[ad_1]
This is an AI-generated summary and may contain errors. For context, always see the full text.
An ongoing recruitment drive in the city of Cadiz in northern Negros Occidental has upset many in the city and province
Negros Occidental, Philippines — Military and police authorities on Thursday, March 21, began investigating alleged recruitment by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in a city in Negros Occidental.
Reported recruitment activities in the village of Tinampan in the city of Cadiz in northern Negros Occidental have upset many in the city and province.
Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante said he would hand over the investigation to state forces.
“I leave everything to our local authorities – the police and the military – to handle the verification of the accuracy of the information. As of now, there is no reason to panic because the city remains very peaceful,” he said.
Escalante assured the public that the city would fully support any action taken by authorities regarding the MILF’s alleged questionable decision.
In neighboring Bacolod, the capital of Negros Occidental, police are closely monitoring the situation in Cadiz and expect similar recruitment efforts there, said Col. Ronny Brillo, spokesman for the Bacolod City Police Department.
Nadia Laud, who introduced herself as a member of the MNLF, confirmed to local broadcaster K5 News FM-Cadiz that the recruitment drive was ongoing but assured the public that they were well-intentioned and were not targeting Cadiz. and pose a threat to the province.
Lauder said the MILF also established a camp on two hectares of land they received through donations. She did not reveal the identity of the donor.
The Moro National Liberation Front was founded in 1969 by Nur Misuari and fought for self-determination until reaching a political settlement with the government in 1996 during the Ramos administration. Misuari later became the third governor of the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the precursor to the present-day Bangsamoro region.
However, in September 2013, the Moro National Liberation Front armed forces invaded Zamboanga City and attempted to raise a flag at Zamboanga City Hall to declare independence for the Muslim-majority region of Mindanao. The conflict led to a weeks-long siege that resulted in heavy casualties, displacement of residents and destruction of property before government forces regained control of the city.
Lieutenant Abigail Donasco, a spokesperson for the Negros Occidental Police Department, said the intelligence monitoring team was tasked with investigating the alleged “Moro Islamic Liberation Front” recruitment activities, given the concerns raised by the activities.
“For this case, we still need sufficient time to investigate and verify with the Philippine National Police in Cadiz because this is their area of operations,” she said.
Lieutenant Colonel J-Jay Javines, spokesman for the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said the military began receiving information about the alleged activities of the MNLF in Negros Occidental province and that they were checking whether the people behind the recruitment were actually MNLF members. – Rappler website
[ad_2]
Source link