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Explosive Hazard Management Center Launched in Cotabato City, Strengthening Safety and Peace Efforts in Bangsamoro
COTABATO CITY — A major boost to public safety and peacebuilding in Mindanao was unveiled on November 28 with the formal launch of the Operation Center for Explosive Hazard Management and Response (OPCEN-EHMR), a centralized hub dedicated to clearing unexploded ordnance (UXOs) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) across the Bangsamoro region. The facility, a key…
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Girl Escapes Suspected Abduction Attempt in Cotabato City; Investigation Underway
COTABATO CITY — A young girl from Central Pilot Elementary School narrowly escaped a suspected abduction attempt today, Tuesday, December 2, after a motorcycle-riding man allegedly tried to force her to ride with him while she was walking home to Manday. According to Barangay Risary Heights 13 (RH-13) officials, the child was already in the…
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10 Former Extremists Yield to 6th Mechanized Battalion; 15 Loose Firearms Also Turned Over in Maguindanao del Norte
BARANGAY PIGCALAGAN, SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao del Norte — Ten former members of violent extremist groups formally surrendered to the 6th Mechanized Infantry (SALAKNIB) Battalion, bringing with them an assortment of high-powered firearms in a significant boost to the government’s peace and reintegration efforts in the region. Nine of the surrenderers were identified as former members…
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Basilan Government Issues Safe Conduct Passes to 54 Amnesty Applicants
Isabela City, Basilan – In a significant move toward peace and reintegration, Gov. Mujiv Hataman and Isabela City Mayor Sitti Djalia “Dadah” Turabin-Hataman, chair of the Local Amnesty Board (LAB), led the ceremonial issuance of safe conduct passes to 54 amnesty applicants on Friday morning at Raayat Hall, Basilan Government Center. Under Presidential Memorandum Order…
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Barangay Chairman, Companion Nabbed in Basilan for Illegal Firearms Possession
LAMITAN CITY, Basilan — A barangay chairman and his associate were arrested during a routine police patrol in Barangay Malinis on November 28, 2025, after authorities discovered multiple high-powered firearms in their possession without the required documents. The suspects were identified as Idris Jama Abdulla, 33, barangay chairman of Sangkahan in Albarka Municipality, and Jaid…
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Ghost Town for a Year: 170 Families Still Displaced as Peace Efforts Intensify in Datu Abdullah Sangki
DATU ABDULLAH SANGKI, Maguindanao del Sur — Once a thriving community, Purok 7 in Barangay Kaya-Kaya has stood as a ghost town for nearly a year after relentless clashes between two feuding armed families forced more than 170 families to flee their homes. Until today, the area remains heavily guarded by military forces, its silence…
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Pregnant Teen Killed in Sultan Kudarat Stabbing; Suspect Husband Linked to Drug Use Arrested
SULTAN KUDARAT, MAGUINDANAO DEL NORTE — A 17-year-old pregnant woman died after being repeatedly stabbed by her husband—who community members say had long struggled with shabu use—in a brutal attack in Barangay Pinaring on Saturday afternoon, November 30. Police identified the victim as alias “An,” who sustained multiple stab wounds across her body. She was…
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Navy Seizes ₱56-Million Worth of Contraband in Back-to-Back Maritime Operations in Tawi-Tawi, Sulu
ZAMBOANGA CITY — Naval forces under the Western Mindanao Naval Command (WESTMINCOM) intercepted a total of ₱56 million worth of smuggled goods in two consecutive maritime patrol and intelligence-driven operations off the waters of Tawi-Tawi and Sulu on November 28 and 29, 2025. In Simandagit Point, Tawi-Tawi, authorities stopped MV FIYYAH, a vessel reportedly coming…
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Smuggling Attempt Foiled in Lanao del Sur; ₱172,700 Worth of Illicit Cigarettes Seized
Authorities in Lanao del Sur intercepted a smuggling attempt on Friday after a coordinated police operation led to the arrest of a suspect and the confiscation of ₱172,700 worth of illicit cigarettes in Brgy. Sumugot. Personnel of the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (1st PMFC) of the Lanao del Sur Police Provincial Office, under PLT…
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Senate Approval of OPAPRU’s ₱8.9-B Budget Seen as Major Push for Peacebuilding and Education in Bangsamoro
PASAY CITY — The Senate’s swift approval of the ₱8.9-billion budget of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) for 2026 is being hailed as a significant milestone in the country’s ongoing peace process—strengthening not only security efforts but also education and socioeconomic transformation in conflict-affected areas. Central to the…