We understand that the reported assault by over 100 militias on the claimed area of the MILF’s 105th Base Command is in retaliation to the bombing last week that was reportedly intended for Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan and killed five people, including a close relative of the governor. But while we join and sympathize with the victims of the bombing nd do cry justice for them, we also could not afford to see thousands of civilians, women, children and elderly, fleeing their farmlands to safer grounds due to the ongoing encounters between government troopers and the rebels.
The war that started at 9:00 in the evening on June 28, 2006 at Sitio Lab, Barangay Meta in Shariff Aguak town of Maguindanao province has so swiftly escalated, causing an exodus of civilians to safer grounds from at least six villages in the towns of Shariff Aguak and neighboring municipality of Mamasapano.
As of this morning, June 29, 2006, reports reaching the Mindanao People’s Caucus from Bantay Ceasefire (MPC) volunteers on the field have indicated more people would be displaced if the armed encounters between government militias and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels would not be stopped immediately.
Aside from the war’s immediate effects on the civilians, the MPC fears that the ongoing encounters, if left unabated, could escalate to a point that it may peril the ongoing peace process between the government and the MILF as there are already three MILF fronts involved in fighting against not only militias but also government soldiers who reinforced the Cafgus
and CVOs at around 7:00 this morning.
We understand that the reported assault by over 100 militias on the claimed area of the MILF’s 105th Base Command is in retaliation to the bombing last week that was reportedly intended for Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan and killed five people, including a close relative of the governor. But while we join and sympathize with the victims of the bombing nd do cry justice for them, we also could not afford to see thousands of civilians, women, children and elderly, fleeing their farmlands to safer grounds due to the ongoing encounters between government troopers and the rebels.
Worse, the encounters that now involve over 300 militias and three MILF guerrilla fronts could possibly lead to the eventual collapse of the peace talks between the government and the rebel group, especially in this very precarious stage of the peace negotiations.
It with this view that the MPC, greatly alarmed with the events since 9:00 yesterday evening, is calling upon President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately intervene by way of ordering the government troopers to right away disengage the MILF forces for the sake of the innocent civilian-evacuees and, above all, to preserve the peace process that the government has with the rebel group.
In a similar manner, we also call upon the appropriate government agencies to conduct a thorough and speedy investigation on the bombing that killed five aides of Governor Ampatuan so they are immediately brought to the bar of justice.
We are compelled to address this call to no less than President Arroyo as it now appears that local efforts to prevent and stop the armed confrontations, including those of the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities and the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team, were all proven inadequate as politics seems to be virtually at play in this case. Considering the political influence of the President, we believe that only she can persuade Governor Andal Ampatuan to cooperate with the Joint Ceasefire Committee and the International Monitoring Team.
We also call upon Secretary Jesus Dureza to please give his due attention on this crisis in Maguindanao before it blows out of proportion.
Similarly, we appeal to the MILF to exercise restraint, continue to observe the ceasefire agreement and allow the Joint Ceasefire Committee to normalize the situation.
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