The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Thursday, Nov. 11, signed a ceasefire agreement officially ending the gunfight in Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan province.
The ceasefire pact was made two days after the deadly clash between the Army’s 101st Infantry Battalion and members of the MILF’s 114th Base Command that had resulted in seven fatalities and 13 wounded.
“We are happy to announce that a ceasefire agreement has been signed by the GPH [Government of the Philippines] and MILF, which brings to an end the armed encounter between government troops and MILF forces,” David Diciano, head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) - Bangsamoro Transformation Program, said in a statement.
Aside from the ceasefire, the two parties agreed to pull out the non-residential reinforcements in Barangay Ulitan, and allow the return of the constituents of Commander Malangka’s group.
It mandated the constituents to keep their firearms within their respective residences while awaiting decommissioning.
Also stipulated in the consented pact are the following:
- BIAF-MILF residents of Barangay Ulitan should be properly identified and registered.
- Establish a composite detachment which shall be composed of soldiers, policemen, and BIAF-MILF, who will jointly cooperate to address the lawless elements and help in the maintenance of peace and order in Barangay Ulitan.
- Issues and concerns pertaining to the BIAF-MILF in Ungkaya Pukan town should be immediately reported to the GPH-MILF CCCH and AHJAG for immediate resolution.
In a separate statement, Presidential Peace Adviser Sec. Carlito Galvez said the ceasefire pact demonstrated "the desire of both parties to put an end to the armed conflict.”
“The ceasefire is a testament that the GPH and MILF’s peace mechanisms, the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group, are effective in de-escalating situations of conflict and are working,” he added.
