Cotabato

MILF offers help in ending spate of violence in Cotabato province

Rommel Rebollido

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MILF offers help in ending spate of violence in Cotabato province

YOUNG VICTIM. One of the school children wounded in the Valentine's Day shooting in Pikit, Cotabato is being rushed to a hospital.

courtesy of Emna Sambutuan

MILF-AHJAG chair Anwar Alameda blames series of gun attacks in Pikit town on feuding families, and proposes to bring them to a peaceful settlement

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Thursday, February 23, offered to help in resolving a string of gun attacks in Pikit, Cotabato province, where the group has a substantial following. 

The MILF-Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) also hailed the gun ban ordered by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in four Bangsamoro provinces to prevent gun violence. 

The ban has taken effect in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and 63 villages in Cotabato province which are special geographic areas under the Bangsamoro region.

Anwar Alamada, the chairman of the MILF-AHJAG, said a collective approach involving all stakeholders was needed to stop the violence, which began as a rido or clan feud. 

He said the MILF was willing to help in bringing the feuding families to a peaceful resolution.

“The MILF is committed to taking part in this collective action. We pity the innocent civilians who have been dragged into the mess,” Alamada said.

According to Alamada, many of the feuding families have relatives who are members of the MILF, and the group can help mediate a settlement. 

The hostilities in Pikit have claimed many lives, including women and children, and have caused residents and businessmen to contemplate leaving the area.

On February 18, PNP Director General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. ordered the suspension of all Permits to Carry Firearms Outside of Residence (PTCFOR) in Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and the two Maguindanao provinces due to the escalation of violence.

Pikit Mayor Sumulong Sultan said the local government has initiated measures to address the situation.

The town’s 42 village heads have also called for the passage of an ordinance that would prohibit tandem riding on motorcycles, a move that has been met with skepticism by many people who rely on motorcycles for transportation and income.

Cotabato police chief Colonel Harold Ramos, who favored the proposed ban, noted that most gun attacks were committed by gunmen riding in tandem on motorcycles.

“Once we have that law, there will no more riding in tandem [on motorcycles] in the streets and roads of Pikit as it would already be illegal,” said Ramos.

Local officials said the suspects in the recent killing of school children were captured on close-circuit television cameras.

This prompted the town government to start installing CCTV cameras in strategic locations, including five villages, along the highway, and at the municipal public market. 

Despite the CCTV cameras though, there have been gun attacks, and police have yet to identify suspects or motives in these cases. 

The spate of gun attacks in Pikit earlier this month left residents in shock and outraged. 

On Valentine’s Day, a gun attack at the town center took the lives of 13-year-old 7th grader Fahad Dianalan Guintawan, while two other young students were wounded in the attack. The day before, a security guard was also killed in a gun attack.

On February 16, gunmen, armed with .45 caliber pistols, went to the family-owned store of 15-year-old 9th grader Justine Ababon and shot the student dead. 

That same day, 42-year-old farmer Lopez Guiama of Barangay Balongis, Pikit, was also shot and seriously wounded in Fort Pikit, the same village where Ababon was killed. 

The incidents have left residents fearing for their safety and considering moving out of the town. – Rappler.com

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