COTABATO CITY – Town officials of Rajah Buayan in Maguindanao have voiced support to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, saying the measure would bring peace in their communities that have experienced terrorist attacks in the past.
“We support this bill because we are convinced it will put an end to terrorist actions that had long been sowing fear among our people, especially in remote areas,” the Rajah Buayan Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC) said in a manifesto released Friday that was signed by Mayor Yacob Ampatuan, Vice Mayor Sittie Jin Princess Lumenda, and other MPOC members.
“We have experienced terrorism right in our doorsteps, it claimed lives of innocent civilians,” the manifesto added, referring to atrocities conducted by Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Rajah Buayan and nearby Moro communities.
It added that many lives had been lost, especially women and children, in the terror attacks.
“We call on our people to embrace the path to peace and support the fight against terrorism in our town and in the province,” the manifesto stated.
Rajah Buayan town, which has a population of 23,600 based on the 2015 census, is situated in the heart of Maguindanao and near the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh where the BIFF operates and have been sowing terror in civilian communities. -PNA
