From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 7): Armed skirmishes displace 500
families in Maguindanao town
At least 500 families from villages in Datu Montawal town in Maguindanao
province evacuated to safer areas after two warring groups exchanged fires at
around 11 p.m., Tuesday, an evacuee said. Abdula Pandita, 38, farmer from Barangay Dungguan, Datu Montawal, said they
were roused from their sleep when they heard loud gunshots coming from different
directions.
The fighting came a week after the same warring groups exchanged fires, which
killed two persons, including a two-year old girl identified as Rohaina Hassan
of Barangay Dungguan, according to Pandita.... Pandita said the fighting was a result of a rido or clan war between the
family of Datu Montawal municipal mayor Datu Uttoh Montawal and his relatives
who had been at odds since 2007.
Pandita said Mayor Montawal has organized his own private army to fight
another group of armed lawless group whose members include legitimate fighters
of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Such armed group, according to Pandita, staged the attack against Montawal’s
private army last October 31, which led to the displacement of hundreds of
families from barangays Poblacion, Dungguan, Talapas, and Tunggul, all in Datu
Montawal town.
The same group, he stressed, was responsible for the attack last Tuesday
night.
“Some members of this armed group are relatives of those killed by the
private Army of Montawal. This is their rido. We, as civilians, became
collateral damage to their own wars,” said Pandita in an interview over
Catholic-ran DXND in Kidapawan City.... Lt. Col. Benjamin Hao, commander of the 7th Infantry Battalion, said he
immediately dispatched some of his men, on board military trucks, to war-torn
villages to pacify the fighting....
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=469157
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