Security in Lamitan, Basilan improving

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Basilan’s capital Lamitan City has started bouncing back from recent hostilities and bombings that rocked the area and unduly caused underdevelopment in far-flung communities.

Lamitan City is home to mixed Muslim and Christian residents now trying their best to address together domestic peace and security issues through interfaith solidarity and continuing dialogues in support of the Mindanao peace process.

Never has security been felt better by the culturally diverse folks in Lamitan City until local officials, as if 'testing the waters,' opened to the public every night since Thursday the city hall grounds, lit with colourful Christmas lights, adorned with decors.

Lamitan City Mayor Rose Furigay, who led the launching of the night park, said Muslim and Christian folks have peacefully been whiling away time at the city hall compound from dusk to until late at night.

Lamitan City is the capital of the island province of Basilan, a component area of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Furigay said city residents have gradually been reeling off from tension caused by recent bombings, and the September 2013 attempt by rouge Moro rebels to intrude simultaneously into several barangays, while followers of Nur Misuari laid siege in Zamboanga City.

The zeal of Furigay and her constituent-community leaders to spruce up the surroundings of the city government compound was not dampened by security issues, such as possible sabotage by extremists and other lawless groups trying to sow terror among the local communities.

City residents have been used to armed conflicts, having witnessed in years past deadly encounters between Moro groups and government security forces.

Local folks, particularly members of the business community, have also been gripped by fear of abductions by kidnap-for-ransom gangs in surrounding towns for many years now.

“But we have been succeeding lately in addressing the peace and security issues besetting our city. We ought to thank the barangay leaders and their constituents for helping the city government address all of these problems squarely,” Furigay said.

Furigay said the city government is grateful to the military and the police for continuously providing protection to barangay folks.

Lamitan City now boasts of infrastructures being built by the office of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, through the regional government’s public works department.

“In the meantime, our main concern is how to maintain the momentum of the Muslim-Christian unity in Lamitan,” Furigay said.