Isabela City nears ASG-free status

ISABELA CITY — A joint effort between the military and the local government unit of Isabela City in Basilan province is now underway for the forthcoming declaration of the city as Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)-free.

Top officials of Task Force Orion, which covers the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the 101st Infantry “Three Red Arrows” Brigade visited Isabela City Mayor Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman and Deputy Speaker and Basilan Lone District Rep Mujiv Hataman on Saturday and seriously discussed preparations for the event.

Basilan District 1 Board Member Ahmed Ibn Djaliv Hataman was also present to help welcome the various AFP officials to Isabela City.

Despite Isabela City’s long-standing reputation as a peaceful city in Basilan Province, there has been no formal declaration of its ASG-free status.

Among the military leaders who visited Mayor Hataman and Deputy Speaker Rep Hataman were Brig. Gen Leonardo Peña, the commander of the 11th Infantry “Alakdan” Division based in Jolo, Sulu and Joint Task Force (JTF) — ORION; Brig. Gen Alvin Luzon, commander of 101st Infantry “Three Red Arrows” Brigade in Basilan province: Col. Frederick Sales, deputy Brigade Commander of 101st.Brigade; Lt. Col. Jose Andre Monje, 101st Brigade Executive Officer; Lt. Col. Michael Colanta, Commanding Officer, 45th Infantry Battalion; Lt. Col. Adolf Ian Garceron, Commanding Officer, 4th Special Forcer Battalion; Lt. Col. Mark Serapion Lagud Jr., Commanding Officer of 18th IB; Lt. Col. Vicente Mabborang Jr., AC of S Operations, JTF-ORION; Lt. Col. Edmond Lanzar, Commanding Officer, 32nd IB.; Lt. Col. Roldan Mira, Commanding Officer, 6th Special Force Battalion; Maj Wilson Galanta, Security Officer; and SMS Bernard Navarro, Division Sergeant Major of JTF-Orion.

To recall, during Rep Hataman’s stint as the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Regional Governor, he was able to convince hundreds of ASGs to surrender and be re-integrated into their communities as peaceful Basileños under the Program Against Violent Extremism (PAVE) for Peace in 2018.

The PAVE program was a holistic approach program that sought to end violent extremism and bring about peace in the ARMM region.

The program aimed to prevent returnees from returning to terror acts and provide them with opportunities to start anew.