Manila Bulletin
By ALI G. MACABALANG
May 7, 2010, 2:35pm
COTABATO CITY – Various nongovernment organizations backed by government authorities in Sulu have renewed their solidified efforts and resources under a task force in pursuit of their mission to foster honest, orderly, and peaceful elections in the province.
The Ulangig Mindanao Inc. (UMI) and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD) spearheaded the efforts by reconvening the Task Force Kahanungan (TFK) last May 1 in Jolo town, Sulu in an integrated campaign to prevent possible election-related violence in the province.
The TFK binds NGOs and concerned government institutions with a hope to end the traditional reign of tension and feudal politics during elections in Sulu, said task force president Dr. Amildasa Annil.
The UMI and CHD gathered Sulubased officials of the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), Citizens’ Care, Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), D’ Alert Lupah Sug, Suara Mahardika, JPIC, Armed Violence Reduction Initiatives (AVRI), Tumikang Sama Sama, Jaga Lupah Sug, Jaga Kasulutan, BASULTA Youth Federation, Coalition of Muslim Organizations, the military’s Task Force Comet, and the local police during the reorganization meeting.
Participants in the meeting formulated mechanism towards reducing election related violence and crafted short-term communication strategies to raise peoples’ awareness and vigilance on the conduct of honest, orderly, and peaceful elections, Annil said.
The mechanisms and strategies would encourage teamwork with other stakeholders in the May 10, 2010 elections including those visiting foreign observers, he added.
“The CHD and the UMI are concerned with Sulu being labeled one of the election hot-spots in the country.
Armed conflict is unpredictable in the province given the presence of loose civil militia groups and the uncontrollable proliferation of loose firearms,” Vandrazel Birowa, CHD-Sulu Centre manager, said in the conference.
In his opening speech, Annil stressed that “The unresolved family feuds and clan conflicts rooting most of the ‘clan wars’ and widespread arm violence in Sulu perpetuated the problems of human insecurity in the island province.”
“Consistently, the culture of conflict made Sulu’s situation critical and intractable,” he added.
The TFK lauded the complimentary support the Task Force Comet under Marine Brig. Gen. Rustico Guerrero and the local police under regional police director Chief. Supt. Bienvenido Latag, Annil said.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/256314/sulu-organizations-unite-clean-peaceful-polls
