Leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have sent emissaries to warring MILF members in remote villages here to prevent the clan war from escalating and affect the coming village polls.
Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chair for political affairs, said influential MILF officials have been sent to Barangay Bagoinged, Pagalungan, Maguindanao to convince MILF Commanders Akmad Andoy and Sanday Bhuto to stop firing at each other and allow the displaced families to return home.
At least eight MILF members have been killed in the three-day sporadic skirmishes between Andoy's group and Bhuto's followers. Four others were wounded.
Speaking in the vernacular, Jaafar told Bhuto and Andoy to disengage and stop fighting.
"For the safe of civilians, you are directed to return to your respective communities," Jaafar told the warring groups who have been locked in a long-standing family feud that stemmed from politics.
Army Capt. Antonio Bulao, speaking for the Army's 602nd Infantry Brigade, said both Commanders Andoy and Bhuto have relatives running for elective posts of Barangay Bagoinged for the Oct. 28 polls.
"Andoy’s relatives are running various positions in Barangay Bagoinged, running against aspirants identified with Bhuto," Bulao said.
"Obviously this has something to do with the election, one group is harassing another group to dislodge supporters of rival candidates," said Bulao, adding that the conflict area is far from portions of the Cotabato-Davao highway.
Jaafar said both Andoy and Bhuto were supporters of former Mayor Norodin Matalam who died due to cardiac arrested before the local polls last May.
The Commission on Elections is still studying the situation and would decide soon whether to postpone the balloting in Barangay Bagoinged.
"We are assessing the situation and will submit report to the Comelec soon," Bulao said.
Barangay Bagoinged has about 2,000 registered voters as of 2010.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=579582
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