Occupiers of 5 non-MILF barangays warned to leave peacefully or face punitive action

The government has given alleged members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), who have taken over five barangays in North Cotabato, 24 hours to leave the occupied areas peacefully or face police-military “punitive” action.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza told members of the media covering Malacanang this afternoon that the countdown for the occupiers to leave the civilian areas peacefully started at 10 a.m. today.

The armed men have occupied the five non-MILF barangays since Sunday.

Dureza pointed out that while the government is prepared to “walk the extra mile” to resolve the long-festering Mindanao conflict, the forcible occupation of the five barangays and the burning of the houses in the area by MILF forces were clear violations of the government-MILF ceasefire agreement.

“This is a clear violation of laws, but we have to exhaust the mechanisms of the peace process. There is a 24-hour period allowed by security forces to follow the peace process,” he said.

The government will take punitive action to “protect the civilians” if the problem cannot be resolved peacefully, he added.

Dureza described punitive option open to the security forces of the government as “a surgical, calibrated police action to be supported by the AFP if necessary.”

The marauding occupiers numbering more than 800 also torched 72 houses, forcing 5,000 residents of the occupied areas to flee their homes and seek shelter in evacuation centers.

Dureza said that a hopeful note in the latest explosive situation in Mindanao was the convening of the Mindanao ceasefire committee to take up the matter.
The committee was set to meet at 5 p.m. today.