LEADERS of Moro communities in Pangasinan have assured the police of their cooperation to ensure that there will be no sympathizer of Maute-ISIS  in their midst.

This was conveyed by some 80 leaders, including Imams and Ustadz affiliated with the Pangasinan Muslim Association that gathered at the headquarters of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office in Lingayen on Thursday for the Muslim-Christian Peace Building Forum .

The Moro community leaders vowed to closely monitor their ranks to prevent any troublemakers, especially from Mindanao, from seeking sanctuary in Pangasinan.

Those who came for the dialogue were from various Muslim communities based in Pangasinan who expressed sadness over the  bloody siege of Marawi City where fighting between government troopers and the Maute group identified with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) continues.

The dialogue with the police chiefs was presided by P/Senior Superintendent Ronald Lee, provincial director and was attended by P/Superintendent Joseph Ian Lofranco, officer-in-charge at the Salaam Police Center of the Directorate for Police Community Relations in Camp Crame and Ustadz Yunus Abdulmuin, the Salaam Police Center Spiritual Adviser and president of Salaam Engagement Group Philippines.

Lee said the Moro leaders in the province requested for the dialogue also for an opportunity to air their concerns over the welfare of their constituents who are beginning to be discriminated against.

“They want peace and quiet life in the province, and it can stay that way if they make sure that there are no sympathizers in their communities,”  Lee told local media.

Lee assured the dialogue that his command will conduct series of forum with the Moro communities in all towns and cities after the meeting with the Moro leaders.

Lee said it was agreed during the dialogue that volunteer groups will be organized as Salaam supervised by the local police to ensure that there are no sympathizers in their ranks.

“The Moro communities used to have Salaam volunteers, and all that will be needed is to reactivate them,” Lee said.

Datu Maasir of Lingayen who led the contingent and head of Worldlink Muslim-Christian Foundation, called on his members that not to invite any relative in Mindanao involved in crimes, including terrorism, to Pangasinan.

The Moro leaders, who expressed support for the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, also told the forum of the various acts of discrimination that their community members are being made to suffer.

They cited instances of Moros being barred from entering a bank and being rejected to ride passenger jeeps and buses.

Meanwhile, Abdulmuin expressed satisfaction with the results of the forum. “We are assured that there will be peace in the province,” he said.

“Sa dami ng experience when it comes to the incident in Sulu, Basilan and now Marawi, walang religion ang may gusto ng terorismo, we need to stop this, kaya lang we cannot stop, there is no way to stop terrorism but we can avoid it, how to avoid it? Iwasan natin na huwag silang magamit,” Abdulmuin said.

“Muslim brothers in Pangasinan are composed and they want acceptance,” Abdulmuin added.

Lofranco said the forum sought to counter violent extremism that victimize the peaceful loving Moros and encouraged the PPPO to help replicate the work of Salaam police in Camp Crame.

He said “obligasyon ng bawat Muslim brothers na ipaunawa na sila ay Filipino rin.”

The Moro leaders in Pangasinan said they support the declaration of martial law in Mindanao. ( Nora Dominguez/Ding Micua)

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