January 30, 2010 - Troops of the 113th Base Command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces - Moro Islamic Liberation Front (BIAF-MILF) were ambushed by composite paramilitary troops and private armies at Barangay Lakiki in Sibuco, Zamboang del Norte Thursday morning January 28, 2010.

The MILF troops were on their way toward to enclave in Lakiki when fired upon suddenly by elements of the Civilian Auxiliary Forces Geographic Unit (CAFGU) and private armies affiliated with certain Noel Perez.

Gun battle ensued briefly resulting to one MILF fighter martyred and his armalite rifle was carted away by the ambushers. Area of engagement is approximately four kilometers away from the major thoroughfares.

According to information to Luwaran.Com/Net, Noel Perez is a leader of the paramilitary troops and private armies of Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat.

Perez, who is known as anti-Muslim and MILF like his city mayor boss, is holding command at Lunday, Curuan, Zamboang City.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) units in the area directly supervise and control the CAFGUs. But these paramilitaries are being used as private armies of the Lobregats.

The Lobregats had been very open in strongly opposing the peace process between the Government of the Philippines (GRP) and MILF from the very start, even as they called for the suspension of the peace negotiations between the two parties in many occasions and filed petitions that led to the aborted signing of the GRP-MILF Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) last August 2008.

Meanwhile, the MILF ground commander who was involved in the encounter opined that the private armies of the Lobregats must be disarmed by the AFP and Philippine National Police similar to what they are doing with the private armies of the Ampatuan clans and political warlords in Maguindanao.