First-ever visit by peace observers seen to boost investments in Basilan

BASILAN, Philippines — Foreign military observers who have been in Mindanao since 2004 for the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front visited Basilan for the first time on Tuesday, a development that local officials said will help bring in investors.

Members of the Malaysia-led International Monitoring Team met Gov. Jim Salliman at the provincial capitol in Isabela City on Tuesday.

The IMT is comprised of military, police and conflict resolution experts from Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Japan, Norway and the European Union.

Malaysian Army Major Gen. Dato Yacob Bin Samiran, IMT head, led the delegation that visited Isabela City.

Salliman said the IMT's visit to Basilan complemented local government efforts to show that the province is now peaceful.

"This will somehow make strong the impression that we have peace now in the province and foreign investors are safe if they come to put up viable agricultural ventures around," Salliman said.

"That is good for the peace process. It will surely build strong coordination between the IMT and the provincial government of Basilan," Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said Wednesday.

Salliman and his brother, Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman, are staunch supporters of the Bangsamoro peace process meant to put a closure to the now five-decade Moro secessionist issue.

Salliman said he has been initiating dialogues with local commanders of the MILF as part of a provincial security campaign aimed at maintaining the cordiality between them and his administration. 

Sobejana said the visit by IMT officials can help attract investors from Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

"It can somehow make an impression that they too can go to Basilan and put up viable businesses in the province," he said.