OPAPRU: Swift actions to address ‘rido’ to preserve BARMM peace gains

FILE: Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. attended his first DND-AFP Command Conference as Secretary of National Defense. The activity was presided over by AFP Chief of Staff General Andres Centino at the AFP Commissioned Officers Club in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. (Photos by Pinky Rose Fernandez/ DND, DCommS via Department of National Defense – Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – There is an urgent need to address the root causes of “rido” (clan wars) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as these pose serious peace and security challenges in the region, a government peace adviser said Thursday.

In a statement, Office of the Presidential on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said this is among the instructions of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“We need to address with finality the problem of ‘rido’. This is through the enhancement of our collaboration between the security sector, the BARMM, and our local government units,” he added.

Galvez said “rido” often resulted from land disputes, local politics, and inherited generations of misunderstanding and stereotyping between two feuding clans or groups.

If left unresolved, he said hostilities among the feuding families could escalate and pose a serious threat to the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process.

Galvez said security forces must be supported by a network of proactive, engaged, and informed stakeholders who are able to create platforms for open dialogue and cooperation.

“We need to harness the collective strength of these groups and institutions to address the underlying issues that fuel ‘rido’,” Galvez added.

He also underscored the urgent need to craft a comprehensive approach to address “ridos”, which have undermined peace and development efforts in the BARMM.

“We need to harness the collective strength of these groups and institutions to address the underlying issues that fuel rido. As we know, poverty, lack of economic opportunity, and instability fuel conflict. It is therefore crucial to uplift the lives of our MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) and MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) brothers and sisters, and their camps into zones of peace and development,” he added.

5 years of BARMM peace gains

Galvez, meanwhile, greeted the BARMM and its people on their journey in achieving peace.

“We are not only celebrating the major milestones we have achieved over the past five years since the BARMM’s creation. We are also reflecting on the amazing journey all of us have taken towards achieving genuine peace and sustainable development in the region,” he added.

Since its establishment, Galvez said the BARMM and its leadership has demonstrated remarkable resilience, determination and commitment to uplift the lives of the region’s residents regardless of tribe, religion, or beliefs.

This sense of inclusivity has become the hallmark of the Bangsamoro government, he added.

Galvez said the passage of five BARMM priority codes, the establishment of all seven Inter-Governmental Relations Body mechanisms, and bureaucracy building of the BARMM symbolize the Bangsamoro government’s capacity for effective, moral governance.