Military assures security for ARMM infra projects

• Source: http://www.manilatimes.net/military-assures-security-for-armm-infra-projects/359378/
• Sunday, October 29, 2017

By JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL (TMT)

SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao: The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has directed soldiers to guard all multi-million infrastructure projects of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) that are vulnerable to sabotage by Moro militants using poverty and underdevelopment to ignite hatred of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) chief said on Saturday said that the move aimed at ensuring completion of on-going projects in remote areas in the ARMM.

“These projects will improve the lives of people, generate livelihood, give children easy access to schools and make convenient the delivery of health, education, social welfare and other basic services to them. That is what militants do not want to happen,” Galvez said.

The Maute terror group and its allies, the Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), have been opposed to infrastructure projects especially in the remote areas.

ARMM residents said these projects could weaken the influence of these militants especially in the farming communities from where they forcibly collect money for food and other needs.

The militants belonging to the remnants of Maute terrorist group, the Abu Sayyaf Group, and the BIFF are now using the black Islamic State flag as their banners.

Chief Supt. Graciano Mijares, Police Regional Office-ARMM director, said that law enforcement in many far-flung areas is a lot easier now with the new roads and bridges built in the past four years by incumbent ARRM officials.

“Securing on-going infrastructure projects of the ARMM government is a serious concern for us,” Mijares said.

Drone recordings and a matrix obtained from the Department of Public Works and Highways-ARMM (DPWH-ARMM) showed that in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur alone, the DPWH-ARMM has constructed 24 bridges from 2014 to late 2016.

The 24 bridges, costing P686.1-million, now connects once isolated rural communities to town centers where farmers sell their farm produce that in the past rotted in their barns during rainy days in the absence of all-weather road networks.

The office of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman and the DPWH-ARMM built the bridges through the district engineering offices in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, using allocations from the region’s annual infrastructure budget.

Commission on Audit records showed that ARMM spent P211.5-million for the 16 bridges built in Lanao del Sur in the past three years. Eight larger bridges costing P474.5-million were also built in Maguindanao during the same period.

Galvez said officials of component-units of WestMinCom based in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur where the 24 bridges were constructed have noticed dramatic improvements in the lives of local residents.

“That is something violent religious extremists are trying to prevent from happening,” Galvez said.

Soldiers of WestMinCom and the ARMM police tightened security last week in areas where workers are constructing strategic stretches of the P1 billion worth “transcentral road” in Basilan because of threats of attacks by the Abu Sayyaf.

The more than 60-kilometer thoroughfare will traverse the remaining enclaves in Sampinit and Punoh Mahadje areas in Basilan where there are still remnants of the Abu Sayyaf.