January 27, 2010 – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) ceasefire committees recently assisted evacuees in their farming activities in the municipality of Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.

This was the information gathered yesterday by this website from the Secretariat of the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), also know as the ceasefire committee.

MILF CCCH Head of Secretariat said that scores of individuals, who owns farms at barangay Kuloy in Shariff Aguak, sought the assistance of GRP – MILF CCCH in coordinating with respective ground troops their daily farming activities and to ensure their safe access and security.

He said the group leader told the GRP – MILF CCCH that their coconuts and corns are already due for harvest and that their other crops already needs fertilizers, adding that if they cannot go to these farms then crops and supposed produce will be wasted.

The past two days, the farmers had been given access to their farms but before they go inside they passed at the Philippine Army detachment at nearby junction at Barangay Tapikan, Shariff Aguak for proper coordination.

These civilian farmers were uprooted from their homes because of the resurgence of the clashes between government and MILF forces from August 2008 to July 2009, and the continuing state of emergency in Maguindanao and police-military operations against the armed civilian volunteers organizations of the powerful Ampatuan clan following the gruesome massacre of 53 civilians and media people in Ampatuan municipality last November 23, 2009.

Datu Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan Jr., the mayor of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao is the principal suspect to the massacre.

Meanwhile, the MILF CCCH clarified that the MILF did not attack the army detachment at Barangay Buayan in Datu Piang, Maguindanao last January 24, 2010.

Accordingly, certain Ali Tasil attacked the military detachment based on the media reports quoting military source.

But the MILF CCCH clarification said Tasil, who was holding a bladed farming tool, while passing at the military detachment was approached by a military man who apparently wanted to confiscate Tasil’s bladed farming tool.

Tasil refused to give the tool instead hit the military man at his neck with the bladed tool. The military man was wounded and consequently fired at Tasil who instantly died due to gunshots. This was reported as attacked of MILF troops against the government troops.

Accordingly, Tasil has that bladed farming tool because he was looking for any food that he could give his family. He is not a member of MILF but an evacuee from barangay Bakaywan, Aleosan, Cotabato. Tasil had been mentally impaired due to the sufferings of his families at evacuation camps since they had been displaced in August 2009 because of the police-military operations against MILF forces.