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CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Days before the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the military and police conducted a “secret” emergency response exercise in the towns of Balo-i and Tagoloan in Lanao del Norte on Wednesday afternoon, January 16.
Soldiers and cops placed the Matungao-Balo-i-Tagoloan road on lockdown Wednesday, as “explosions and abductions” were heard in some places.
In Matungao town, the Army’s 43rd Mechanized Company placed on lockdown the road connecting the town to Linamon and Balo-i towns.
Only children going home after school were allowed to pass the checkpoint near the municipal town hall of Matungao for the duration of the exercise from 1 pm to 5 pm.
Local police did not inform civilians about the simulated exercise, and only told them no one was allowed to use the road for the moment.
“There is an ongoing situation in Tagoloan,” a policeman told a motorist who inquired about crossing toward Balo-i.
The cop also said the Provincial Police Office gave the order to bar the passage of civilians and vehicles. Soldiers from the 43rd Mechanized Company also said that the lockdown was a police operation.
Local and foreign media were not informed about the supposed “developing situation” that prompted the lockdown.
It was Lanao del Norte 2nd district Representative Abdullah Dimaporo who eventually said that what took place was a military and police simulation exercise in preparation for the Bangsamoro plebiscite
“It was a secret exercise to test the response time in any case of any eventuality,” Dimaporo said.
He added the preparation was meant for peace spoilers or “politicians who want to sow discord amongst and between government and the MILF.”
The BOL is the culmination of the peace agreement inked between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2014.
Planning for any ‘eventuality’
103rd Brigade Commander Colonel Romeo Brawner confirmed to Rappler on Thursday morning, January 17, that the joint “operation” was a simulated exercise.
“If you heard [what happened] yesterday, there was a simulation,” Brawner said.
He said that the exercise was part of training for any “eventuality.”
Brawner also clarified that the exercise was not for MILF’s North Western Mindanao Front unde Abdullah Macapaar alias Commander Bravo.
“Right now there is no indication that he will go to violence, and right now we were happy with the event that happened a few days back when General Carlito Galvez Jr brought the two parties together,” Brawner said.
Galvez, former military chief, is the new Chief Peace Adviser. He brokered the meeting between Dimaporo and Macapaar on January 13, inside the MILF’s Camp Bilal in Munai, Lanao del Norte.
“In his text (message), General Galvez said that he was teary eyed when he brought this two factions together to end 3 decades of violence,” Brawner said.
“So we are hopeful, that this is a big step towards [peace], but we are planning for any eventuality,” Brawner added.
Around 20,000 soldiers and cops have been deployed to ensure the peaceful conduct of the BOL plebiscite on January 21 and February 6.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) expects more than 2.8 million people to participate in the plebiscite.– Rappler.com
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