Suspected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), backed by renegade rebels, clashed with militiamen and soldiers in Barangay Bagumbayan, President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat province Saturday, the Army here said.
The rebels killed a local militiaman, a farmer and fired rockets toward the detachment of the 33rd Infantry Battalion in skirmishes the past two days which authorities attributed to a long standing land dispute involving MILF guerillas and local residents.
The attackers were led by a certain Ustadz Sukarno, believed to be a follower of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) leader Ustadz Umra Kato.
Sukarno's men sided with the group of MILF claiming ownership of a vast tract of land in Barangay Bagumbayan of President Quirino.
Killed Saturday was militiaman Vicente Macaraeg, a member of Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) and a resident of Barangay Bagumbayan.
Macaraeg was driving his motorbike heading toward the town proper when shot by MILF-BIFF forces.
The gunmen fled when joint police and Army forces deployed as peacekeeping forces started to close in.
The next day, the armed men returned to the village and gunned down Roi Viola, a farmer for refusing to shell out money.
After killing Viola, the armed men harassed the 33rd IB detachment.The outnumbered Army in the detachment returned fire. It was unknown whether the attackers suffered casualties as they retreated when reinforcement arrived backed by armored personnel carrier and 105 howitzers.
Antonio Sebulla, a resident of Poblacion President Quirino, said three howitzers were fired by soldiers position in the town proper toward Barangay Bagumbayan while the harassment on the Army base was ongoing.
Several families have evacuated, according to Sebulla.
According to Colonel Dickson Hermoso, speaking for the 6th Infantry Division, said soldiers were sent to Bagumbayan to prevent further skirmishes while concerned government agencies were trying to address the land dispute problem.
He said the Army is coordinating with the joint ceasefire committee of the government and the MILF in addressing the problem.
A similar land dispute has already claimed lives in the borders of Maguinanao, Sultan Kudarat and
The latest fatality was a farmer who was shot allegedly by MILF rebels in Sitio Barko-Barko, Barangay Maybula, Tulunan,
MILF and armed militiamen clashed last week and sporadic skirmishes that claimed more lives have been ongoing since then.
Hermoso identified the slain militiaman as Dondon Palomo a resident of Sitio Barko-Barko.
North Cotabato Gov. Emmyloy Mendoza and Tulunan Mayor Lani Candolada both confirmed the conflict was deeply rooted and involved local residents and MILF forces who all claiming land ownership.
A resident of Sitio Barko-Barko told a local radio station that they have been subjected to harassment by MILF forces who wanted them out of Sitio Barko-Barko.
"We are forced to arm ourselves, who will protect us but us," he told reporters from Gen. Santos City.
Another man who identified himself as Sandro said the conflict had been settled in the past but the rebels keep on violating the local agreement.
"No one should claim ownership by force but to allow the Department of Agrarian Reform to address the problem, but they keep coming back," Sandro said.
Von Al-Haq, speaking for the MILF, claimed otherwise.
He said the area had been known as owned by the local native inhabitants who are Maguindanaons and relatives of the MILF.
"The civilians armed themselves and employed as CAFGU to attack MILF forces, that is the problem there," Al Haq said.
After a series of dialogues by local leaders, the government and the MILF, an immediate solution was agreed upon to stop fighting and loss of lives.
On Monday, a joint peacekeeping task force composed of the police, military, members of the GPH-MILF ceasefire committee, MILF and International Monitoring Team will be sent to the conflict area.
It aims to stop violence while the territorial dispute is being addressed by the government.
Mayor Candolada said the regional joint peace and security coordinating committee will deployed in Sitio Barko-Barko, former a peace zone to prevent further bloodshed.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=537214
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