As I had related in my previous post,the BIAF (Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces,the MILF armed wing) 104 Base Command is currently engaged in a sub-conflict on the borders of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat Provinces.The BMA (Bangsamoro Army,the armed wing of the MNLF,in this case a nascent faction known as the Mainland Mindanao State Committee which is aligned with the EC15 Faction),under Kumander Faizel"Randy"Karon and based in Barangay Tran, Lebak,Sultan Kudarat Province is battling the BIAF 104 Base Command under Kumander Jing Caludtiag.His faction is based in Barangay Laguitan,Datu Blah Sinsuat,Maguindanao Province,immediately bordering the MNLF's afore mentioned Barangay Tran.
The flare up began on Monday,June 7th,2010 and as usual centred on a crossing of the Declared Peace Zone that sits directly on the provincial border.On June 9th,2009 both sides had signed a Peace Agreement mediated by the UN's"Act for Peace Programme"and witnessed by the local Maguindanowan Datu of the Sinsuat Clan,the local Royal House that controls both sides of that particular border.Present as well were leading members of both the MILF/BIAF and the MNLF-EC15/BMA.The June agreement had been facilitated to end a"minor"conflict that had been flaring up on and off again since early 2007.
It had originally began in 2004 when the BMA had disarmed an BIAF contingent that had crossed into Barangay Tran in violation of a de facto agreement.Small skirmishes had taken place since that time but the March of 2009 flare up killed at least to 60 civlians as well as 1 BMA guerilla.
This month's engagement has caused 6,000 more civlians to become IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons,a.k.a. REFUGEES).The AFP's (Armed Forces of the Philippines) 38th IB (Infantry Battalion) is partially deploying along the provincial border in a process that began on June 10th,after first refusing to get involved citing ongoing commitments to the GHP (Govt. of the Philippines)-MILF Peace Process.The AFP usually takes the position that commitments to the Peace Process preclude any armed action.As of this posting the AFP has not engaged either side and its presence seems to have kept both sides from engaging each other.
It is also worth noting that Kumander Karon was the ARMM's (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao) Seceratary of Natural Resources under MNLF founder and now its main factional leader,Nur Misuari (when Misuari was ARMM Governor from 1996 to 2001).
This of course has not been the only MILF/BIAF action over the last couple of months.On Sunday,May 17th an MILF "Lost Command" (Rogue Element) under Kumander Kakem Urao has been involved in some post-election hijinx in its home village,Baranagay Bulod,in the town of Montawal in Maguindanao Province.Urao backed incumbent Mayor Ohto Montawal who won re-election.His main opponent,the defeated Datu Arkhan Matalam has accused Urao of barring his supporters from voting,by gunpoint.
On the date in question,at 8AM,3 sitios (small villages that are the equivalent to a Western"neighbourhood"in municipal terms) in Baranagy Bulod were burned to the ground.Lt.Jimson Dugenio,the CO (Commanding Officer) of the 7th IB's Charlie Company (Company C) suggests that it was Datu Matalam's right hand man,Abdul Karim who set the fires.Karim,Datu Matalam and many villagers however point the finger at the MILF/BIAF.
On Wednesday,May 12th,still angered over not being allowed to vote,Angka Sapi of Datu Matalam's camp physically attacked some of Mayor Montawal's men.The next day,May 13th,Mayor Montawal's man"Uzi"Ampatuan burned a good portion of Barangay Balatongcaya,the barangay next to Barangay Bulod.Balatongcaya is home to Matalam and many in his camp. Ampatuan was assisted by Manalao Guiamel who is actually not only a resident of Baranagay Balatongcaya but a Barangay Councilor as well (talking about"cutting off your nose to spite your face").It is also worth noting that he is a rival of his own Barangay Captain which probablly explains his burning his own barangay.Fast forward to May 17th and the burning of Barangay Bulod;Immediately after the 3 sitios were burned,Kumander Urao and his men had THEIR homes burned,as in an act of retaliation so it seems that the AFP is wrong on this one but that is not really suprising,and as usual the AFP is not getting involved citing"familiy politics"as its raison d'etre.
Meanwhile,yet another 500 villagers have become IDPs,camping along National Hiway and begging for rice.
On Saturday,April 17th in Barangay Payong,Sultan Naga Dimaporo in Lanao del Norte Province,the 35IB was on patrol near Bundok Payong (Mt. Payong) when they inadvertantly crossed paths with an element of the BIAF's 113 Base Command whose main base of operations is on that mountain.The 113 Base Command is under Kumander Aloy al Ashree but the element involved in the fire fight was the 113th's 4th Brigade under Kumander Latip Jamaat whose AOR (Area of Responsibility) is the entire Zamboanga Peninsula.
It is Jamaat's Brigade that is often erroneously identified as a BIAF,or as most Filipinos call it,MILF"Lost Command."when the media discusses the MILF/BIAF's involvement in most of Zamboanga's KFRs (Kidnappings for Ransom) it automatically labels any MILF/BIAF element as a so called"Lost Command."In reality there are no such things.
The priests from Zamboanga?Father Sinott,the Irish Columban Order priest who was kidnapped from Pagadian City? He was held on Bundok Payong.The mountain actually sits on the borderof Lanao del Norte and Zamboanga.
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