40 former Abu bandits given new houses

BASILAN, Philippines — Forty former Abu Sayyaf bandits who earlier surrendered to authorities were given new houses in Tipo-Tipo town here on Saturday.

The houses, given under the Program Against Violent Extremism, were built by the executive department of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao through the Bangsamoro regional inclusive development for growth and empowerment, or the ARMM-BRIDGE program.

More than 200 members of the bandit group have surrendered in the past two years through the efforts of the ARMM regional peace and order council, the police and military.

Outgoing ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, Col. Fernando Reyeg of the Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade, Soler Undug of the Basilan District Engineering Office (BDEO) and representatives from the provincial government witnessed the turnover of the houses.

The BDEO helped oversee the construction of the ARMM-BRIDGE houses in all towns in Basilan as well as in Lamitan City.

The former bandits are being reintegrated into society through the help of local officials, agencies under Hataman’s office and the Western Mindanao Command.

The ARMM-BRIDGE constructed no fewer than a thousand houses in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in the past two years.

It also rations food on a periodic basis to malnourished children in war-torn villages in Basilan.