8 dead in Basilan clashes

ISABELA CITY – At least three army soldiers and five members of the former rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front were killed in fierce clashes that erupted in the southern Philippine province of Basilan, security officials said Thursday. 

Officials said 15 soldiers and an undetermined number of MILF fighters were also wounded in the clashes in the township of Ungkaya Pukan, a major stronghold of the MILF which signed a peace deal with the government in 2014. 

Thousands of civilians have fled their homes to escape the clashes which broke out on Tuesday, Nov. 8, in the town of Unkaya Pukan and sporadic clashes continued with local media reports claiming that four soldiers had been captured and beheaded by MILF forces, and that one armored personnel carrier was torched by the gunmen.  

But this was strongly denied by Army Lt. Col. Abdurasad Sirajan, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command. “Not true,” he told The Mindanao Examiner without further elaborating. 

MILF 

The MILF has confirmed the fighting that forced nearly 1,500 families to flee from at least six villages. 

“The armed encounter between the Philippine Army's 101st Infantry Brigade and elements of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces on Nov. 8 in Barangay Ulitan in Ungkaya Pukan was an unfortunate incident that no one desired to happen, especially during the implementation of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro and while the peace process' dividends started to be felt by the people,” said Mohagher Iqbal, head of the MILF’s peace panel. 

He called on both sides to immediately stop fighting to prevent the situation from escalating and ensure the safety of the civilians. He also urged the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group, to leave no stone unturned and thoroughly investigate the situation to ensure similar incidents will not happen again.

“Rest assured that, in partnership with the Government Peace Panel, the MILF Peace Panel will strengthen the various peace mechanisms on the ground and implore them to uphold the principle of jointness and ensure that decisions shall always be bilateral in character. I also assure our partners and the peacebuilding community that the MILF is firmly committed to implementing the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro and realizing long-term peace, justice and prosperity in the Bangsamoro,” Iqbal said.

Appeal 

Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman also urged the military and the MILF to cease fighting. “Nanawagan tayo ng isang agarang ceasefire sa pagitan ng mga nagtutungaling puwersa sa aming lalawigan ngayon para sa kaligtasan ng mga mamamayan na maaaring madamay sa palitan ng putukan at para hindi na lumala pa ang sitwasyon,” he said. 

“Ngayon, ang tanong sa ating isipan, bakit nangyari pa ang mga ganitong engkwentro? Buong akala natin ay wala nang giyera sa pagitan ng AFP at MILF dahil may kasunduan na para sa kapayapaan at nariyan na ang Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao na pinamumunuan ng MILF, pero bakit nagkaroon pa ng karahasan sa pagitan ng puwersa ng pamahalaan at MILF?” asked Hataman, whose elder brother Jim Salliman is the provincial governor. 

The 101^st Infantry Brigade and the 1^st Infantry Division have not released any reports or statement about the clashes or what triggered the fighting which occurred the same day that unidentified gunmen killed four people, one of them Abaas Jangkatan, a suspected Abu Sayyaf fighter, in the September 15 ambush of three soldiers in Al-Barka town, also a known stronghold of the MILF. The victims were asleep on a makeshift stage in Lamitan City when the gunmen sprayed them with automatic weapons.

Other reports said an MILF sniper attack on a soldier sparked the fighting in Ulitan village where troops had gathered to check the presence of armed MILF members in the community.  

Ceasefire 

But the Navy Brig. Gen. Arturo Rojas, the acting chief of the Western Mindanao Command, has ordered troops in the Muslim province to strengthen defensive position to avoid further casualties and collateral damage. 

“I ordered the troops to strengthen their defensive position to avoid casualties and collateral damage. Reinforcing units were already identified for contingency and deterrence, however, their deployment as the situation develops and warrants shall be cleared with higher leaderships. Nevertheless, my primary order is to protect the integrity of the peace process and abide by the ceasefire agreement. Rest assured that we are on top of the situation and we are for peace,” he said, adding the military is on top of the situation. 

Rojas said they are now employing ceasefire mechanisms to pacify the situation and have been talking with the members of the MILF and government’s Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities in Basilan. He said David Diciano, Assistant Secretary for Normalization and Vice Chairman of the government Implementing Panel, is now at the Western Mindanao Command to help halt the tension “triggered by miscommunication.”

“We are grateful for the actions currently being undertaken by the BARMM and Basilan LGU to help us contain the situation in order not to escalate. We appeal to the public not to spread gossip and unvalidated information in order not to aggravate the situation,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)