PEACEKEEPERS | A send-off ceremony is held at Camp Salipada K Pendatun, Parang, Maguindanao del Norte, on Jan. 15, 2024, for the four companies of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force to be deployed in Lanao del Sur towns and Marawi City to help improve the security in those areas. (Photo from the BARMM Police Regional Office)
PARANG, Maguindanao del Norte, Philippines — The Philippine National Police in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Tuesday deployed four companies of its Special Action Force (SAF) to augment existing security forces maintaining law and order in Lanao del Sur.
Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza, police regional director for BARMM, led the send-off ceremony at Camp Brigadier General Salipada K Pendatun, Parang, Maguindanao del Norte for the 4th Special Action Battalion, Special Action Force.
Of the four SAF companies, the 45th Special Action Company troopers will be stationed inside Marawi City’s Mindanao State University (MSU) to secure the academic institution, following the Dec. 3 bombing of its Mohammad Ali Dimaporo gymnasium that killed four people and wounded 50 others.
Nobleza said he hoped that with the deployment of more troops, the bombing incident would not happen again.
Police have identified the suspects in the MSU gymnasium bombing as members of the Maute terror group and the Dawlah Islamiya.
“There are gaps in terms of security in Lanao del Sur that is why we need to fill in,” Nobleza said during the send-off ceremonies for about 160 SAF troopers.
Biggest threats
Aside from the 45th Special Action Company, the 41st, 43rd, 44th Special Action Companies were also sent to the towns of Malabang, Masiu and Marantao.
Police regard the remnants of the Maute terrorist group that laid siege sections of the Marawi City in 2017, triggering the five-month fighting with government troop, and the Dawlah Islamiya as the biggest security threats in Lanao del Sur and Marawi City.
“With the presence of SAF, the security in Lanao del Sur will improve,” Nobleza said. “When the security improves, there will be economic activities and the community will also improve,” he added.
Nobleza said he remained hopeful that threat groups operating in Lanao del Sur would abandon violent extremism once they realized life would be better when the peace and security situation stabilized in the area, leading to a productive and meaningful life for them and their families.