Displaced residents appeal to gov't to end Army offensive in Cotabato, Maguindanao

PIKIT, North Cotabato - Maguindanao and Cotabato residents who have been displaced due to clashes between the military and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have urged the government to stop its Army offensive as evacuees' needs allegedly could not be met in shelter areas.

Women from Dasawao in Shariff Saydona, Maguindanao who sought shelter in Pikit, North Cotabato got angry after coupons and relief goods were allegedly not given to real evacuees.

"We are the real evacuees here. How come we couldn't get what the government has extended to us? If the government cannot manage to take care of displaced residents, then they should stop the war in our village and we will go back home," one of the women said.

In a video, the residents were seen destroying tents and saying they would rather go back home despite the risk as the situation on the ground was still volatile.

The head of Pikit's Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office admitted there were discrepancies during the distribution of relief goods, and sought to resolve the issue.

Naguib Sinarimbo, Interior minister of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindnao, who also heads the region's disaster arm Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (READI-BARMM), met with the leaders of the grieving evacuees to settle the issue.

READI-BARMM brought in food and supplies in Macasendig, Pikit during its second wave of relief mission on Tuesday.

“Most of the residents that we catered today came from Dasawao. Our teams despite the road challenges managed to reach them from the borders of Maguindanao and North Cotabato,” said Sinarimbo, who led the disaster relief mission.

A military operation conducted by the Joint Task Force-Central of the 6th Army Division against the BIFF terror group has affected more than 1,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Sultan sa Barongis and Shariff Saydona Mustapha in Maguindanao and from Barangayas Kabasalan and Paidu Pulangi in Pikit, North Cotabato.

A total of 955 families sought shelter at evacuation centers and some houses in Barangay Macasindeg in Pikit.

Another 543 displaced families on the other hand evacuated to Dasawao in Saydona.

An evacuee, Badria Sulayman who is in her 40s and is a mother of eight, told GMA News that children were forced to jump into the river and swim after an air strike hit their village.

“We heard the planes firing bombs near our village. That was dawn attack. All I thought was I could not bring all of my children. I’m thankful enough we are all safe here,” she said.

Last week, a forum on IDPs was held in Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao which was attended by international aid agencies, civil society groups, local officials, military officials and displaced residents who have not gone back to their homes due to armed conflict in Liguasan Marsh.

The group drafted a 10-point agenda and submitted an appeal to BARMM asking it to address IDPs' concerns. —KG, GMA News