DISPLACED. Suraiya Buisan, the secretary of Barangay Babag, Bubuan Island, Tabuan-Lasa, Basilan, is dismayed upon seeing her office in total disarray, when she visited the village Monday (Jan. 13, 2020) a week after a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front attack another MNLF community in the village. The village's health center and several houses were also ransacked by the attackers, village officials claim. (PNA photo by Teofilo P. Garcia Jr.)
TABUAN-LASA, Basilan -- The municipal government here said it has continued to provide assistance to families who were displaced following an attack recently by a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) on an MNLF community in Barangay Babag, Bubuan Island, one of the four islands in this town.
Suraiya Buisan, secretary of Barangay Babag, told the Philippine News Agency Monday that some 500 families were displaced by the attack on the village that took place on January 5.
Some 180 families, including that of Buisan, fled to Lanawan Island, Buisan said, adding they are currently housed in Barangay Kaumpurnah, one of the two barangays in the island. Aside from Lanawan and Bubuan, the other two islands of this town are Tapiantana and Saluping.
Buisan said the other affected families have fled to Maluso and Isabela City in this province’s mainland, Tapiantana Island, and in Barangays Boloh-Boloh and Suligan in Bubuan Island.
Mayor Brenda Junaid said they periodically provide food and medical assistance to the 180 families who are currently housed in Barangay Kaumpurnah.
“We need to help them since they have lost everything,” Junaid said.
“Some of them here (in Kaumpurnah), we retrieved them on that hill,” said a policeman, who asked not to be identified, while pointing to a hill in Bubuan Island.
Buisan said most of them fled empty-handed for fear of their lives at the height of the firefight.
Officials said the attack resulted in the death of Stalin Mukahil, the leader of the Babuan-based MNLF community, and his cousin, Basit Kangal.
Buisan said the attackers, comprising around 100 heavily-armed men, were led by Jama Mohammad Sandung.
“The two factions were supposed to meet Monday (January 6) to fix a problem between them, but they (Sandung’s group) attacked on Sunday,” Buisan said citing they don’t know what problem they have to address.
She said the attack triggered another firefight that only stopped Tuesday morning (January 7), adding that to their dismay, their houses were ransacked by the attackers.
Buisan said the residents, who engaged in fishing to make a living, lost their livelihood, claiming the attackers took their motorized bancas.
Buisan said she was dismayed upon seeing her office at the Barangay Hall and her store nearby in total disarray.
“I lost my jewelries and personal money, which I hid in my drawer,” Buisan said.
Buisan also found the health center of the barangay in total disarray.
Barangay Babag, which comprises of seven sitios, is now virtually a ghost barangay as the displaced residents refused to return home despite the deployed of peacekeeping forces in the village.
Currently, peacekeeping forces comprising of the Army’s 14th Special Forces Company and a 15-man MNLF team led by Commander Jimpoy Rodin from Lantawan town, this province, are stationed in Barangay Babag.
The government forces were deployed to Barangay Babag on January 8 (Wednesday) while that of the MNLF on Sunday, January 12.
According to the 2015 census, Tabuan-Lasa has a population of 24,188 people.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1090829
TABUAN-LASA, Basilan -- The municipal government here said it has continued to provide assistance to families who were displaced following an attack recently by a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) on an MNLF community in Barangay Babag, Bubuan Island, one of the four islands in this town.
Suraiya Buisan, secretary of Barangay Babag, told the Philippine News Agency Monday that some 500 families were displaced by the attack on the village that took place on January 5.
Some 180 families, including that of Buisan, fled to Lanawan Island, Buisan said, adding they are currently housed in Barangay Kaumpurnah, one of the two barangays in the island. Aside from Lanawan and Bubuan, the other two islands of this town are Tapiantana and Saluping.
Buisan said the other affected families have fled to Maluso and Isabela City in this province’s mainland, Tapiantana Island, and in Barangays Boloh-Boloh and Suligan in Bubuan Island.
Mayor Brenda Junaid said they periodically provide food and medical assistance to the 180 families who are currently housed in Barangay Kaumpurnah.
“We need to help them since they have lost everything,” Junaid said.
“Some of them here (in Kaumpurnah), we retrieved them on that hill,” said a policeman, who asked not to be identified, while pointing to a hill in Bubuan Island.
Buisan said most of them fled empty-handed for fear of their lives at the height of the firefight.
Officials said the attack resulted in the death of Stalin Mukahil, the leader of the Babuan-based MNLF community, and his cousin, Basit Kangal.
Buisan said the attackers, comprising around 100 heavily-armed men, were led by Jama Mohammad Sandung.
“The two factions were supposed to meet Monday (January 6) to fix a problem between them, but they (Sandung’s group) attacked on Sunday,” Buisan said citing they don’t know what problem they have to address.
She said the attack triggered another firefight that only stopped Tuesday morning (January 7), adding that to their dismay, their houses were ransacked by the attackers.
Buisan said the residents, who engaged in fishing to make a living, lost their livelihood, claiming the attackers took their motorized bancas.
Buisan said she was dismayed upon seeing her office at the Barangay Hall and her store nearby in total disarray.
“I lost my jewelries and personal money, which I hid in my drawer,” Buisan said.
Buisan also found the health center of the barangay in total disarray.
Barangay Babag, which comprises of seven sitios, is now virtually a ghost barangay as the displaced residents refused to return home despite the deployed of peacekeeping forces in the village.
Currently, peacekeeping forces comprising of the Army’s 14th Special Forces Company and a 15-man MNLF team led by Commander Jimpoy Rodin from Lantawan town, this province, are stationed in Barangay Babag.
The government forces were deployed to Barangay Babag on January 8 (Wednesday) while that of the MNLF on Sunday, January 12.
According to the 2015 census, Tabuan-Lasa has a population of 24,188 people.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1090829
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