GPH, MILF deploy joint peace mechanisms after clashes in SGA

COTABATO CITY — The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have activated their joint ceasefire and security mechanisms to defuse tension after localized incidents in the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro region, the Government Peace Implementing Panel said in a statement Sunday.

The GPH-MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) have been on the ground since September 16, backed by the Joint Peace and Security Teams (JPSTs), working with local governments and MILF commanders to de-escalate the situation.
Tensions in the affected communities have since eased, the panel said.

"I want to assure the public, and most especially our brothers and sisters in the SGA, that the joint ceasefire mechanisms between the government and the MILF remain firmly in place," said Government Peace Implementing Panel Chair and concurrent Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento. "Our joint peace mechanisms work tirelessly to ensure this, while actively assisting LGUs and local authorities in de-escalating rido to reduce tension and keep our communities safe."

The first incident was an armed encounter on September 16 in Barangays Olandang and Kadingilan, Nabalawag municipality, which officials described as a localized community-based conflict, or rido, that raised tension in nearby areas. The CCCH moved quickly to prevent the conflict from spreading, while JPSTs and government security forces set up measures to protect civilians and assist internally displaced persons. The situation has since been brought under control, though peace mechanisms continue to monitor the area.

The panel stressed that a second incident on September 19 in Barangay Balong, Tugunan municipality, was separate from the Nabalawag encounter. Based on information validated through the AHJAG, the Tugunan incident stemmed from a coordinated law enforcement operation to serve a warrant of arrest, not the earlier feud. Established GPH-MILF coordination protocols prevented the operation from escalating into an unintended confrontation between government troops and the MILF.

Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF-MILF) members in the vicinity repositioned away from the area of operations to avoid accidental contact with government troops, the panel said, calling it evidence of the value of prior coordination and mutual restraint. By about 4 p.m. on September 19, operating government units had returned to their headquarters following the completion of crime-scene processing by the Philippine National Police.

Sarmiento said the mechanisms exist precisely for moments like these. "It is through dialogue and cooperation, not force, that we protect the peace we have worked so long and so hard to build. We call on all parties on the ground to exercise maximum restraint and to allow our peace mechanisms to do their work."

The panel noted that lawful operations against criminal elements remain distinct from the GPH-MILF ceasefire, but that the CCCH and AHJAG stay engaged to ensure coordination holds and civilians are not caught in the middle. The government reiterated its commitment to working with its MILF partners to prevent isolated incidents from undermining the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process.