AFP violating ceasefire pact, says MILF
COTABATO CITY—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) accused the military of war posturing and violation of the existing ceasefire agreement by deploying troops “in full battle gears” near rebel-identified areas in Maguindanao province.
“This nature of uncoordinated movement can trigger untoward incident and worst fierce encounter between the government and MILF forces,” Rasid Ladiasan, head of the MILF ceasefire secretariat, said in a media statement on Saturday.
Ladiasan said heavy troop movement on the side of the military was monitored near MILF camps in Datu Unsay, Datu Saudi and Datu Piang towns in Maguindanao starting Saturday morning.
He said the “uncoordinated” massive movements, as reported by MILF field commanders, were monitored in the adjacent villages of Kitango, Tatapan, Kitapok, Maitumaig and Pagatin, which form part of the three towns. Even civilians plying Cotabato-General Santos Highway also witnessed military trucks moving into the said towns, he said.
Ladiasan pointed out that under the 1997 GPH-MILF ceasefire accord, massive troop movements in areas near MILF camps should be coordinated with the joint GPH-MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group.
“Clearly any major movement that is not [a] normal administrative function like this case constitutes a ceasefire violation when the CCCHs did not coordinate. Government forces know this very well but unfortunately they acted in contravention,” Ladiasan said.
Because the MILF was not informed beforehand, it treats the “uncoordinated” movements as “provocative,” he said.
“We do not want any tension or confrontational situation to grip in between the MILF and government forces, otherwise we are being remiss with our responsibility,” he said.
“The MILF CCCH is going to file a strong protest on this incident as the proper way to address this situation,” he added.
Ladiasan said the MILF had also appealed to the government ceasefire team, headed by Brig. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., to enhance coordination—especially at this time when the government and the MILF are confronting major challenges on the Bangsamoro Basic Law following the review and changes made by the government review team on the draft that the Bangsamoro Transition Commission had submitted to Malacañang.
Efforts to reach the military commander, who has jurisdiction over Maguindanao, has repeatedly failed.
But as early as last week, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson Col. Dickson Hermoso made public the military’s intention to deploy more soldiers against Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) gunmen responsible for a series of harassment of government troops in Maguindanao and the nearby province of North Cotabato.
At least 18 people, 17 BIFF men and one soldier, were killed in the violence that started on July 21. Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao
