ZAMBOANGA CITY - Four persons were wounded and some 7,000 individuals have fled their homes due to ongoing skirmishes between government forces and lawless elements and Moro Islamic Liberation Front supporters in Tipo Tipo town, Basilan province on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

The unidentified victims were brought to the Lamitan District Hospital in Lamitan City, Basilan.

One-thousand, four-hundred families have fled their homes in Barangay Baginda and Tipo Tipo Proper based on information released by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

In a press statement, Basilan Gov. Mujiv Hataman stressed the need for continuous efforts to address the root of the conflict and maintain dialogue.

Hataman denied an escalation of tensions the night before.

“We had discussions until midnight, agreeing to wait for a joint letter assuring the family that the government would take the necessary steps to ensure justice,” Hataman said.

"The commitment made to us last night was that they would wait for our written assurance. This morning, before our meeting at 8 a.m., there was sporadic gunfire starting at 7 a.m. However, our team has successfully re-entered the area, and we hope for a calm resolution,” Hataman said.

A delegation composed of three MILF commanders, representatives from the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), and a provincial government representative are currently in Tipo-Tipo Proper for further coordination.

Tensions stemmed from the murder of an Islamic teacher and Baginda barangay kagawad, identified as an MILF member and sympathizer, in a bus terminal in Lamitan City on Oct. 21.

Two suspects were initially held by police, but the MILF is hunting down and attempting to apprehend another suspect in Barangay Baginda.

The third suspect is reportedly connected to the municipal government’s security.

Hataman reiterated the importance of due process. “We have advised the MILF to wait for the investigation to be completed.”

He confirmed that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is investigating the incident but no clear suspects have been identified yet.

The governor noted that both sides reported similar accounts of being fired upon during the incident and urged a focus on normalizing the situation rather than assigning blame. "We are awaiting the final report from those involved," he added.

"Our soldiers and police are committed to maintaining maximum tolerance. We are observing our agreement as long as the situation remains outside the municipal and school premises. However, if there is an attempt to breach the municipality, that would be a different matter."