Malaysian peacekeepers pay their courtesy call to Sulu Governor Nurunisah Tan at the Provincial Capitol in Patikul town. The Malaysians also met with former Governor Sakur Tan. (Sulu Provincial Government Photos)
SULU – Malaysian members of the International Monitoring Team have visited Sulu province recently and met with Vice Governor Nurunisah Tan as part of their courtesy call, government officials said.
The team, composed of Major General Datuk Wira Zamrose bin Mohd Zain, Colonel Mohd Zaki bin Abu, Lieutenant Commander Syamer bin Usdon, Major Mohd Noor Yasdie bin Yahya, Karamuddin bin Sulaiman, Mohd Nor Akmal Danish bin Abdul Rahim Liarba, Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah and Abdul Jafri bin Mohd Sharif.
They were accompanied by Corporal Richard Anthony Abbu and Private First Class Jolibert Tupaz, Lieutenant Colonel Abdurasad Sirajan and Staff Sergeant Philip Villamar, all from the Philippine Army.
They also met with former Sulu Governor Sakur Tan and thanked him and the current governor and the provincial government for the continued support to the IMT and the peace process, and exchanged tokens.
The former governor, who also became a vice governor in Sulu, and Governor Nurunisah Tan expressed appreciation to the visiting IMT team and cited the strong economic ties and enduring bond of friendship that exists between the Tausug and the Malaysians.
The foreigners also thanked Governor Nurunisah for her strong peace advocacy in the province and for her unwavering support to the peace process. The IMT members toured the Rajah Baguinda Shrine in Indanan town.
The IMT – made up of at least 60 members from other countries - started its official deployment in Mindanao on October 10, 2004 to monitor the peace negotiations and compliance of ceasefire agreements between Muslim rebel groups and the Philippine government. (Ahl-franzie Salinas)
