Maguindanao Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu (Photo courtesy of NDBC Cotabato)
COTABATO CITY -- A Maguindanao solon on Sunday called on feuding factions of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) to spare the communities in their ongoing gun battles in the province’s second district.
Maguindanao (2nd District) Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu made the call after the escalation of atrocities the past two days between the MILF national guards and members of the Islamic State-linked faction of Salahudin Hassan in the interiors of Shariff Saydona Mustapha municipality.
“I am appealing to our fellow brothers, especially to the BIFF, to lay down their weapons and think about the countless civilians that could be affected as they trade bullets,” Mangudadatu said in a statement.
Military and police intelligence reports said seven MILF members and four BIFF radicals were so far killed in the conflict that started Friday in Sitio Tinolusan, Barangay Dasawao, Shariff Saydona Mustapha.
Three more BIFF militants were reported wounded in the skirmishes.
Maj. Gen. Diosdado Carreon, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander, earlier said the conflict stemmed from a long-standing grudge between the MILF and BIFF forces in the area.
He maintained that they would only step into the fray if the MILF calls for assistance, considering that those involved in the atrocities are families and relatives divided between the warring factions.
Carreon noted that military forces are on standby in the fringes of Shariff Saydona Mustapha to prevent spillover of the conflict to nearby areas.
“I call for sobriety for both groups. Put down your arms, sit down, and engage in meaningful dialogues,” Mangudadatu said, adding that decades of war in the province has not solved anything but has only brought destruction.
He said it is also high time for the BIFF to reintegrate themselves into society and lead fruitful, productive civilian lives like those of the decommissioned MILF members.
“They (BIFF) too can have the same privilege,” he said.
Mangudadatu encouraged the BIFF to take advantage of the government’s socio-economic programs under the peace agreement signed by the government and the MILF.
Part of the government’s reform package for decommissioned MILF members is for them to hone their desired livelihood skills under the guidance of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
The decommissioned MILF fighters also receive aid packages and cash grants from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Mangudadatu said the cycle of violence has long plagued the province, stunting its growth and making life miserable for the affected communities.
“I pray to Allah (God) to make us all instrumental in ending this. Let us break this chain together,” he said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1082400
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