Isabela City now ASG-free

Isabela City now ASG-free | Daily Tribune

ISABELA CITY, Basilan — The Local Government of Isabela City in Basilan Province has formally declared the city as Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)-free, marking the end of their 33rd year of fear from the group atrocities and economic threat to the community and its people.

The declaration of the city as ASG-free was held at the Isabela City Civic and Cultural Center in Barangay Binuangan and was attended by top police and military officials and Isabela City LGU and Barangay officials.

In her message, Isabela City Mayor Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman said “Let us not only give importance on the declaration of the city as ASG-free but also a deepest meaning to this day, the day we jointly declared the city ASG-free.”

Mayor Hataman said, “With Isabela City now free from the ASG threat, all eyes are on the future of Basilan as a hub of peace and development.”

Hataman pointed out that through relentless military operations, enhanced security measures and proactive peacebuilding efforts, the ASG’s influence was gradually diminished.

She recalled that in recent years the people of the city have witnessed a surge in surrenders of ASG members, with several yielding in 2021 and 2022, signifying cracks in the group’s operational capacity.

Basilan Representative and House Deputy Minority Leader, Mujiv S. Hataman, thanked the efforts of the security sectors and NAGDILAAB Foundation Incorporated, Ulamma Supreme Council for helping out in the campaign against the ASG.

Hataman during his stint as regional governor of the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) 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 in partnership with the NAGDILAAB Foundation, different LGUs and the security forces, has recorded the highest number of ASG members surrendered and has replaced the negative image of Basilan province as a breeding ground of ASGs with a peaceful tourism destination.

On the sideline, 101st Infantry “Three Red Arrows” Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Alvin V. Luzon said yesterday that the declaration came after 33 years of sustained military operations, peace efforts and local development initiatives in the city.

This declaration is a critical milestone in Basilan’s transformation from a conflict-ridden province into a peaceful and progressive one.

Additionally, he said over the years, Isabela City has been the site of numerous ASG-related incidents, including violent clashes, kidnappings, extortion and bombings.

Notably, the ASG bombings in April 2010, where 15 were reported killed, including five civilians, five Philippine Marines, a policeman and four ASG fighters, was also a turning point for intensified government operations, Luzon said.

The declaration is part of the wider campaign initiated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to free Basilan of the ASG’s influence, following similar declarations in municipalities across the province, including the recent proclamation in Hadji Mohammad Ajul.

Joint Task Force “Orion” Commander Brig. Gen. Leonardo I. Peña, in his message, emphasized the significance of the declaration, stating: “This victory is not only a testament to the strength of our military and police, but it is also proof of the importance of the collective spirit of our community, where civic organizations, local governments and ordinary citizens came together.”