Maguindanao town back to normal as feuding MILF factions leave

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines - Normalcy started returning to the strife-torn Barangay Bakat in Rajah Buayan town after two rival Moro factions that squabbled for control of the area agreed to leave Friday through the intercession of local officials and senior leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The spate of hostilities between the two groups, one from the MILF’s 105th Base Command, and the other from the front’s 106th Base Command, erupted almost two weeks ago, and dislocated close to 300 Moro families in Barangay Bakat and surrounding districts.

Rajah Buayan Mayor Zamzamin Ampatuan, chairman of the municipal peace and order council, said the tension that gripped Barangay Bakat since the two groups started fighting each other using assault rifles and shoulder-fire 40 MM grenades waned Friday after the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces deployed a peacekeeping contingent in the area.

Ampatuan said the MILF’s peacekeeping initiative is being properly coordinated with the joint ceasefire committee, which is comprised of representatives from the rebel group, from the Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces.

The central leadership of the MILF deployed the task force in Barangay Bakat to help the Rajah Buayan local government maintain law and order in the area, and work out the return of evacuees.

“The situation in Barangay Bakat has normalized. The peacekeeping task force is now in control of the conflict stricken-area,” Ampatuan said.

Ampatuan said he is grateful to local religious and traditional leaders for helping convince the feuding rebel groups to reposition away from Barangay Bakat to hasten the return of Moro families driven away by hostilities.

Ampatuan said the multi-sectoral municipal peace and order council, the MILF leadership, and local Islamic clerics, and traditional community leaders are now cooperating in addressing the security issues in Barangay Bakat to prevent a repeat of the recent armed conflicts that rocked the area.