Mindanao Armed Conflict

COTABATO CITY --- Two bomb couriers of the New People’s Army surrendered while five others urged former comrades to avail of Malacañang’s reconciliation program for NPAs on Saturday.

Brig. Gen. Roy Galido of the Army’s 601^st Infantry Brigade in Tacurong City said Sunday the two NPAs who yielded Saturday to the 5^th Special Forces Battalion in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato also turned in assault rifles.

SULTAN KUDARAT --- Seven were killed as soldiers foiled an attempt by hundreds of guerillas to commemorate in Palimbang town Saturday the 52^nd founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

The seven New People’s Army fatalities were shot dead one after another by personnel of units under the 603^rd Infantry Brigade in a series of encounters the past three days in the surroundings of Mount Lumuton in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.

MAGUINDANAO --- A pregnant woman was killed in a mortar blast in Barangay Pusaw in Shariff Saidona town Tuesday night, the second explosion in this province in just three days. 

The fatality, Ramea Damada, was inside their house, located in Sitio Sedsang in Barangay Pusaw in Shariff Saidona that got hit by a mortar projectile late Tuesday, according to sources from the town's multi-sector peace and order council.   

She died on the spot from multiple shrapnel wounds.

COTABATO CITY ---- Four members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and a soldier were wounded in a brief encounter Sunday in Northern Kabuntalan town in Maguindanao.

The gunfight erupted when a group of BIFF terrorists led by Omar Abdullah opened fire on personnel of the Army’s 34^th Infantry Battalion dispatched to check their presence in Sitio Macabenban in Barangay Indatuan in Northern Kabuntalan as reported by villagers.

Abdullah, also known as Commander OV-10, and his men were collecting “protection money” from hapless villagers then.

LANAO DEL SUR --- Eight members of the Dawlah Islamiya surrendered in Balindong town Saturday and pledged allegiance to the government. 

Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo, commander of the 103^rd Infantry Brigade, said Sunday the eight men also turned in firearms and components for improvised explosive devices.

Cuerpo said the group yielded through the efforts of the Army’s 82nd Infantry Battalion and local officials.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao  – Military forces fired simultaneous shots within a kilometer radius from a government forces detachment in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao harassed by radical rebels Wednesday night.

Lt. Colonel Anhouvic Atilano, speaking for the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division, said the undermanned Army-para military patrol base in Barangay Labo-Labo was attacked at about 10 p.m. by still undetermined number of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

“That attack was foiled,” Atilano said, adding that nobody was hurt in the attack. 

GEN. SANTOS CITY  – A town councilor in Sarangani province was killed by still unidentified gunmen while in this city, police said.

The 56-year-old Isedrito P. Cañete, village chair of Barangay Glan Padidu and ex-officio town councilor of Glan, Sarangani was shot by motorcycle riding gunmen who tailed the official’s Toyota Fortuner (NCY-3259) Wednesday morning while approaching Barangay Lagao, Gen. Santos City.

DATU PIANG, Maguindanao - The Sta Teresita Parish Church here had sustained bullet wounds, some bullets shattered its glass panes and some bullets hit the statue of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, patron saint of the mission and missionaries and Catholics in predominantly Muslim town, after some 50 rebels lay seige of the town center.

"No casualties reported. Thank you for the prayers and intercession of St Therese of the Child Jesus, patron saint of the Mission and missionaries," said Fr. Denz Evardone Basada, OMI in his FB page the day after the attack.

COTABATO CITY --- The coronavirus pandemic made languid the commemoration on Monday of the 11^th anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre that left 58 people dead and shook the nation to its core.

At least 32 of the 58 fatalities in the incident, touted as the country’s worst election-related violence ever, were members of central Mindanao’s media community.

The family of Maguindanao Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu, who lost a spouse, Genalyn, in the carnage, led the simple prayer rite at the scene of the crime in Sitio Salman in Barangay Masalay in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

CAMP Siongco, Maguindanao – Army troopers of Joint Task Force Central discovered an Anti-Personnel Mine (APM) while conducting route security in Pikit town of North Cotabato on November 20, 2020.

A CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA) found an APM at 11:30 in the morning, particularly in Sitio Dasulong, Barangay Ginatilan of the said municipality. Immediately the troops from 90th Infantry (BIGKIS LAHI) Battalion proceeded to the area to secure the vicinity.