ZAMBOANGA CITY—The joint Committee on Cease-fire and Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is taking actions to prevent further clashes between their forces  in Zamboanga del Norte.

                The residents of barangay Lakiki in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, have deserted the village for fear of being caught in the crossfire if fighting erupts anew between the government forces and MILF combatants staying in the area.

                A 60-year-old woman was killed, while three policemen, including an officer, were wounded when a gun battle broke out between the government forces and some members of the MILF staying in the village of Lakiki on January 30.

                Lakiki remains deserted and only household and farm animals could be seen roaming around the village since the residents refuse to return to their homes.

                In the just-concluded two-day 41st regular meeting, the government-MILF CCCH agreed to take immediate action on the incident by conducting joint fact-finding inquiries in order to come up with mutually acceptable courses of action so as not to affect the peace process.

                The meeting was held from Friday until Saturday in this city with the International Monitoring Team, headed by Maj. Gen. Datuk Mat Yasin of Malaysia and its member-contingents from Brunei, Libya and Japan in attendance.

                The government CCCH chairman, Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Sealana, described the
January 30 Lakiki incident as “very unfortunate.”

                The clash broke out when the policemen armed with a warrant of arrest
went to Lakiki to arrest the subject of the warrant.

                “It [the clash] boils down to the problem of uncoordinated movements,” Sealana said. 

                He said the Local Monitoring Team (LMT) is working out with the protagonists to prevent another incident in Lakiki.

                The LMT monitors the implementation of the cease-fire agreement between
the government and the MILF. It also oversees the implementation of socioeconomic programs in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao. 

                “The situation on the ground is very conducive enough to continue talking about peace agreement,” Yasin described the over-all situation in Mindanao.

                Yasin noted that all of the stakeholders are fully supporting the government-MILF peace process.

Panel starts probe on chopper mess

DEFENSE Secretary Gilbert Teodoro has ordered members of the Department of National Defense’s new bids and awards (BAC) committee to formally start the investigation into the alleged irregularities in the acquisition of six new night attack helicopters at a cost of P1.2 billion by the Armed Forces.

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna—The Philippines will continue to be a major recipient of agri-biotech funds under the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II, a program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to boost agricultural production of developing countries.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The joint Committee on Cease-fire and Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is taking actions to prevent further clashes between their forces  in Zamboanga del Norte.

THE Regional Trial Court in Iba, Zambales, has stopped a foreign ship from leaving the country with a load of mineral ore allegedly taken by A3 UNA Mining Corp. from an area owned by another company, Zambales Chromite Mining Co.

SPEAKER Prospero Nograles is rushing the formation of the House of Representatives ad hoc special committee that will collect, process and classify various reform proposals from members of the lower chamber.