DAVAO CITY – Mayor Juanito Agustin of Pigcawayan town, Cotabato province has stepped in to resolve the infighting of armed Moro groups in Barangay Simsiman to prevent further escalation of the conflict into neighboring areas.
Agustin told Manila Bulletin over the phone that he had spoken with the leaders of the armed groups who are said to be part of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, to diffuse the tension due to personal grudges.
He disclosed that there were sporadic clashes between the two armed groups right at the center of the populated area of Barangay Simsiman in the last three days.
These local commanders, the mayor added, have about 30 armed followers. However, fighting escalated when both sides reportedly called for reinforcements from other areas.
The fighting has displaced dozens of families, the mayor added.
“We are concerned over the safety of civilians. And most of the teachers in the schools are my constituents also. But the most important reason why the LGU intervened is to prevent the spillover of the fighting outside of the SGA or neighboring barangays,” Agustin said in the local dialect.
While Barangay Simsiman is already part of the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the mayor pointed out that he still needed to intervene to prevent the spillover of fighting to other barangays in Pigcawayan.
Simsiman is one of the 12 barangays of Pigcawayan that opted to join the BARMM following the plebiscite in 2019. Aside from the 12 barangays in Pigcawayan, 51 other barangays from five towns are now part of the SGA.
In a video in his Facebook account, Agustin appealed to both sides to peacefully settle their misunderstandings. “War is already a thing of the past, we should live harmoniously these days. Because in the end, it is still our children who will suffer most,” he said in a small gathering in Barangay Simsiman.
He believes that no matter how bad the situation is, dialogue is still the key to resolve the problem.
To prevent further escalation, the mayor said police and soldiers are now stationed in Barangay Simsiman. “We have talked to both sides. We have agreed not to carry firearms when going around the village.”
Both sides have also agreed to pull out their armed followers to allow the return of residents, Agustin said.
However, he said that he has yet to formally reach out to the BARMM government to jointly resolve the conflict in the barangay. “Hopefully, next week we could sit and finally resolve this problem.”
https://mb.com.ph/2023/4/26/mayor-steps-in-to-diffuse-infighting-between-warring-milf-groups
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