In Basilan, 2 dead as MILF fighters ambush soldiers
ZAMBOANGA CITY—Government leaders condemned the ambush staged by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) against Army soldiers in Sumisip town, Basilan, on Wednesday, in the most serious slide to violence against each other since the landmark peace deal in 2014.
The Army’s 32nd Infantry Battalion lost two soldiers in the ambush while 12 others were wounded as they clashed for almost an hour with armed men belonging to the 114th Base Command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the MILF’s armed wing that is set to be decommissioned in keeping with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro that the group signed with the government in 2014.
According to Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, commander of the Army’s 101st Brigade, the soldiers were escorting personnel of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Barangay Lower Cabengbeng for a project intended to help former Moro fighters and their community.
Prior to the community visit, Basilan Gov. Jim Hataman-Salliman met with high ranking personnel of the UNDP and the European Union, institutions that are strong supporters of postconflict development initiatives in the province and throughout the Bangsamoro region.
Coordination mix-up?
An MILF official said the “unfortunate incident” happened because the soldiers did not coordinate their entry into the community with the BIAF leadership in the area.
Anwar Alamada, chair of the MILF contingent to the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG), told the Inquirer that MILF members in Lower Cabengbeng were surprised when they noticed the presence of soldiers in their community.
“There was no coordination even in the barangay, which is an MILF community,” Alamada said.
“Our troops coordinated with the Army soldiers not to enter without [prior] coordination because the area is an MILF community. The soldiers insisted and the encounter erupted,” he told the Oblates-owned dxMS radio station in Cotabato City, adding that an MILF member was also wounded in the clash.
But Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, commander of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, belied Alamada’s claims, saying the activities of the UNDP from Jan. 21 to Jan. 24 in different communities in Basilan, including once rebel strongholds, were communicated beforehand with the Joint Normalization Committee that had contingents from both the government and the MILF.
Luzon told the Inquirer that UNDP personnel, escorted by soldiers, were able to enter Lower Cabengbeng early afternoon with no untoward incident. But as the UNDP personnel left and the soldiers prepared to follow in a convoy, armed men fired at them from just 100 meters.
What surprised the soldiers, according to Luzon, was that more armed men came to the area to engage in a gunfight. The clash stopped around 5 p.m., upon the efforts of the MILF leaders in the area, said Luzon.
Legitimate security ops
The Army lost a KM450 truck during the attack which happened amid “a legitimate security operation in support of the UNDP,” said Luzon.
In several videos circulating on social media, the armed men, some in fatigue uniforms similar to those worn by BIAF members, burned a military truck amid chants of “Allahu Akbar.” Several other men used the burning military truck as backdrop for celebratory groupies and selfies.
Luzon identified those who led the attack as Najal Buena and Hajel Jalis who are “notorious for [their] involvement in violent conflicts [like rido] in the area.”
“I strongly condemn the unfortunate incident in Basilan on Wednesday … This cowardly act was perpetrated by lawless armed men who intend to derail the peace process that Basilan is now starting to enjoy. My deepest sympathies go out to the families of the fallen soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace,” Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a statement on Thursday.
Galvez said they are “immediately deploying all relevant peace mechanisms … to deescalate tensions on the ground and facilitate a swift and impartial investigation to establish the facts and circumstances of the incident.”
These mechanisms include the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, the Joint Peace and Security Committee, the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group and Joint Peace and Security Teams.
Justice
“We also call on the leadership of the [MILF] to conduct its own investigation and help bring the perpetrators to justice. We are reassuring the people of Basilan of the government’s commitment to peace, justice and security,” Galvez pointed out.
“As part of our firm resolve to sustain the hard-earned peace and progress in Basilan, we are working closely with local government units and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of this treacherous act face the full consequences of their actions and justice be served to our fallen heroes,” Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, the Philippine Army chief, said.
Salliman also condemned the attack which, he said, is “perpetrated by misguided elements of the MILF out to spoil or destroy the peace and tranquility of the province.”
“We call upon the MILF leadership in Basilan and the security forces to find a common ground that would resolve the issue and prevent a repeat of the incident in the future,” he added.
Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman had called on the government and the MILF “to consciously review the terms of peace agreements and mechanisms that have been in place for decades, and to conduct a just and thorough investigation following the armed encounter.”
“We cannot lose the gains we have won through the ongoing peace process, nor can we afford the collapse of peace and security anywhere in the Bangsamoro region,” Hataman added.
In a statement, Bangsamoro interim Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim called on both sides to avoid doing actions or issuing statements that may exacerbate tensions.
“We urge all parties to remain calm as we work toward addressing this incident through appropriate channels,” said Ebrahim, referring to the established peace mechanisms.
Ebrahim noted that these were “the best platforms to resolve the matter,” having been “instrumental in maintaining peace and stability and ensuring accountability on all sides.”
On Thursday, AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. visited the wounded soldiers in Basilan then flew to Zamboanga City to visit the others confined in hospitals there and condoled with the families of the two slain soldiers.
Brawner also held a command conference with regional military officials. —WITH REPORTS FROM BONG S. SARMIENTO, DREMA Q. BRAVO AND NESTOR CORRALES
