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Universal truth: In war, nobody wins.
“The Maguindanao Provincial Board has approved a resolution declaring the entire province under state of calamity,” reports Philippine News Agency on InterAksyon.com.
The report noted: “At the same time, Provincial Board Members Bobby Katambak and Asnawi Sinsuat Limbona said the Sangguniang Panglalawigan, through the same resolution, is asking the government to spare and protect civilians in the towns where government forces are hunting down elements of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).”
The BIFF was involved in the Mamasapano clash last Jan 25, which ended with 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) troopers dead. The BIFF has admitted that they have some of the weapons from the fallen SAF cops. They have refused to return the said weapons despite the government’s demands.
There are now around 41,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to the conflict.
The encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan 25 left 44 members of the elite Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) dead. The PNP-SAF troopers had been out to capture Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan” and Filipino bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman. Both men had bounties on their heads placed by the U.S. government: US$5 million for Marwan and US$1 million for Usman.
The operation turned bloody when members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said they had to fight back because the PNP-SAF had breached their territory. They alleged that they had not been informed about the operation to get Marwan and Usman. The hostile encounter lasted 11 hours. The MILF lost 18 of their fighters.
Both the government and the MILF are currently doing probes on the Mamsapano encounter to determine what went wrong, as the incident threatens the Bangsamoro peace deal. It has since been revealed that the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and even some armed civilians were also involved in the clash.
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