A formal declaration ceremony has elevated the Municipality of Panglima Estino in Sulu into the growing roster of communities in the province recognized as Rido-Free, Gun-Free, and Peace-Centered — a milestone that officials say reflects years of coordinated work between government agencies, security forces, religious leaders, and ordinary residents. The event also conferred upon Panglima Estino the Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) designation, a classification that signals a community's readiness to transition from active conflict management to development-oriented civilian governance.
Symbolic Ceremony Marks Community's Peace Journey
The declaration program brought together a broad cross-section of stakeholders, from local elected officials and senior military commanders to community leaders and residents, all gathered to formally affirm Panglima Estino's transformation. The ceremony included several symbolic acts befitting the occasion: the unveiling of an official peace declaration marker, the signing of a peace covenant among key parties, and the release of doves as a representation of unity, reconciliation, and the community's shared aspiration for lasting peace.
Sulu Provincial Governor Abdusakur A. Tan II served as the event's Guest of Honor and Speaker, lending the authority of provincial leadership to the occasion. His attendance was seen as a strong signal of support from civilian governance for the peace gains achieved in the municipality.
Municipal Mayor Benshar S. Estino and Municipal Vice Mayor Morsid M. Estino were likewise present at the ceremony alongside senior figures from the military and police establishment who have been involved in the peace process.
Military and Police Leadership Joins the Ceremony
The security sector's representation at the event was significant. Col. Alex H. Gagula, Deputy Brigade Commander of the 1102nd Infantry Brigade, was in attendance together with PLt. Col. Kris Conrad M. Gutierrez, who serves as Deputy Provincial Director for Operations of the Sulu Provincial Police Office (PPO).
Lt. Col. Ronald A. Borras, Commanding Officer of the 21st Infantry Battalion — one of the units operationally engaged in maintaining security across Sulu — also joined the proceedings. Their collective presence underscored the civil-military-police collaboration that authorities credit as central to Panglima Estino's current state of stability.
According to a statement authenticated by Maj. Genesis S. Dizon of the 11th Infantry "Alakdan" Division Public Affairs Office, the declaration reflects the success of efforts that have gradually transformed conditions in the municipality over recent years.
11ID Commander Highlights Collaborative Approach
Maj. Gen. Leonardo I. Peña, Commander of the 11th Infantry "Alakdan" Division and Joint Task Force Orion, delivered a message during the ceremony that commended all parties involved in achieving the milestone. According to the 11th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office statement, Maj. Gen. Peña praised the unwavering cooperation of local government units, community leaders, and security forces as the driving force behind the peace gains in Panglima Estino.
The general framed the declaration not as a conclusion but as the product of sustained, coordinated work spanning multiple sectors of society. His remarks acknowledged the long and difficult history of Sulu — a province that for decades stood at the center of armed conflict, clan-based violence, and extremism in the southern Philippines — and presented the current declaration as evidence of how far the province has come.
Maj. Gen. Peña's message reinforced the military's position that lasting peace in communities like Panglima Estino is built on cooperation rather than coercion, with all stakeholders playing indispensable roles in the process.
Governor Tan Calls for Continued Vigilance and Unity
In his own address, Governor Tan commended the people of Panglima Estino for their unity and commitment to the peace process. According to the 11th Infantry Division statement, the governor stressed the importance of sustaining the harmony already achieved and called on all stakeholders to continue strengthening their partnerships to preserve and expand upon the gains made.
Governor Tan has been a consistent voice for community-driven peace approaches in Sulu, advocating for processes that complement security operations with genuine engagement from residents, religious figures, and local leaders. His remarks at the Panglima Estino ceremony reinforced this position, reminding those gathered that peace declarations carry weight only when backed by continuous, active commitment from every sector of the community.
The governor's presence and message were particularly meaningful given that Sulu has seen a series of similar declarations across multiple municipalities in recent years — a trend that reflects the province's ongoing, if still fragile, trajectory toward sustained peace.
What SIPS Status Means for Panglima Estino
The Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) classification is a formal designation used by the Philippine government and the security sector to identify localities that have achieved a sufficient level of peace and order to allow primary responsibility to shift from military forces to civilian authorities and local government units. Earning this status typically follows a sustained reduction in armed incidents, successful community conflict resolution, and the disarmament or neutralization of armed threat groups in the area.
For Panglima Estino, achieving SIPS status alongside its Rido-Free and Gun-Free declarations represents a convergence of progress across multiple fronts simultaneously — a combination that authorities say positions the municipality for a more stable, development-focused future.
The 11th Infantry Division noted that Panglima Estino's declaration follows similar milestones achieved in several other Sulu municipalities, adding to what officials describe as a broader and continuing pattern of progress across the province.
Rido Resolution and Disarmament as Core Pillars
Two benchmarks lie at the heart of Panglima Estino's declaration: the resolution of rido, or clan feuds, and the reduction of loose and unlicensed firearms in the community. Both have historically been among the most persistent drivers of violence not only in Sulu but across Muslim Mindanao more broadly.
Rido is a deeply rooted tradition of retaliatory conflict between clans, distinct in character from politically or ideologically motivated armed violence. Resolving rido requires sustained community engagement, mediation by respected traditional and religious figures, and the patient involvement of local authorities — processes that cannot be reduced to purely security-based solutions.
The gun-free component addresses the longstanding problem of loose firearms, which security authorities have consistently identified as a key enabler of both clan violence and armed group activity. Reducing the presence of unregistered and unlicensed weapons is widely regarded as a critical step in ensuring that community disputes are resolved through dialogue rather than armed confrontation — a shift that Panglima Estino's declaration now formally recognizes as achieved.
A Whole-of-Community Achievement
The 11th Infantry Division, in its official statement, described the Panglima Estino declaration as a testament to the continuing efforts of the government, the security sector, and local communities in promoting peace, security, and development throughout Sulu. Officials emphasized that the achievement belongs not to any single institution but to the collective will of everyone who contributed to building and sustaining the conditions that made the declaration possible.
For a province that spent much of recent decades defined by conflict, each municipality that achieves such a declaration represents a concrete step toward a different future — one in which communities are recognized not for the violence they have endured, but for the peace they have chosen to build.
Originally reported by: Philippine News Agency / 11th Infantry "Alakdan" Division Public Affairs Office