Some residents of a remote village in M’lang town in North Cotabato—majority of them Ilonggo settlers—have started arming themselves to protect themselves and their properties from possible attacks by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
But the Ilonggos, contrary to reports, are not members of the Ilaga Movement, an extremist and pro-government paramilitary group organized in the 70's to fight against Moro rebels.
“No, we’re not members of the Ilaga. We are ordinary civilians who wanted to protect ourselves from our attackers, Moro inhabitants coming from nearby town of Kabacan in North Cotabato,” said Armando Tongcua, chairman of Barangay Tibao in M’lang.
On December 26, three of Barangay Tibao’s civilian volunteers and tanods were injured when they engaged in a running gunbattle with attacking BIFF members.
Among those wounded were Tongcua’s brother Nolly; Sonny Catague, barangay tanod who suffered a fracture on his right arm after he was hit by a bullet; and Jomar Magarso, an armed civilian volunteer.
The three were brought to M’lang Specialist Hospital in Poblacion, M’lang, for treatment.
Tongcua said the attackers came from nearby barangays of Cuyapon and Lower Malamote of Kabacan and traveled to Barangay Tibao through pump boats.
He said they have to defend themselves because they believe nobody would.
“There is no Army detachment here,” Tongcua said. “No police outpost. Every time the BIFF rebels attack us, it’s only us who would defend our lands, our properties, our lives. Nobody would, but us.”
Barangay Tibao is situated near the Liguasan marsh, believed to be a bailiwick of the BIFF, a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) opposed to talking peace with the government.
Tongcua said they have been attacked and harassed many times in the past by the BIFF. He also admitted that most of their firearms are unlicensed. “How could we get the licenses for our guns? It’s so costly,” he said.
Tongcua said local officials and police are aware of their use of guns. “Each house here has a gun. Ever since, our residents here would save money just to buy a gun. This is our shield, our protector,” he said.
The report on the arming of the civilians in Barangay Tibao in M’lang came after members of the Ilaga Movement in Midsayap town, also in North Cotabato, have publicly challenged BIFF to a "gun duel."
“Kami ang harapin n’yo at ‘wag ang mga sibilyan,” an Ilaga commander told BIFF in a recent media interview.
The Ilaga officer issued the statement two days after BIFF rebels held hostage hundreds of attendees of a December 24 midnight Mass in a remote village in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato.
Joseph Tapar, station manager of T-FM Radio in Pigcawayan and was among those held hostage inside the chapel, said they were used as human shields by BIFF rebels against the government soldiers pursuing them.
The hostages were later released.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla Jr. told GMA News Online that there have been no recent activities of concern have been monitored from the BIFF so far.
“No violent incidents since the last two days,” he said.
The Philippine Army's 33rd Battalion for its part said 10 civilians were caught in the crossfire between the AFP and the BIFF at the border of Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao.
The AFP is preparing for a counter-offensive against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's breakaway group.
The AFP declared an all-out offensive against the BIFF earlier this year following the infamous Mamasapano massacre, where 44 members of the police's elite Special Action Force were killed.
Over 100 members of the BIFF have been reportedly killed in military offensives
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/549373/news/regions/some-m-lang-residents-arming-themselves-vs-biff
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