MPs, Rep suggest ways to address loose firearms issue as 4th minor falls victim to stray bullets
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 22 March) – “Heartbreaking and infuriating.” “An insult to the peace process.” “Sad and alarming.”
These were the reactions of Members of Parliament (MPs) Sittie Fahane Uy-Oyod, Naguib Sinarimbo, and Baintan Ampatuan as another minor fell victim to stray bullets, the fourth since February.
At least four minors have become “collateral damage” in the crossfire between warring armed groups, the youngest aged five, the oldest at 19. Two of the four died.
Maguindanao del Sur Representative Esmael Mangudadatu pushed for an intensified “Balik-Baril” (Gun Return) campaign and a localized crackdown on armed groups.
Sinarimbo urged stricter measures to address the issue of loose firearms.
Ampatuan demanded concrete steps for public safety while Uy-Uyod appealed for an end to the discharge of firearms, praying that no more families will have to weep over the “indiscriminate firing that victimizes the future of the Bangsamoro.”
A native of Datu Piang town, Uy-Oyod called for immediate intervention to prevent the killing of yet another child from stray bullets in her town and neighboring Datu Salibo.
The latest victim is a young child from Datu Salibo who was hit on March 16.
Initially, the family believed the injury was minor after a local clinic administered an anti-tetanus shot.
Three days later, persistent pain forced the family to go to the hospital for X-ray.
The results showed a bullet was deeply embedded in the child’s body. But family members said they were told that official results would not be released until Monday, March 23, due to an ongoing holiday.
Fearing for the child’s life, the family reached out to Uy-Uyod who immediately provided financial assistance and coordinated with Dr. Edwin John Limjuco at the Datu Blah Sinsuat District Hospital in Upi.
“From Datu Salibo, the victim was taken to the Sanitarium Hospital, then they stayed with relatives in Sultan Kudarat while waiting for results. I had them meet my staff in Cotabato to hand over financial aid before they proceeded to Upi,” Uy-Uyod shared.
Although the surgery lasted four hours and doctors were unable to extract the bullet due to its extreme depth, the family was assured that the child is now out of danger.
Between February and March, four minors had fallen victim to stray bullets.
On February 11, Farhadin Ludtia, 5, a Kindergarten pupil, was killed by a stray bullet while inside his classroom at the Damabalas Elementary School in Datu Piang. The stray bullet was from a firefight between two armed groups.
On March 4, Nadia Haron Ebad, a 19-year-old senior high school student, was killed by a stray bullet in Barangay Damatulan, Nabalawag, within the Special Geographic Area in North Cotabato, during a clash between two groups.
According to police reports, at around 2:50 p.m., Ebad was rushing towards the riverbank in Purok 5 to retrieve her belongings in preparation for evacuation but a bullet hit her head.
A 14-year old from Nabalwag was also injured.
The fourth victim was hit on March 16.
The surge in violence has drawn international concern. UNICEF Philippines Representative Kyungsun Kim emphasized that schools and communities must be regarded as Zones of Peace.
Maguindanao del Sur is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Loose firearms continue to proliferate in the region that has been in transition since 2019.
The 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro provides for a normalization process that includes decommissioning of firearms and weapons of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the dismantling of private armed groups, the redeployment of government troops and transitional justice and reconciliation.
MindaNews had earlier reported that a total of 40,000 combatants and 7,200 weapons are to be decommissioned, and as of the third phase that ended on July 4, 2024, the decommissioned combatants now number 26,145 (65.4%) and decommissioned weapons at 4,625 (64.2%). (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)
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