Police: Misa de Gallo in ARMM peaceful

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines - Catholic worship sites in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) where the traditional 'Misa de Gallo' is being held since Monday, have relatively been calm, the ARMM police said.

Chief Supt. Noel Delos Reyes, director of the ARMM regional police, said churches in the five provinces in the autonomous region are being guarded jointly by policemen and members of different Marine and Army units.

“Local officials and Muslim religious leaders have also been helping secure the churches in keeping with the essence of religious solidarity and fraternalism,” Delos Reyes told reporters covering an event at Camp S.K. Pendatun in Parang town in Maguindanao last Monday.

The ARMM covers Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, which are both in mainland Mindanao, the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Lamitan and Marawi, all known hotbeds of religious extremism.

The surroundings of nearby Cotabato City have also been quite since the nine-day dawn Misa de Gallo started on Monday dawn.

Senior Supt. Rolen Balquin, director of the Cotabato City police, said there has not been any incident that affected the religious daily event.

"No untoward incident related to the conduct of the Misa de Gallo has been reported since Monday," Balquin said.

Delos Reyes said dozens of policemen and uniformed Army and Marine combatants are securing the surroundings of Catholic churches in the autonomous region.