MILF: MILF forces hit government, MNLF troops sneaky attacks in Matalam

From the MILF Website (May 31): MILF forces hit government, MNLF troops sneaky attacks in Matalam

Local troops of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front hit the unabated sneaky attacks being committed by the troops of the Moro National Liberation Front under the Dima Ambil and the forces of the 602nd Brigade Philippine Army under Commander Tomaro, acts demonizing the Resolution reached during the Cotabato Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) Meeting to address the conflict in Matalam, Cotabato.

These attacks were carried out by troops of the Dima Ambil and BGen Tomaro, who are both signatories of the Resolution reached during the Cotabato PPOC Meeting presided over by Governor Lala Talino - Mendoza.

The Resolution was also signed by concerned MILF commander, Gov Talino, Police Provincial Director, Local Monitoring Team, Mayor of LGU Matalam, Datu Jimmy and Norodin Matalam, and the Government Ceasefire Committee last May 23, 2013.

The MILF Ceasefire Committee did not attend the PPOC meeting because it already gave the assurance of full cooperation following instructions from its principal, to the initiatives of the concerned local government units and leaders.

To comply with the Resolution, the MILF forces returned to their respective places of origin yesterday, leaving behind only those who are native and residents of the Matalam. On the contrary, those MNLF forces who were sent as reinforcement did not return to places of origin but stayed with the local troops of Ambil. The troops of the 602nd Brigade also stayed behind.

Unfortunately, soon after the return of the MILF forces to their respective places of origin yesterday, the troops of Ambil attacked the local MILF troops at Barangay Natutungan, which were left behind pursuant to the Resolution. The government soldiers did not do anything being the neutral force in the spirit of protecting the Resolution that was reached through the government initiatives.

At around 4pm today (May 31, 2013), the Dima Ambil troops attacked again the local troops of the MILF at Barangay Natutungan. Worst, the troops of the 602nd Brigade under BGen Tomaro bombarded the MILF troops with 105mm mortars. This artillery strike of the 602nd is totally unbecoming, shameless and deplorable, even as it deliberately disrespected the PPOC Resolution and violated the GPH – MILF Ceasefire Accord.

Firefight in Matalam which had already displaced thousands of civilians started when the group of Datu Dima attacked the local forces of MILF at Barangay Marbel last May 5, 2013. On May 16, 2013, again the group of Datu Dima attacked the local MILF forces and this time troops of the 602nd Brigade that was tasked to be a buffer force backed up the attacked against the local MILF forces.

The MILF Ceasefire Committee made an appeal to all those behind the Resolution through the GPH Ceasefire Committee to act accordingly to the blatant act of disregarding and undermining committed by the troops of Datu Dima and the 602nd Brigade with the their attacks against the MILF local troops.

Supposedly, after the return of the reinforcement troops from both the MILF and MNLF, the return of the thousands of displaced civilians to their respective communities of origin is to be facilitated. But with these unabated offensives of the both the troops of Datu Dima and Gen Tomaro, return of the IDPs will not be happening.

The government troops had been saying that they can control and protect the Resolution reached during the PPOC Meeting but unfortunately they are the ones destroying it and possibly jeopardizing the peace process and ceasefire between the GPH and MILF.  

http://www.luwaran.com/