The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) would protest before a joint truce panel the recent string of attacks staged by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in the provinces of North Cotabato, Sharif Kabunsuan and Sultan Kudarat.
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said the AFP would file the protest with the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (JCCCH), which monitors the ceasefire between the government and the MILF.
He said they would also make an assessment on whether to declare the MILF’s 104th Base Command as a lawless MILF group, after some of its members were reported to have perpetrated the Christmas eve attacks that left nine people dead and several others wounded.
“We would conduct an assessment on the intelligence and operations aspects, if we could declare the entire 104th Base Command as a lawless MILF group, because they have joined the fray,” he said.
He said this move does not necessarily need the approval of the MILF leadership, adding this could be done once proper charges have been filed in court, similar to what had been done in the case of fugitive commanders Ameril Umbra Kato, Abdurahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo, and Aleem Sulaiman alias Commander Pangalian.
Brawner said that even without the classification, troops would continue to conduct pursuit operations against the rebels who were involved in the latest series of attacks on civilian communities in the area.
A couple of days after the atrocities, MILF rebels continued their rampage in some areas of Central Mindanao, attacking civilian communities and military detachments.
These were, however, repelled by troops and militiamen of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit, who immediately responded to the incidents.
The Christmas eve attacks came at a time when the military claimed to have drastically reduced the capability of the rebel group to mount large-scale offensives.
Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman for the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, said in a phone interview that the participation of some 104th Base Command members could have been motivated by their blood relations with members of the 107th Base Command, who are being hunted by the military after staging attacks in Sarangani province last August.
Meanwhile, authorities have called on Muslim leaders in nearby Polomolok town to support the police in their efforts to prevent the lawless elements of the MILF from again attacking the locality.
In an emergency dialogue Monday morning, Polomolok Mayor Isidro Lumawig and South Cotabato police director Senior Superintendent Robert Kiunisala urged members of the Muslim council of elders in the town to help the police in securing and protecting the lives of residents and government properties against another possible attack from suspected MILF rebels.
“We hope that we could cooperate to ensure peace in this town for the welfare and protection of the people,” Kiunisala appealed to the Muslim leaders during the meeting.
Mayor Lumawig issued the same statement and also appealed to the Muslim community to help them protect the town against criminal elements.
“I hope it will not happen again. Let us bind our arms together for a common purpose, that is, to protect our town from the disturbance of bad elements,” Lumawig said.
The appeal of the two leaders was strongly supported by the Muslim leaders.
Kiunisala called the Muslim leaders to an emergency meeting after suspected MILF rebels fired an M-79 grenade on a police station and gymnasium in Polomolok Sunday night.
Nobody was injured or killed in the attack. – Ramil Bajo