Complaint lodged vs. MILF for ‘show of force’ at Maguindanao police station

Police have filed a complaint before the joint ceasefire panel of the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) against members of the latter for alleged show of force and indiscriminate firing in front of the municipal police station here on Monday, an official said. (Photo: Eugene Alvin Villar / Wikipedia)

PARANG–Police have filed a complaint before the joint ceasefire panel of the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) against members of the latter for alleged show of force and indiscriminate firing in front of the municipal police station here on Monday, an official said.

Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Police said the incident was a provocation and a serious violation of the government’s 1997 Agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities with the MILF.

Investigation showed the group of Dimatunday was irked by the arrest of another MILF official on Saturday for illegal possession of firearms.

The suspect, related by blood to Dimatunday, was arrested by members of the Regional Public Safety Battalion at a checkpoint in Barangay Kalawag here with an unlicensed gun.

After firing their guns, the MILF fighters, numbering about 100, retreated to another village.

According to Tello, his office will also meet with leaders of the government ceasefire panel to consult them on what to do with the incident.

He said that if this incident goes unpunished, similar incidents will happen in the future.

Von Al Haq, speaking for the MILF’s military arm, the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), admitted the armed men were MILF members.

”The MILF is probing the incident. Commander Dimatuntay is restricted from leaving the camp,” he said.

Earlier, the MILF said it will file protest against the police for the death of a younger brother of MILF political affairs chief Ghadzali Jaafar.

Boy Jaafar, also known as Boy Bangsamoro, was a legitimate MILF member, according to Jaafar.

The police served warrants of arrest for the younger Jaafar for charges of murder and frustrated murder.

But the suspect instead shoot it out with lawmen, which led to his death.

Jaafar said the police did not coordinate with the MILF as contained in the ceasefire agreement.