This report covers the events that happened after February 16, 2007, which was covered by Bantay Ceasefire Report 002-02-07, which was a product of a five-day assessment mission.

The first mission on March 4 was triggered by Bantay Ceasefire volunteers’ report that said another wave of evacuation happened in Midsayap last March 2, 2007. This time, the evacuees went as far as 35 kilometers away in Datu Piang town of Maguindanao and affecting eight barangays. The succeeding missions were follow ups as things were happening so fast at the field.

This report covers the events that happened after February 16, 2007, which was covered by Bantay Ceasefire Report 002-02-07, which was a product of a five-day assessment mission.

The first mission on March 4 was triggered by Bantay Ceasefire volunteers’ report that said another wave of evacuation happened in Midsayap last March 2, 2007. This time, the evacuees went as far as 35 kilometers away in Datu Piang town of Maguindanao and affecting eight barangays. The succeeding missions were follow ups as things were happening so fast at the field.

On March 4, there were only around 1,638 evacuee-families documented but the number reached a peak of some 5,000 families. They came from Barangays Sambulawan, Damatulan, Buayan, Nes, Kadingilan, Alunganan, Masigay, Buayan, Rangaban, Mudseng, Tugal, Tumbras, Kapinpilan Kadigasan, Ulandang and Lumupog all of Midsayap. Rangaban, Mudseng and Tugal residents were
the first to evacuate in January. Some of them have already gone back to their homes in early February but had to evacuate again during the three more waves of evacuation in February and March.

There was difficulty in determining the exact number of evacuees as they were so mobile and that the local government unit of Midsayap lack a systematic way of monitoring the internal refugees. Read full text of report (in .pdf).