ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) through the Ministry of Public Order and Safety (MPOS) commemorated the Manili Massacre in Carmen, Cotabato Province, 53 years ago.

About 70 helpless civilians composed of men, women and children were killed allegedly by members of the defunct Philippine Constabulary and Ilaga armed group inside the mosque in Barangay Manili in Carmen town.

The atrocious attack has remained fresh in the minds and hearts of the people of Carmen town.

MPOS along with Project Tabang of the Office of the Chief Minister commemorated the tragedy by providing vital services to the people in the community

Assistant Senior Minister Abdullah Cusain, manager of Project Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailanan (Project TABANG), distributed 500 sacks of 25 kg of rice along with other services

Project TABANG is one of the flagship programs of Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim that extends immediate support to victims of tragic incidents.

 Cusain said that commemorating the event doesn’t mean instilling remorse in the present generation but rather a way to honor those who perished and a reminder to the younger generation so the same tragic incident will not happen again.

 “It’s a way to remind ourselves of what happened in the past so that the younger generation will understand our cause,” Cusain explained.

He added that while Manili is not part of the core territory of the region, they are still part of the constituency and that the Chief Minister’s order is “no Bangsamoro shall be left behind.”

Akmad Lagasan, 31 expressed his gratitude to the Bangsamoro government for remembering the tragic event and for all the services they get from different ministries and offices of BARMM.

Our greatest appreciation to the leadership of BARMM for remembering us, he said in their vernacular dialect.