Police and military personnel have been deployed in a remote village here harassed by gunmen on Sunday where a 12-year-old girl was injured by a stray bullet.
The girl was accidentally injured when armed men claiming ownership of a vast track of land in Tulunan,
Cordero, Tulunan municipal police office chief, said the group of Commander Musa harassed residents of Barangay (village) Popoyon and nearby sub-villages.
The attack triggered by a long standing land dispute forced about 136 families to flee to Barangay Poblacion to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
“It was a long standing land conflict, the armed men have been harassing the villagers to drive them away so they can claim the farmland,” Cordero said.
According to Cordero, the farmers owned the land as evidenced by land titles but the group of Commander Musa also claimed ownership, thus the recurring peace and order problem.
He said farmers were being sniped by the group of Commander Musa who came from nearby Datu Paglas town in Maguindanao. Cordero said Commander Musa does not belong to any revolutionary group but maintains an armed group of civilians.
Cordero said Mayor Lani Candolada had already created Task Force Land Dispute to settle the conflict.
Cordero said police and military authorities are now deployed near the village to prevent lawless elements from coming near the village. Male villagers return to Barangay Popoyon but would return to evacuation site at night time.
The vast track of land was planted with coconut, rubber and corn.
Workers form the town social welfare office are now attending to the needs of displaced families whose children failed to attend the first day of classes in Barangay Popoyon Elementary School.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=649337
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