LEADERS of the two feuding clans in Hadji Muhammad Ajul, Basilan hug each other after signing a peace agreement on Tuesday. — PHILIPPINE STAR/JOHN FELIX M. UNSON

COTABATO CITY — Two rival factions within the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, engaged in what could be Basilan’s bloodiest “rido,” reconciled on Tuesday, marking a crucial development for the island province’s residents essential to its socio-economic growth. 

The rido, a generic term for clan wars in most Moro languages, was ended through a resolution of the conflict between the groups led by Geon K. Arasad and Tanad S. Nasalon. 

Presidential Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Adviser Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. emphasized the significance of settling the Nasalon-Arasad rido, considering that Basilan is being groomed as the new investment hub in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). 

The senior commanders in the MILF’s 114th Base Command formalized a peace covenant in a symbolic ceremony in Barangay Buton, Hadji Muhammad Ajul town, as disclosed by Brig. Gen. Allan C. Nobleza, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, to reporters on Wednesday. 

Governor Hadjiman H. Salliman, Brig. Gen. Alvin V. Luzon of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade, and provincial police director Col. Carlos T. Madronio played key roles in mediating the resolution between the feuding factions. The longstanding rido, involving control over agricultural lands in Muhammad Ajul, Basilan, began in early 2020, resulting in at least 20 fatalities on both sides. 

Victor Moore I. Ututalum, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Isabela City, welcomed the resolution, expressing optimism about attracting investments to Basilan. 

The peace deal between the warring MILF groups was forged in the presence of key figures, including Mr. Salliman, representatives from Mr. Galvez’s office, Major Gen. Ignatius N. Patrimonio of the anti-terror Joint Task Force Orion, and Mr. Luzon, who leads all Army units in Basilan’s Lamitan and Isabela cities and 11 municipalities. 

Rima H. Hassan, a senior member of the Lamitan City Business Chamber, highlighted the positive impact of the Nasalon-Arasad rido settlement on Basilan’s investment climate, crediting the Basilan Provincial Police Office, the provincial governor, and the 101st Infantry Brigade for their efforts. – John Felix M. Unson  

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