Padilla’s resolution: “(T)he relatives of the deceased denied involvement in any criminal activities of the deceased and alleged, contrary to Capt. Sali’s statement, the operation was a rubout”.
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(SDN) — The death of seven legitimate Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members in Barangay Damawato, Datu Paglas, Maguindanao del Sur, has gotten the attention of the Senate.
Sen. Robinhood “Abdul Aziz” Padilla has filed Senate P.S. Resolution No. 664 ordering “the appropriate Senate Committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the alleged violation of the peace agreement” signed by the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Padilla’s target for inquiry is the Philippine National Police (PNP)-military operation on a Sunday, June 18, in an MILF community in Barangay Damawato resulting in the killing of seven MILF members.
Killed in the ill-fated operation were Nasser Yousef M. Husain, 34; Norjihad M. Husain, 29; Nasrullah Mamay Singkala, 38; Ivan Pumpugay, 18; Izrael Laguiab, 41; Morsid Madidis, 50; and Mama Karim, 50.
The regional commander of the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR) Brigadier General Allan Nobleza said the operation was to serve search warrants on the brothers Husain for past alleged criminal activities but were purportedly met by gunfire.
Related: MILF Central Committee Calls on President Marcos โto Give Paramount Importance to Justice, Peace & Securityโ
On June 20 the MILF highest policy making body, the Central Committee (CC), issued Resolution No. 001, Series of 2023,
โ”๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฒ. ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐จ, ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ง๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ, o๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐”.
It was signed by MILF CC Acting Secretary Von Al-Haq and attested by MILF CC Chair Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim. The Central Committee asked the national governmentย “to take immediate action on the tragic loss of lives of members of the (MILF)”.
The incident has led Members of Parliament (MPs) Bailing S. Mantawil and lawyer May Ann Arnado to call for the return of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) led by GPH-MILF peace process third-party facilitator Malaysia.
The IMT played key and major role in paving the way for the signing on March 27, 2014, of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
Padilla’s resolution noted that the government and the MILF also “signed an agreement creating the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and Ad Hoc Joint Group (AHJAG) the purpose of which, among others, is to end armed hostilities between government troops and MILF forces”.
The Senate resolution also noted what Datu Paglas Police Captain Nurjhasier Sali described as a legitimate police operation the raid that turned “ugly when the gunmen started firing at law enforcers”.
But the Senate resolution further noted that “the relatives of the deceased denied involvement in any criminal activities of the deceased and alleged, contrary to Capt. Sali’s statement, the operation was a rubout”.
In a related development, the Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission (BHRC) on June 20 voiced “concern and grief over” what it dubbed “the tragic loss” of the seven members of the MILF.
“Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families and loved ones who are enduring immense pain and loss due to this unfortunate incident,” the BHRC said in a statement.
Further, the BHRC of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) underscored the “utmost importance of conducting a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident.”
“We are committed to uncovering the truth, ensuring justice is served, and holding accountable those found responsible for any violations of human rights or unlawful actions,” it added.
It was not clear whether Padilla’s Senate resolution would result in an inquiry on the Datu Paglas incident. — EDD K. USMAN (โ)