THE military in partnership with the provincial government of Lanao del Sur has deployed Community Support Program-Preventing Countering Violent Extremism (CSP-PCVE) to address issues on terrorism in far-flung areas of the province.

Col. Jose Maria Cuerpo, II, commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, said the CSP-PCVE teams that were deployed belong to the 55th Infantry Battalion (IB) and 82IB.

Cuerpo said the teams are deployed in far-flung areas around Lanao del Sur to strengthen the resiliency of communities, which are vulnerable to the threats of Dawlah Islamiya-Maute Group (DI-MG) and other natural and man-made catastrophes.

Lanao del Sur 2nd District Board member Abdulmahid Amerbitor, who represented Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong, Jr., and other government and military officials join Cuerpo in the send-off last weekend of the CSP-PCVE teams.

“Ang terrorismo ay resulta lamang ng maling ideolohiya at radical na kaisipan. Hindi ito angkop sa aral ng Islam na isang relihiyon na naguutos ng kapayapaan at kahalagahan ng buhay,” Amerbitor said.

“Itong programa na ito ay para tayong tulay ng ating mga residente ng barangay tungo sa gobyerno. Tutulong tayo upang makamit po natin ang ating hinahanap na kapayapaan at kaunlaran sa probinsya ng Lanao del Sur,” Cuerpo said.

He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines, together with the civilian government, is in its best to protect freedom that ought to be enjoyed by the residents of Lanao del Sur. (SunStar Zamboanga)