Situationer on the Armed Conflict and Displacement in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao

Last Friday evening, May 7, 2021, a group of men, eventually identified as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), was spotted at the Masjid (place of worship) near the Datu Paglas Public Market. The BIFF group even assured the locals present in the area that they were only stopping by for a short rest.  

On the next day, o/a 4:00 in the morning right after Suhor (meal before dawn during Ramadhan), the same group of BIFF warned the residents of Poblacion, Datu Paglas to flee the area in case of possible encounter. Families living near the public market also recounted that they heard unsettling noises outside and left their homes as early as 2:00 in the morning.

Bullets and rockets from the attack helicopter destroyed roofs and caused severe damages to homes at Sitio Lapoles, Poblacion in Datu Paglas.

At around 6:45, the BIFF launched a surprise attack on the PNP Police Station situated near the public market, while the latter retaliated and immediately requested assistance from the 40th Infantry Brigade (IB), Philippine Army stationed nearby. The 40th IB responded and sent their troops to the area. 

The BIFF hijacked a ten-wheeler truck and placed it in the national highway to block the government forces responding to the attack. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were also planted by BIFF members along the national highway and inner residential areas. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) then closed the national highway and stationed checkpoints to block passage of civilians bound for Columbio, Makilala and Kabacan, North Cotabato. When the BIFF retreated to the inner wetlands, the North Cotabato-Maguindanao highway was re-opened at around 2:00 in the afternoon, but checkpoints remain in the entry points of inner community areas for military clearing operations. 

Based on the IDP monitoring and assessment, around 200 families take shelter in Bagua Datu Elementary School with a minimum of 7 up to 18 families cramped inside each classroom.

On May 9, the local government unit (LGU) of Datu Paglas already advised the internally displaced families to return to their homes except for residents of Barangay Alip. Some residents have already returned to their communities while many sought refuge in nearby schools, turned to evacuation centers (ECs) or stayed with their relatives in the nearby Barangays. Affected communities that fled to the ECs include residents of Barangays Poblacion and Alip in Datu Paglas.

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Since March 18, 2021, armed conflict between the BIFF and AFP has affected communities from the municipalities of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Shariff Aguak, Mamasapano, Datu Salibo and Datu Hoffer in the Province of Maguindanao, and resulted in the displacement of 65,660 individuals in the recent months.

The volume of IDPs and the lack of resources in the EC have posed challenges in the observance of health protocols.

However, affected families in Datu Paglas remain in shock as this is their first time to experience such attacks, with some of their homes suffering severe damages from the encounter. In Sitio Lapoles, Barangay Poblacion, 12 houses were damaged by bullets from the helicopter gunship and splinters from the helicopter rockets of the AFP. Unexploded IEDs were also found around the residential areas. During this supposed festive time of Ramadhan, vulnerable communities in Maguindanao have to deal with the burden of never-ending armed conflict on top of the insecurities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 8, 2021, residents of Barangay Poblacion, Datu Paglas rushed to leave their homes bringing nothing but their abled bodies and children to the evacuation centers.

News on the recurring armed conflict highlights the activities from both government forces and armed groups, and overshadows the aggravated conditions of the vulnerable communities caught in the crossfire. As of May 9, 2020, 16 families from Sitio Mupak Gawad Kalinga are staying at the Kayaga Elementary School while a rough estimate of 200 families is staying at Bagua Datu Elementary School. A minimum of 7 to a maximum of 18 families are cramped in each classroom of Bagua Datu Elementary School. No assistance was received from the LGUs or any humanitarian organization during this time. 

In situations of armed conflict and displacement, the elderly, pregnant women and children experience heightened vulnerabilities and increased health risks.

Most of the internally displaced families were caught unprepared and were unable to bring basic necessities and sustenance. These families are in urgent need for food, hygiene kits, water kits, sleeping kits, cooking sets and potable water. While there are no issues raised on gender-based violence, the congestion in Bagua Datu Elementary School has superseded the observance of health protocols. With limited space and resources available, physical distancing and use of basic PPE is hard to implement in the ECs.    

To date, the IDPs remain in the aforementioned elementary schools/evacuation centers and are in need of the following humanitarian response: psychosocial first aide to the IDPs (especially children, women and elderly), provision of basic necessities, camp management orientation, COVID-19 managements and safety protocols orientation, legal assessment through legal missions (rights of IDPs, damage to property, etc.), and conduct of health missions.