men in uniform and, “like soldiers and policemen, be guided by Quran teachings and help the government fight against terrorism.”

The young trainees came from different towns in Basilan and as far as Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Instead of tapping experts in guerilla warfare, Asnawi said they asked resource persons from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, civil society, religious organizations, as well as the central committee of the MILF. – Rappler.com