Thematic Protection Bulletin | Ensuring provision of protection services during protracted displacement
On 27 January 2019, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were detonated at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, in the island province of Sulu. The attack resulted to 27 deaths and dozens more injured. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has tagged a faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) known as “Ajang- Ajang” as the perpetrators of the said attack.
The AFP carried out military operations against the ASG on 29 January which have affected some barangays in Patikul, including Barangay Latih. According to the 2015 census, the said barangay has a population of 6,089 individuals. However, only those living in the upper part were heavily affected and displaced.
The military offensive in Patikul has escalated and spread to nearby municipalities, which resulted to displacement among other civilians in order to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
More than 360 families (1,800 individuals) have been displaced in Barangay Latih since January 2019. Out of this figure, 70 families (350 individuals) are living in temporary shelters which are referred to by locals as “evacuation centers” in the lower part of Barangay Latih, while 290 families (1,450 individuals) are living with friends and relatives, also known as “homebased IDPs.”
