COTABATO CITY(November 5) – Military and police units that secured the inaugural session of the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament, where the region’s first elected chief minister was chosen, received awards on Wednesday from the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division and Joint Task Force Central (6ID/JTFC).
Maj. Gen. Edgar Catu, who heads both commands, presented the awards at Camp Siongco. The honors were plaques of recognition, Military Merit Medals and the Medalya ng Parangal sa Kapanalig ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas.
Nine Army units were cited, along with the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), the police provincial offices of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, and the Cotabato City Police Office.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was present at the parliament’s opening and spoke to the Bangsamoro people before lawmakers voted on the chamber’s officers.
In his remarks, Catu credited the close teamwork between soldiers and police for keeping legislators and residents safe throughout the proceedings. He relayed the gratitude of the President and the AFP and Army leadership to the troops and officers who served during the event, some at personal cost.
The milestone, Catu said, belonged not just to the region’s institutions but to the Bangsamoro people as a whole.
He also thanked members of the media for keeping the public informed and for helping build trust and peace in the region.
The command said it would keep working with local governments and other sectors to protect communities and sustain the peace in Central and South-Central Mindanao.
