From InterAksyon (Feb 21): Tension grips North Cotabato villages as MNLF, MILF clash
Tension has gripped villages in Carmen town, North Cotabato following a clash between two rival Moro rebel groups that also saw the involvement of government militiamen, the military said.
The firefight, which broke out around 3:30 p.m., happened after members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s 110th Base Command, under a Kumander Karim, allegedly stopped farmers hauling their harvested rice and corn in Barangays Tangonan and Tupig, Captain Tony Bulao, 602nd Infantry Brigade spokesman, said.
Fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front led by a Kumander Minanimbong, joined by members of a local civilian volunteer organization, responded to the incident, triggering the clash.
The military is still verifying if there were any casualties.
Soldiers and policemen were deployed to the area to prevent an escalation of hostilities as authorities appealed to the rival factions to order their followers to stand down.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/81199/tension-grips-north-cotabato-villages-as-mnlf-milf-clash
Kumander Karim and Kumander Minanimbong have been at odds for years. Competing land use/ownership claims are at the core of the conflict between the two men. "Rido" (blood feuds) and competing land claims appear to be the main issues that fuel much of the conflict in Central Mindanao.
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