AFP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–The head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) ceasefire monitoring committee had sent text messages desperately seeking a cessation of hostilities six to seven hours before members of the police 55th Special Action Company (SAC) were decimated in Tukanalipao, Mamasapano.
Based on a report by the Philippine Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) to the House of Representatives, MILF-CCCH chair Rasid Ladiasan sent two text messages calling for a ceasefire in the early morning of Jan. 25 after being informed of a firefight.
Ladiasan’s first message was sent to the Philippine CCCH chair, Brig. Gen. Carlito Galvez, and secretariat head Carlos Sol at 6:38 a.m.: “Salam bro, firefight erupted between the AFP and the 105 BC at Tukanalipao, Mamasapano. The AFP troops moved in without any coordination and this is difficult to control to avoid encounters between our forces when there is no coordination. This is clearly disregarding and violating the ceasefire. Now with that situation the only option is to cease fire otherwise it will escalate further.”
His second message was sent to Sol at 6:42 a.m.: “We have to cease fire brother before it’s too late. What if we go to the area, you and your staff. Also the IMT you can invite them.” He would learn later that the MILF was engaged in a firefight with the Special Action Force (SAF) and not the Army.
At 7:30 a.m., the joint ceasefire crisis team was formed with Ladiasan, Galvez, Sol and the international monitoring team chief William Hovland to negotiate a ceasefire, separate the contending forces, assist in evacuating casualties, assess the situation of internally displaced persons and stabilize the situation.
Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, head of the Philippine peace panel, was informed of the developing situation at this point.
The team assembled at 9 a.m. in Cotabato City and traveled 60 kilometers to Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, to meet MILF base commanders Zacaria Goma of the 105th Base Command (BC) and Ustadz Wahid Tundok of 118th BC.
Galvez, who was on his way after meeting with the Army’s top brass, sent a text message at 10:34 a.m : “We already gave advice to PNP to ceasefire. Request 105th BC to ceasefire.”
The crisis team finally met face to face with Tundok and Goma at noon.
The group agreed to form two teams, with the first team, including Tundok going to Tukanalipao to inform MILF subcommanders about the ceasefire.
The second team of Ladiasan and Hovland were deployed to meet with the AFP and PNP in Tuka, Mamasapano. Goma stayed behind at his home where they had the meeting.
The two teams reached their destinations at 12:10 p.m. and 12:55 p.m., respectively. Both groups took cover after hearing sporadic fire which delayed further their mission to call for a ceasefire.
The team reached Tukanalipao at 3:30 p.m. where 32 bodies of SAF members were found.
“By this time the 105th BC had completely pulled out. This allowed both groups of the crisis team, together with Tukanalipao barangay (village) officials to enter the site. They found cadavers scattered on the ground and in the nearby river. The group also noticed a group of armed men in the immediate vicinity who were later identified as belonging to BIFF under Commanders Bisaya and Indal.”
Based on sacked SAF Director Getulio Napeñas’ account, the last radio call from the 55th SAC was at 1 p.m. The SAF commandos had been dead three hours before the crisis team reached the battle zone.
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