A lawmaker on Monday, Nov. 14, called for a legislative investigation of the encounter between military forces and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Basilan last week.
In a privilege speech during the plenary session at the House of Representatives, Basilan Lone District Rep. Mujiv Hataman also raised questions on the processes involving the peace talks between the two camps.
“I am moving, Mr. Speaker, through this privilege speech, for a legislative investigation on what happened in Basilan, to be referred to the appropriate committee. Let us invite the OPAPRU, the AFP, the PNP and the leadership of the MILF to shed light on what happened,” he said.
The fighting broke out on Tuesday last week, following what the military said was a "miscommunication" between its soldiers and members of the MILF.
At least eight people—three members of the military, four from the MILF, and one civilian—were killed in one of the deadliest clashes there since a landmark peace pact was signed in 2014.
Hataman lamented that the clash between the two camps had to last for two days, and questioned the failure to address the issue right after the first gunfight.
“Was there a breakdown in the approved processes between the AFP and the MILF in this incident?,” Hataman, former governor of the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), asked.
Media outlets, he added, already reported about the gunfight and he called for an immediate ceasefire from the two camps.
READ: Hataman calls for ceasefire in Basilan between military, MILF
“Hindi ba malinaw ang proseso sa magkabilang panig? Wala bang panuntunan na sinusunod kung papasimula pa lamang ang conflict? Wala ba tayong sinusunod na (Isn’t the process between the two camps clear? Wasn’t there a guideline to follow when the conflict had just started? Aren’t we following) guidelines on escalating tensions between combatants?,” the lawmaker asserted.
Violent insurgencies in southern Philippines have threatened peace and stability there for decades, stalling progress and development in one of the country’s richest regions in terms of natural resources.
But in 2014, the government reached a peace deal with the MILF, the largest of the rebel groups there.
Today, MILF leaders have a self-ruled area in the region, including in Basilan, as both camps work on disarming some 40,000 fighters.
As Hataman questioned and condemned the violence last week, he also sympathized with thousands of families who were displaced by the recent conflict.
He also raised the possibility of a comprehensive review and revision of the guidelines for cooperation.
“Pero (But) this time, dapat ma-address ang lahat ng butas ng kasalukuyang panuntunan at magkaroon ng proseso sa lahat ng sitwasyon na maaaring mangyari. Muli, at sasabihin na naman natin ito, hindi na dapat maulit ang ganitong klaseng pangyayari (we need to address all the loopholes of the current guidelines and have a process for all situations that could happen. Again, and we’re going to say this again, this kind of incident should never happen again),” the lawmaker added.
Hataman also inquired about the state of decommissioning the MILF members, which is a part of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
“Ano na nga ba ang (What is the) status nito at bakit parang madami pa rin ang may hawak ng armas? Wala sanang putukan na nangyari kung walang baril na ipuputok (of this and why do a lot still has guns? There would be no gunfight if there are no guns),” he said.