(UPDATED) A ceasefire has been declared between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and government forces in Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan after the Joint Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) visited the Province Thursday.

B/Gen. Arturo Rojas, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, confirmed that guns were silenced with the intervention of the GPH-MILF CCCH.

Both parties have been at each other's throats since Tuesday.

Reports from military's Wesmincom place the fatality count to three on the government side and 15 wounded.

The military claims the MILF suffered five casualties, although this has yet to be verified.

• 3 soldiers killed, 13 wounded in firefight between troops, MILF in Basilan

Wesmincom spokesman Lt. Col. Abdurasad SIrajan said the government troops were resupplying fellow soldiers when they were allegedly ambushed by armed men in Barangay Ulitan.

REP. HAMATAN: INSTITUTE MECHANISMS; PUBLIC STATEMENT WILL NOT RESOLVE ARMED CONFLICT IN BASILAN

Lone District of Basilan Rep. and former Governor of the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Mujiv Hamatan calls on the government and MILF to institute mechanisms immediately to resolve the conflict.

“Dapat bumaba ‘yong panel ng MILF at ng pamahalaan natin doon mismo sa ground. Hindi ho ‘yan makukuha sa statement. Nanawagan din tayo sa liderato ng Bangsamoro Government dahil pinamumunuan din ng MILF na sila mismo rin ay dapat tumungo sa Basilan dahil mga miyembro sila ng MILF and likewise ‘yong OPAPP mismo bumaba rin”, Hataman said.

Hataman urged the negotiating panels of both parties to sit down and review the mechanisms formulated during the talks.

“Kumbaga, ‘yong mga political track na andiyan na rin, ‘yong institution tulad ng BARMM Government, baka kailangan ng i-review at upuan natin nang matapat, transparent. At dapat maging tapat ang lahat at alam dapat ng ating mga kababayan para hindi magtataka,” he said.

The lawmaker said that government troops and MILF members must be aware of and fully understand these peace mechanisms.

“Ang tingin ko, dapat tanungin din natin sa Armed Forces of the Philipines or sa gobyerno, alam ba ito ng nasa baba ang usapan? Likewise, sa MILF leadership, alam ba ng kanilang mga kasapi kung ano na ang mga pinag-uusapan?" Hataman said.

"Kasi kung alam na ng mga ito, tanong natin, naintindihan ba nila? Kung naintindhan, ang tanong diyan, bakit pa nangyayari itong ganito?”

AFP'S ACCOUNT

On Wednesday, 101st Brigade and Joint Task Force Basilan Commander B/Gen. Domingo Gobway said it was the MILF that committed the violation.

Gobway said they were running after a lawless group responsible for the series of atrocities in the province, including the explosion incidents in the cities of Isabela and Lamitan.

The group sought refuge in an MILF community in the area.

“So, nag-launch tayo ng series of operation. Dati kasi, nandoon sila sa Baguindan area, specifically doon sa Bato Maputi. ‘Yon talaga ang pinakalungga nila. So noong na-displace sila doon, doon sila nagtago sa Ulitan, na kinupkop sila ng MILF," Gobway said.

"So noong nag-clearing tayo noong September, umalis ‘yong MILF doon kasama na ‘yong lawless. Umalis sila doon sa barangay," he added.

On Nov. 7, the 101st Brigade received a coordination letter from the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities informing the government troops that members of the MILF would want to return to Barangay Ulitan with their families.

“Iyang with their families, actually matagal nang nakabalik sa Barangay Ulitan. Nakapag-conduct pa ang LGU in coordination sa military and PNP ng MEDCAP doon. So noong na-receive namin ang letter of coordination from the CCCH, ang sabi namin, 'Pwede kayo bumalik doon basta huwag kayong magdala ng armas'. ‘Yon yong kondisyon namin,” Gobway said.

The following day, the 64th Infantry Battalion commander went to Barangay Ulitan with the town’s vice mayor for negotiation.

The group’s leader, Commander Huram, refused, however, to talk with the officials, said Gobway.

"Ayaw lumabas ‘yong kumander, na si Huram, para makipag-negotiate. Kasi nalaman na nakapasok na sila doon with their firearms eh noong gabi ng November 7. So ‘yon, noong pinapatawag siya para pag-usapan sana kung bakit pumasok sila, na ang condition is walang firearms, biglang ini-snipe nila ‘yong sundalo kahapon. So nagkaroon ng retaliation,” he said.

The military official said that MILF members living in MILF communities are not allowed to bring firearms.

“Sila ang unang nag-violate. Kasi ang usapan, dahil meron din kami programa dito, ‘yong small arms and light weapons na ire-restrict namin ang movement ng firearms. So maliwanag ‘yon. Pwede silang pumasok doon sa Ulitan, puntahan nila ang mga families nila, pero huwag magdala ng baril," said Gobway.

Hataman agreed with the military that MILF members living in MILF communities could not bring firearms.

“Kapag camp, pwede. Pero kung area of temporary stay at communities, bawal. So ang tingin ko, ‘yan yong mga bagay na dapat pag-upuan at ipaunawa. Ang tanong ko, naintindihan ng militar, ang tanong naintindihan ba ng MILF na miyembro na nasa baba?"

MILF SIDE

The MILF, for its part, denied that the agreement includes a prohibition on firearms.

“Ang nangyari kasi diyan, umalis sila base doon sa mga previous month, siguro mga more than 2 months na ito, pero dala na nila ‘yong mga baril nila. Napagkasunduan kasi ‘yong sa ground," Butch Malang, Chairman of the MILF CCCHM, said.

"So medyo nahirapan din sila kasi kailangan din nila. Medyo nahirapan din sila sa kanilang pamumuhay doon sa area na kung saan, siyempre gusto nilang mobalik. Hindi naman doon napag-usapan na hindi na nila madala ang kanilang armas. Wala naman ‘yon sa agreement," he added.

"Anyway, kasi sa ground, kung MILF ang tatanungin mo, ang nag-violate ang GPH. Kapag ang security forces naman ang tatanungin, ang MILF naman ang nag-violate. Pero hindi rin natin maalis na may third party, mga tao na ayaw ng kapayapaan."

Malang said MILF members could bring firearms into MILF communities.

“Community ‘yan, is recognized naman ‘yan eh. Anyway, marami pang pag-usapan. Ang importante naman dito ay ma-pacify. Tungkol doon sa resolution ay pag-uusapan pa namin ‘yan ng CCCH," he said.

RESOLUTION IN CONGRESS

Hataman said he plans to file a resolution in Congress next week for the peace implementing panels of both sides to sit down and review the incidents.

He hopes that the talks will shed light on the rules and guidelines, as parties on the ground have different versions and interpretations of what is supposed to have been agreed.

“Ang sinasabi, kung area of temporary stay, kung MILF community, ang sinasabi ng ating Armed Forces of the Philippines, hindi sila pwede magdala ng baril. Ang sinasabi ng MILF, 'Area namin to, kampo namin to'. So alam naman natin kung ano ‘yong mga identified camps, ano ‘yong mga MILF communities. Ano ‘yong mga policies dito?" Hataman said.

"Dapat ipaalam natin ito sa ating mga kababayan at dapat ipaliwanag ito ng implementing panels kasi kawawa ang ating mga kababayan habang hindi nila nauunawaan. Ang masaklap dito, ‘yong mga nawalan ng mahal sa buhay sa panig ng mga sundalo at MILF”, he said.

Around 4,000 families have fled their homes for fear of being caught in the crossfire.

“Nanawagan tayo sa BARMM Government, kasi alam naman natin na ang laki ng resources na ibinuhos ng pamahalaan diyan. Baka magkaroon din ng agarang responde para tulungan ang ating lokal na pamahalaan para mag-complement ‘yong ang mga initiative,” Hataman said.

— reports from Queenie Casimiro and Lerio Bompat

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