THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Zamboanga Peninsula office, distributed relief goods on Wednesday, October 29, to families displaced by rido-related violence in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan province.
The relief goods, consisting of 2,500 family food packs, arrived in Basilan province via Isabela City on Tuesday afternoon, October 28.
“The family food packs were distributed in coordination with the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the municipal government of Tipo-Tipo,” said Dr. Nur-Khan Istarul, District 2 provincial board member.
Reports showed that 1,700 families, composed of around 7,000 individuals, fled to safer grounds for fear of their safety when lawless elements backed by some members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) clashed with members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) on Tuesday in Barangay Tipo-Tipo Proper, Tipo-Tipo, Basilan.
Police Colonel Cerrazid Umabong, Basilan police director, said the fighting stopped Tuesday afternoon following joint mediation by the provincial government, military, police, and other sectors.
“Our focus now is to assist the displaced families to return home and restore normalcy in Tipo-Tipo,” Umabong said in an interview Wednesday, October 29.
Meanwhile, Dr. Aboulkhair Tarason, Basilan Grand Mufti, said they will strengthen peace advocacy efforts to ensure that peace will prevail in the province.
“We must adhere to the true teachings of Islam,” Tarason said.
Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman has tapped the assistance of the Ulama Council, headed by Tarason, to prevent a repeat of the incident in Tipo-Tipo.
Four people were wounded when fighting erupted Tuesday morning in Tipo-Tipo between lawless elements backed by some MILF members and BPAT members. (SunStar Zamboanga)