By Héloïse Le Guellec
On Monday 13th of April 2024, The Commissions on Elections (Comelec) held the first-ever voter registration inside the Camp Darapanan and Camp Abubakar of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and special polling may even be held in the camps in May 2025 if enough voters are registered. This statement highlights a major breakthrough in the quest for a peaceful and democratic autonomous state, 10 years after the Comprehensive Agreement of Bangsamoro (CAB) was implemented. “This is historic as, several years back, no one can enter here, whether uniformed or civilian. No registration has ever been held inside Camp Darapanan (…). These are places where we wouldn’t even dream of holding voter registration,” said chair George Garcia. [1]
Armed Forces of the Philippines kill the leader of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF)-Karialan after a month of violent attacks, a major breakthrough in the fight against terrorism
Continuing from last month, violent fights between BIFF-Karialan members and public authorities keep destabilizing the regions :
3 April 2024, the MILF and BIFF engaged in a firefight in Barangay Pimbalakan (Mamasapano, Maguindanao del Sur, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao). 2 civilians were caught in the crossfire and were wounded.
8 April 2024, the MILF and BIFF engaged in a firefight in Barangay Dasikil (Mamasapano, Maguindanao del Sur, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao). There were no casualties but authorities said the clash may be related to the ambush incident at the end of March.
13 April 2024, the Philippines Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade neutralized 3 members of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG) and recovered significant war materials in an encounter in Barangay Lindongan (Munai, Lanao del Norte, Northern Mindanao). 1 soldier was wounded. The military recovered weapons and other items from the militants.
14 April 2024, four MILF members from the 118th Base Command were ambushed near Datu Hoffer where the majority of last month’s fights occurred, Authorities identified the group to be Kagi Katatang, a former leader of BIFF.
22 April 2024, Mohiden Alimodin Animbang, alias Kagui Karialan the leader of BIFF-Karialan who is implicated in a series of bombings and other atrocities in Central Mindanao was killed [2], alongside his brother, Saga Animbang, and eleven other followers. This operation air and ground assault in Datu Saudi Ampatuan was led by the military’s 6th Infantry Division (ID), 1st Brigade Combat Team, and 1st Scout Ranger Battalion. Seven soldiers were injured.
What to expect :
The deaths of Kagui Karialan, his brother, and Abu Halil, the faction training chief last month marks a significant progression in AFP‘s terrorism eradication goal. Air-ground attacks towards armed groups show AFP’s determination to put an end to this situation by defining an increasingly sophisticated and coordinated strategy. However, clashes between other violent factions of MILF tend to occur more and more. Those ridos reveal growing tensions with the government’s choices and their support among their former comrades.
Ex-terrorist fighters surrender more and more weapons in order to benefit from the amnesty and reintegration law
Small arms and light weapons recovery are at the center of the authorities’ preoccupations to live up to peacebuilding expectations. April started with Ministry of Public Order and Safety in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MPOS-BARMM) extending financial assistance to 20 former members of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), all of them surrendered 14 weapons, including two homemade .50-caliber sniper rifles, four .30-caliber sniper rifles, two M16 rifles, one 81mm mortar tube and one .45-caliber pistol. [3] On the 9th, in Maguindanao del Norte, the 6th ID confiscated a .45 caliber Thompson submachinegun, 12 gauge Akkar shotgun, an M1 Garand rifle, an M14 rifle and two M16 rifles. [4] Moreover, three M14 rifles, one dummy gun, six backpacks, and 7.62mm ammunition were recovered by AFP on April, 13th. Unusual weapons were also recovered during the assault on BIFF-Karialan: GA M4A1, M16A1 (Colt 603/613P), M16A1 (Colt 603/653P), M14 (photo p.2). [5]
Philippines and the United States take a step forward in their military and economic cooperation
Last month was marked by an escalation of altercations between Chinese Coast Guards (CCG) and Philippines Coast Guards and Filipino fishermen. As a response, the United States reaffirmed its “ironclad” support to the Philippines alongside Japan in organizing a tri-party summit in Washington followed by the 39th iteration of Exercise Balikatan and Exercise Salatnib. The Philippines Navy, U.S. Navy, and the French Navy will conduct a range of multilateral maritime exercises in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as well as outside it, within the China-proclaimed “nine-dash line”. This exercise is a direct expression of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty together with the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). Conducting exercises outside of the Philippines EEZ aims to send a significant message to China by affirming the presence of strong actors in the South China Sea / West Philippines Sea. Under the EDCA, Marcos has allowed American Soldiers to have access to four new Philippines bases in the north of their marine territory. Furthermore, talks are underway [6] with Japan for a reciprocal access agreement, aiming to allow the presence of Japanese forces on Philippine soil.
This evolution is already dividing public opinion while some personalities already stand under a strong anti-American opinion calling out the instrumentalization of the Philippines in a proxy war against China as well as reminiscing post-WWII history and economic enslavement of the Philippines by the U.S.
* Héloïse Le Guellec is a Research Fellow at HDFF.
[1] Bangsamoro News Updates (16/04/24) Comelec holds historic voter sign-up in 2 MILF camps
[3] Edwin Fernandez, Philippines News Agency, (02/04/24) 20 ex-BIFF rebels get aid from BARMM
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