October 5, 2012 News: Troops of the Philippine Marines had been massing up at Barangay Napnapin, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat Province since two days ago, an act deliberately uncoordinated and hit by the highest military leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“This uncoordinated massing of troops by the Philippine Marines is indeed unfortunate because it is done in time when the peace negotiations between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF are going on in Malaysia,” a member of the General Staff – Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) said.

“These troops of Marines are not respecting and violating the ceasefire accord and the primacy of the peace process between the government and MILF,” he said, adding “they should have not done this if they are really respecting the ceasefire and the peace process.”
“We cannot understand why they are doing it deliberately uncoordinated and provocative while the talks are ongoing,” he said.

“This is one of the reasons why normalization cannot be achieved with continuing militarization of government forces in Moro and MILF communities,” he said.

Peace Negotiations between the government and MILF in Malaysia started last October 2, 2012, the day the marine troops also started their massing up of troops in Napnapin.

More than a hundred of Marines are consolidating in the area with six (6) military vehicles and armor trucks. Their location now is just a hundred meters away from the dispositions of MILF troops, a situation that could flare up into fierce encounter.

Report from the MILF forces from the ground lambasted the movements of the Marines as ill-motivated and provoking the MILF troops into firefight.

Both the government and MILF ceasefire committees and the International Monitoring Team (IMT) had been informed of the situation in Napnapin following the reports received from the BIAF General Staff and troops from the ground.

“It is only the government to blame when firefight erupts,” the report said.