Armed men harass Maguindanao villages; residents, voters flee ahead of election

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 17): Armed men harass Maguindanao villages; residents, voters flee ahead of election

On the last day of filing of certificates of candidacy for barangay elections, gunmen separately attacked two Maguindanao villages that displaced about 300 persons, the Army here said Friday.

Speaking for the Army's 602nd Infantry Brigade, Captain Anthony Bulao, said the first armed men, believed to be members of the 108th based command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attacked the village of Bagoenged, Pagalungan, Maguindanao.

"They were looking for former village chair Kamad Andoy with whom they were locked in a long standing feud triggered by local politics," Bulao said.

Quoting report from the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion, Bulao said nobody was hurt in the strafing incident but it sent residents fleeing.

Andoy lost in his bid for the mayorship of Pagalungan in the May 2013 elections. Andoy is reportedly running for village chairman anew.

As the Army and police were responding to the strafing incident, the group of Sanday with about 50 armed followers, fled to the Liguasan marshland.

Just as the group of Sanday was fleeing, another band of MILF members, led by a Commanders Badawi and Bigkog, arrived and strafed houses while others fired their guns on the air in the village of Kudal, also in Pagalungan, Maguindanao.

The second group was also looking for Andoy, Bulao said.

This forced civilians of Barangay Kudal to flee to nearby barangays.

Bulao said the harassment appeared to have connections with the village polls scheduled on October 28.

“The harassment could be masterminded by some aspirants to displace supporters of rival candidates in the village election so they could not vote,” Bulao said, adding that the military has sent peacekeeping forces in the area.

The GPH-MILF ceasefire panel had been informed about the incident for their intervention and prevent escalation of the conflict, Bulao said.

The provincial office of the Commission on Elections is yet to issue comments whether to hold the balloting as scheduled or delay it following the displacement of voters.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=577573