UN Philippines condemns Basilan clash

An official of the United Nations (UN) in the Philippines condemned Thursday the Basilan clash that left two soldiers dead.

Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said the encounter took place on Wednesday while troops from the 32nd Infantry Battalion were providing security to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) personnel involved in a peace and development project in Barangay Lower Cabengbeng, Sumisip, Basilan.

Two soldiers were killed and 12 others were wounded in the encounter with two armed groups. One of the two groups is allegedly linked to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“I strongly condemn the ambush, which occurred when members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were on their way to escort a team from the UNDP for community engagement in the area,” UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez said in a statement.

“Our efforts to reach those who need it most often require us to work in challenging and insecure environments,” he added.

Gonzalez also said no UN personnel were near during the incident.

The UN in the Philippines also expressed sympathies to affected soldiers and their families.

"In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the UN supports peacebuilding efforts of national, regional, and local authorities. We have made significant progress. We will stay and deliver in BARMM,” Gonzalez said.

“The United Nations, in close cooperation with security forces, carries out security risk assessments before undertaking missions in the Philippines. This was the first such incident involving a United Nations team since the implementation of the peace process," he added. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/VBL, GMA Integrated News