Army, MILF use basketball to build stronger alliance in Lanao del Sur

LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines – As the sun beat down on the dusty roads of Lanao del Sur, an unlikely alliance took to the basketball court, on Sunday, January 29. 

Just minutes before the game, soldiers, their fatigues adorned with the insignia of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, stood alongside members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), some in their traditional garb as a testament to their distinct culture and identity.

But on this day, with each bounce of the ball, they were united for a common goal: build trust, foster cooperation, and stand together against the scourge of radical extremism that threatens the Mindanao peace.

The initiative, although not the first, came after years of armed conflict between the MILF and the government which resulted in mass displacements, trauma, and violence in the two Lanao provinces and other predominantly Muslim areas in Mindanao.

“This significant event will solidify the brotherhood between the MILF and security sector,” said Bangsamoro parliament member and MILF-Northeastern Mindanao Front commander Basit Abbas, also known as Jannati Mimbantas.

The game was organized and hosted by the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade with the help of groups such as the United States Institute of Peace-Strategic Communication and Capacity-Building Program, and Senganen o Mindanao (Hope for Mindanao). 

Brigadier General Yegor Barroquillo Jr., commander of the Army’s 103rd Brigade, said they organized the basketball game to provide a platform for confidence-building measures and strengthen relations among different stakeholders as they work together for the “healing of the past and genuine reconciliation.”

“This is only the beginning of our program. We will have more of this in the next few months,” he said.

Barroquillo said it has tapped the MILF in the fight against the Dawlah Islamiyah and its allied groups in Lanao del Sur and asked the former rebels to help in ridding the province of rido (clan wars) that have been hurting the government’s peace and order campaign.

Aliyah Adam, the coordinator for the Strategic Communication and Capacity Building Program, said there were concerns a few months back about how to keep communication lines between MILF and government forces open, especially at the grassroots level. 

She and other stakeholders said the use of sports as a means for unity and collaboration was a positive step toward sustaining the gains of the peace process, in this case, in the Lanao provinces.

The military said it would hold more basketball games each month in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte.

At least 24 soldiers, policemen, and MILF members fought it out on the basketball court as red and green teams. Each team was composed of a mix of soldiers, policemen, and MILF members who worked together as a group against the other. 

The red team won the first of the series of games, and the next game between the two teams would be held in Munai town in Lanao del Norte on February 12. The third game would be held in Butig town in Lanao del Sur.

At the basketball court on Sunday, sweat and determination glistened on the players’ faces as they battled, and each point scored a small victory in the ongoing efforts to sustain the gains of the peace process.

But it was not just the game that brought them together, but the shared laughter, the camaraderie, and the sense of purpose that day, officials said.

“At that moment, we were no longer adversaries, but brothers united for a common cause,” said Abbas.

As the final whistle blew, signaling the end of the first game, those who watched it could not help but be struck by the symbolism of the moment: after years of hatred and violence, it is possible to come together and find common ground. – Rappler.com