Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief, General Romeo Brawner Jr. honored soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Battalion, 101st Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army on Thursday, Jan. 23, after they survived a bloody ambush in Sumisip, Basilan – an incident that sparked finger-pointing between the military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Brawner presented the Wounded Personnel Medal to the injured troops and assured “full support” to them and their families, including access to the best medical care and assistance to aid their recovery.
“Our soldiers are the backbone of our national defense, and the bravery demonstrated by these personnel exemplifies the true meaning of selflessness and sacrifice,” General Brawner said. “The AFP stands firmly behind them, and we will ensure they are provided with the necessary resources for a full recovery.”
However, the military and the MILF offered differing views on the Jan. 22 ambush that was apparently supported by “misguided” MILF fighters. Two soldiers died and 12 troopers were injured in the ambush. Meanwhile, two gunmen perished and another was hurt on the side of the MILF.
MILF-Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) Chairman Anwar Alamada said the soldiers did not coordinate with them upon entering Barangay Lower Calabeng, which is under the control of the MILF 114th Base Command, around 3:15 p.m. of Jan. 22. The troops were sent to the area to secure it in support of an activity by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
“We have a ceasefire protocol with them. According to our commanders on the ground, the soldiers did not coordinate with them. We flagged their vehicle and told them not to enter the village without coordination because it is a community. The soldiers insisted on entering until a firefight ensued,” Alamada said in Filipino in a radio interview over local station DXMS.
The MILF has a ceasefire agreement with the Philippine government (GPH) as part of efforts to end armed hostilities between the two parties.
“We do not want such things to happen, we don’t tolerate it. The firefight ended around 5:45 p.m. (Jan. 22),” he added.
Brigadier General Alvin Luzon, commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade, insisted that the operation was coordinated by the military with the Joint Peace and Security Committee (JPSC) under the Joint Normalization Committee (JNC) with the support of local leaders.
Basilan Governor Jim Salliman added that the incident was “perpetrated by misguided elements of the MILF out to spoil or destroy the peace and tranquility of the province.”
Brawner said the AFP will file charges against MILF members involved in the attack.
“We will also pursue a case against them. Hindi pwedeng pabayaan na lang natin ito (We just cannot allow this to happen). But as I’ve said, we will do that within the bounds of the law,” the AFP chief said.
Call for calm
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. urged both the AFP and the MILF to cool their heads and find a common ground to resolve the matter.
Galvez said the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) has deployed relevant peace mechanisms, including the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), the Joint Peace and Security Committee (JPSC), the AHJAG, and Joint Peace and Security Teams (JPSTs) to de-escalate tensions on the ground.
“We also call on the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to conduct its investigation and help bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said.