AFP, other security sectors commit to safeguard BARMM parliamentary polls

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and other key security sectors have committed to ensure the peaceful conduct of the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Oct. 13.

Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, AFP Western Mindanao Command chief, gave the assurance in behalf of key senior security officials during a meeting on the 2nd Regional Joint Security Control Center Conference at Camp SK Pendatun in the municipality of Parang, Maguindanao del Norte last Monday.

Ray Sumalipao, Commission in Elections director in the BARMM, said the military and police will host peace covenant signings among the political candidates throughout the region.

MILF commander killed after signing peace pact

A field commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front was killed by a group of armed men just 11 days after he signed a peace pact to end a rido between him and a rival rebel commander in Maguindanao del Sur on Monday.

Capt. Argie Eyana, police chief of Rajah Buayan municipality, identified the victim as Muntok Utap, chief of the MILF’s 106th Base Command. Utap was ambushed while aboard a private vehicle at the highway near Dansalan Elementary School in Barangay Panadtaban Monday morning.

Eyana said Utap signed a peace covenant ending his “rido” with another MILF leader, Barangay Panadtaban Chairman Norodin Utto.

Construction firm in North Cotabato bombed

Unidentified men lobbed a grenade inside a compound of a construction company in Kabacan town in North Cotabato Sunday night. No one was hurt in the blast.

Lt. Col. April Lou Palma, Kabacan police chief, said a CCTV camera caught two of the suspects riding on a motorcycle throwing a grenade inside the compound of Tamontaka Builders in Barangay Poblacion around 7 p.m.

Palma said they are checking if the firm has received extortion letters since an official of Tamontaka Builders told them that they have no known adversaries.