Welcoming our prodigal brothers

Reminiscent of the story of the “prodigal son,” this time to our Filipino brothers, I along with my division commander and the provincial governor received the group of Mabaning Andamun Lucsadato.

Mabaning, known as either Benjie or Protector—the highest ranking commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who has so far defected to the government— is the commander of the 101st Brigade of the former Camp Bilal Base Command of the MILF Northern Mindanao Front. His group served as guards of the former the camp’s complex covering the towns of Munai and Poona Piagapo in Lanao del North and further south in Piagapo and Madalum in Lanao del Sur.

His forces, while not under the control of Abdullah Macapaar alias Bravo, have given support—security, manpower, and supplies—to the MILF activities in the area. Bravo’s group has been outlawed and is being sought after for attacking the towns of Kauswagan and Kolambugan in Lanao del Norte in August 2008, killing 26 people and burning several houses.

See related articles at Philippine Army Website, Inquirer.Net, Journal Online, Business Mirror, ManilaTimes, PIA, and AFP Website (PDF).

Benjie came to me about a week ago saying he and his group wanted to lay down their firearms and return to our fold. He said he was tired of fighting and always on the run. He wanted to go back to his family whom he had neglected for being a leader of the MILF. I welcomed his intentions, telling him it was an honorable thing to do.






I told him that he and his men are better off joining the government to pursue more productive activities for their own families and their respective communities instead of wasting their time and energies in a shooting war with government forces—even as the lives of their families and the ordinary civilians have been caught in between. Their return will surely go a long way in reducing the threat posed by the outlaws in the area, hasten a climate of peace, and help build better communities in the province.

The decision of Benjie and his group to return is a victory on their part as well as of their families as they made a bold but beneficial move to help our society. We, in the military also share this achievement since this is in pursuit of the priorities set by the 1st Division Commander, Major General Romeo Lustestica, in upholding the peace process while taking punitive as well as restrictive measures against the lawless group of the MILF. Similarly, this is surely a welcome occasion by our local government executives with no less than the governor strongly promoting the establishment of a secure and peaceful condition so progress and development can take place in Lanao del Norte.




Perhaps, it is either by coincidence or by deliberate hostile action that the nearby Agus Bridge was blasted few hours before their formal welcome. Despite this, the ceremony—in the presence of their families whom we have invited—pushed through with their presentation to the public and the symbolic acceptance of the group by the Commander of the 1st Infantry Division of the Philippine Army; subsequently, they were turned over to our political leader, the Governor of Lanao del Norte—Honorable Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo—who administered their oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines to indicate their return to our society.

On their own, the former rebels shed their MILF uniforms and burned them.

Welcome back to the fold.