The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) served as a bridge to end a long-time "rido" or clan war between two factions of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Muhammad Adjul, Basilan.
OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said a peace covenant was signed for a rido settlement between the families of MILF 1st Battalion, 114th Base Command Battalion Commander Tanad Nasalon and Deputy Battalion Commander Geon Arasad last week.
The two clans had been going up against each other since 2020 and their fights have already claimed numerous lives, according to the 101st Infantry Brigade.
"Batid po nating lahat ang pinag-uugatan ng rido. Kabilang na dito ang hidwaan na dulot ng politika, problema sa lupa, at iba pang personal na isyu (We all know the root cause of rido. This includes conflict on politics, land ownership, and other personal issues)," Galvez said in a statement on Saturday night, Jan. 20.
Rido, according to Galvez, has "disturbed the peace, hindered socio-economic development and development, and caused divisiveness and fear among the people" in Basilan, making it a pressing security concern and a major cause of violence and conflict in Mindanao.
He said that this type of conflict is passed on from generation after generation.
The peace adviser then urged the public to use dialogue, peace education and the rule of law in resolving situations of conflicts caused by rido, especially among those who have been affected by the armed conflict.
"Dialogue is the most effective way to attain peace and understanding," he said.
The long-running conflict between the two MILF factions was settled through the collaborative efforts of the 101st Infantry Brigade, 4th Special Forces Battalion led by Col. Bernard Samin; MILF-Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)-Basilan Chairman Hadji Samad Ahaddin; and Hadji Muhammad Ajul Mayor Talib G. Pawaki.
During the signing of the peace covenant, Nasalon and Arasad surrendered 10 high-powered firearms – eight M16 rifles and two M653 rifles – in support of the OPAPRU’s efforts to address the problem of loose firearms in Mindanao through its Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW).
The SALW Program is among the interventions being carried out by the Joint Normalization Committee (JNC) through the security component under the Normalization Program of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).