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Lamitan City Hall Employee Shot in Barangay Maganda
Lamitan City, Basilan – A local government employee was gunned down on Tuesday night, September 3, in Sitio Tinambakan, Barangay Maganda, Lamitan City. The victim was identified as Hadji Sahali S. Alki, a resident of the area and an employee of the Lamitan City Hall. Initial reports said Alki sustained at least three gunshot wounds…
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Rift Widens in MILF as More Commanders Defy Central Committee, Back Decommissioning
COTABATO CITY – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is facing widening cracks in its leadership after several base commanders of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF-MILF) openly declared support for the decommissioning process under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), in open defiance of a Central Committee directive. On August 9, 2025, at…
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Loose Firearms Turned Over in Sultan sa Barongis Under SALW Program
SULTAN SA BARONGIS, Maguindanao del Sur — Several loose firearms were formally turned over to the government through the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Program facilitated by the 2nd Mechanized Infantry “Makasag” Battalion, Armor Division, Philippine Army, in partnership with the local government of Sultan sa Barongis (SSB). Among the surrendered firearms were a…
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Mindanao Marks 29 Years of 1996 Peace Pact, Highlights Gains in Development and Unity
COTABATO PROVINCE — Nearly three decades since the signing of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA) between the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Mindanao continues to reap the dividends of peace in the form of economic growth, improved infrastructure, better education, and stronger social cohesion. During the commemoration of the agreement’s…
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Suspect Nabbed in Maguindanao del Sur COMELEC Checkpoint for Election Gun Ban Violation
Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur — Authorities arrested an individual, identified only as alias Moro, for violating the Omnibus Election Code after being caught with a firearm during a Commission on Elections (COMELEC) checkpoint operation on the evening of September 2, 2025. The joint operation was carried out at around 7:30 p.m. in Sitio Malinis,…
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Stakeholders Unite in Push for Lake Lanao Management Act
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur — The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), together with provincial officials and key stakeholders, held a roundtable discussion on Wednesday at the Provincial Capitol’s Social Hall to tackle Parliament Bill No. 352, also known as the “Lake Lanao Management Act.” The session, presided over by MP Atty. Alirakim T. Munder, brought…
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Two Killed in Separate Shootings in Datu Odin Sinsuat Amid Rising Gun Violence
Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte — Two men were killed in separate shooting incidents in this town on the night of September 2, underscoring the alarming rise of gun-related violence in the province despite the ongoing gun ban in the Bangsamoro region ahead of its first parliamentary election. The first incident occurred at around…
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18 Former Extremists Surrender, Receive Aid in Maguindanao del Sur
Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur — Eighteen former violent extremists (FVEs) formally returned to the fold of the law and were presented to Brig. Gen. Jose Vladimir R. Cagara, Commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, Philippine Army, in a ceremony held on Tuesday, September 2, at the headquarters of the 92nd Infantry “Tanglaw…
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LGBTQIA+ Member Found Dead Inside Cemetery in Cotabato City
COTABATO CITY — Authorities are investigating the brutal killing of an LGBTQIA+ community member whose body was discovered inside an open tomb at the Malagapas Public Cemetery, Barangay Rosary Heights 10, on Friday afternoon, August 29, 2025. The victim, identified as Carla Puti, was found around 4:40 p.m. by a cemetery caretaker, who immediately reported…
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MILF Divide Deepens as Commander Bravo, Lanao Leaders Challenge Redistricting Bill Before SC
MANILA — Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Commander Abdullah “Bravo” Macapaar and community leaders from Lanao del Sur have filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to strike down Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 77, or the Redistricting Bill, arguing that it constitutes unfair gerrymandering designed to favor entrenched political dynasties. The petition, filed alongside…