PNP, Army stand in between warring MNLF, MILF forces in North Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (may 19): PNP, Army stand in between warring MNLF, MILF forces in North Cotabato
  
Police and Army personnel are now standing in between warring Moro rebel groups in a remote village here while top level efforts to address misunderstanding was underway.

Senior Supt. Elias Dandan, Matalam police chief, said both sides agreed to respect the low level agreement that brought about normalcy in the village of Marbel.

"Tension have subsided, both forces agreed to refrain from attacking or issuing provocative statements to each other," Dandan said, referring to forces of the Moro National Liberation Front headed by Datu Dima Ambil, chair of MNLF in North Cotatato and Commander Manjur of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) 108th base command.

While tension have died down and normalcy slowly returning in the affected communities, both sides accused each other of provoking and violating localized truce.

Ambil said the MILF and the government was to hold an advocacy program for Bangsamoro Framework Agreement in Barangay Marbel. The MNLF agreed and supported it with only one request - no firearms from the MILF.

But on the day the activity was to take place, Ambil said MILF forces came in in full battle gear.

The conflict ensued, leaving one MILF killed and hundreds of families displaced.

The affected families are relatives of MNLF and MILF forces in the area.

Tension subsided after the International Monitoring Team and the Army intervened. A localized truce was forged.

But on May 16, MNLF forces attacked the position of Commander Mansur triggering an overnight exchange of bullets and mortars which left two MILF fighter wounded.

Commander Haji Mansur claimed that Ambil's forces assaulted the MILF forces.

Hadji Mansur’s troops on defensive position stood their ground and had repelled the attacking forces the whole morning.

It also accused the military of siding with the MNLF forces, a claim vehemently denied by Colonel Dickson Hermoso, 6th Infntry Division spokesperson.

Dandan also said the government forces did not take sides and maintained its neutrality for the sake of civilians and the future of the peace process.

The MILF is calling the military to remain a buffer force and take actions only when either side start fighting again.

The military insisted to put up their buffer force in between the feuding parties to ensure that no untoward incident would happen while works for peaceful resolutions are underway.

Officials of the joint coordinating committee on the cessation of hostilities have started laying down rules to prevent similar incident in the future.

Both the MNLF and MILF forces stressed that the conflict was not organizational and more of a "misunderstanding" among local forces.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=525853