Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. has met with Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), to discuss areas of cooperation that will further improve the security situation in Mindanao.

Acorda said Ebrahim’s visit on Friday in Camp Crame was part of the BARMM’s officials’ commitment to peace and order in the region amid the recent incident in Muslim when a police officer was wounded and several cops and soldiers were wounded in a clash with a former vice mayor of Maimbung town.

“It was an official visit and at the same time to renew commitment in the path of peace especially in the BARMM area. We in the PNP recognized all the mechanisms that are in place as far as the peace and order situation in the area is concerned,” Acorda said in a statement on Saturday.

“We also renewed our cooperation and active coordination. The real purpose for this is the de-escalation of hostilities in Mindanao and if possible, if we can put up some developments there without necessarily the cost of lives and other hostilities in the area.”

The service of arrest warrants against Pando Mudjasan led to a fierce gun battle and resulted in more than 6,000 local residents being forced to flee their homes.

The incident was blamed on lack of coordination.

Mudjasan is still at large and the PNP is coordinating with BARMM for the conduct of pursuit operations.

Acorda and Ebrahim also discussed security preparations for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections slated Oct. 30.

“That is also one of the discussions that we had earlier together with the BARMM officials na kami magtutulungan (that we help each other out). So we identified some areas medyo na may nakikita natin na mga (where we see the) presence of threat groups,” Acorda said.

Ebrahim assured the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines that they will their best to maintain peace and order in the region.

“We all know that in the past years, BARMM has been very unstable. But now, gradually we are now returning to normal. We are assuring the PNP that we will help in the implementation of the peace and order situation in the area,” Ebrahim was quoted by the PNP. (PNA)

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