LESS than 24 hours after surrounding the Tipo-Tipo town hall in Basilan, armed elements of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the military wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), began returning to their communities on Tuesday afternoon, October 28, following successful negotiations.
Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman said the armed men agreed to withdraw and return to their village in Barangay Baguindan, Tipo-Tipo, escorted by a team from the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (MILF-CCCH).
“They left in several batches but were slowed down by heavy rains in the area,” Hataman said in a phone interview.
He said sporadic gunfire could still be heard as the MILF fighters were making their way back to Baguindan.
Four civilians were reported wounded — one of them seriously enough to require evacuation to Zamboanga City for treatment.
The withdrawal brought an end to a tense 24-hour standoff that began when the BIAF fighters encircled the town hall, demanding the surrender of a suspect in the October 21 killing of Ustadz Nadzmi Asdana Tarahin, 40, an ulama and councilman of Barangay Baguindan. Tarahin was shot dead at the passenger terminal in Lamitan City.
Hataman said two suspects who acted as lookouts had already been arrested by police in Lamitan. However, the MILF fighters believed a third suspect — allegedly a security worker hired by the Tipo-Tipo local government — remained at large under local government protection.
“The MILF fighters — relatives of Tarahin — went to demand that the (local government) turn over the suspect. Naturally, the (local government) refused since he remains a suspect pending police investigation,” Hataman said.
He said both the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and MILF-CCCH panels assured the armed group that the suspect would be arrested and detained once the police completed their investigation.
Authorities reportedly have CCTV footage showing the multicab getaway vehicle’s plate number and the suspect’s identity.
With these assurances, the armed men agreed to stand down and return to their community.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the incident stemmed from a local clan war (rido) and has since been brought under control.
Colonel Xerxes Trinidad, AFP Public Affairs Office chief, said security forces, together with the Basilan provincial government and both GPH and MILF-CCCH teams, are working to prevent further escalation and guarantee civilian safety.
He urged the public to remain calm, emphasizing that the AFP remains committed to ensuring peace throughout Basilan.
In a joint statement, the AFP, PNP, and the Basilan provincial government extended condolences to the family of Ustadz Tarahin and assured them that justice will be served.
