The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) lamented that some members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were behind the attack on the troops and personnel of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) conducting a project mission in a village in Sumisip, Basilan province last Wednesday.

In a press conference in Basilan, AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the lawless elements ambushed the military troops while they were traversing the road in Barangay Cabengbeng in the Municipality of Sumisip, Basilan. The troops fired back at the attackers.

“In the course of the firefight, napansin po ng mga sundalo natin na parami ng parami yung mga kalaban nila (soldiers noticed that the number of attackers was increasing), and we found out, through videos and photographs spread through social media, that some of the perpetrators of this ambush were members of the MILF,” Brawner said.

Brawner said the military had already sent a protest letter to the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of the government and MILF, "with respect" to the peace mechanisms on normalization under the Bangsamoro Peace Process.

The military chief said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. had already been informed of the situation.

“I already reported this to the President… and he wanted to know the entire circumstances of the incident as well as our actions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Brawner assured that the soldiers wounded during the encounter would be provided with the “necessary resources” for their full recovery.

Some wounded soldiers were brought to the military hospital inside the Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) headquarters at Camp Basilio Navarro in Zamboanga City, while the others were confined at the Basilan General Hospital in Isabela town.

“Some of the troops are undergoing surgery, as of now,” he noted.

Further, Brawner vowed that the families of the two soldiers who were killed in action would also be provided with the necessary support.

“We are going to make sure that their families will receive benefits that are due to them, and their children will also get scholarships,” he added.

Brawner said the military would pursue those lawless elements behind the “illegal and violent action.”

The military will also file cases against MILF members who joined the attack, he added.

“For those MILF members who joined the attack, we have to follow the process, but we will also pursue cases against them. Hindi po pwede na pabayaan na lang natin ito (we can’t let this slide),” Brawner stressed.

“We will do that within the bounds of the law, within the bounds of the agreements that we have under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL),” he said.

Peace process intact

Despite the incident, Brawner said the military and the MILF still “uphold the peace mechanisms that are included in the peace agreement.”

“We are confident that the peace agreement will remain intact with the MILF. In fact, they are already part of the government because of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority,” he pointed out.

Brawner said, “both sides still respect the provisions of the BOL and the peace agreements.”

Following the filing of the protest, WesMinCom chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete said the CCCH would conduct a joint verification and investigation of the incident.

Nafarrete said the Central Committee of the MILF would be sending personnel to Basilan by Sunday to address the matter “internally.”

“We expect an honest investigation and for sure, we will abide by the process and respect whatever the result is. But based on initial facts, there seems to be involvement [of MILF members], and we will pursue that,” he added.

Mission coordinated

The ambush incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in Barangay Cabengbeng, in the Municipality of Sumisip. The troops were providing security for UNDP personnel conducting validation missions and stakeholder coordination under Project Modelling Livelihood Initiatives.

Brawner noted that the mission was “well-coordinated” by the Joint Peace and Security Committee (JPSC) under the Joint Normalization Committee and local leaders in the area.

“We want to make it clear that there was coordination — from the top to the lower units. The letter of the Joint Normalization Committee was given to many addressees, not only in the government but also on the MILF side. So, there was prior coordination,” he said.

Lawless elements fired gunshots at the troops and the mission convoy and burned the military KM450 truck, resulting in the death of two soldiers and 12 others wounded in action.