Land dispute triggers MILF, MNLF clash in NorCot

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 13): Land dispute triggers MILF, MNLF clash in NorCot

Land and territorial disputes triggered Friday morning’s skirmishes between rival Moro fronts in North Cotabato that left one farmer wounded, local officials said Sunday.

Captain Antonio Bulao, speaking for the military’s 602nd Infantry Brigade, said families identified with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) have been fighting over vast track of lands in Barangay Manubuan, Matalam, North Cotabato.

“They traded bullets Friday dawn while our Muslim brothers and sisters were preparing to start their day with fasting,” Bulao said in a radio interview, referring to the clashes in Sitio Maligaya, Barangay Manubuan during the fasting month of Ramadhan.

Bulao said an Army backed by militia peacekeeping force had been deployed in Barangay Manubuan to prevent warring families from seeing each other and firing their guns.

Habib Guiabar, chair of the North Cotabato local monitoring team of the government and the MILF, said normalcy had been restored and that both sides agreed to a cessation of hostilities.

Farmer Oscar Matiagal, also an MILF commander, attacked the group of farmer Manu Sandab, also an MNLF commander, after the later and his men allegedly flagged down a truck loaded with farm products to be delivered to the market and attempted to hostage the wife of another MILF commander.

“They (Sandab) accused us of harvesting their farm products which was not true,” Matiagal said in Filipino.

“It was probably the reason why the followers of Commander Sandab destroyed our farm products we were to deliver to the market,” Matiagal said.

About 50 MILF forces, led by Matiagal, attacked the camp of Commander Sandab in Purok 6, Barangay Manubuan, Matalam, North Cotabato at past midnight Friday, according to Captain Bulao.

One farmer identified with Commander Sandab was wounded.

Before the dawn attack, Matiagal said the group Commander Sandab also destroyed the vegetables of his followers.

“Pinaghahagis nila ang mga gulay at ikinalat ang mais at palay sa kalsada (They threw off the our vegetables and scattered sacks of corn and palay on the road),” Matiagal said.

Not contented, the MNLF forces also took custody of a certain Kagi, truck driver and Bai Dido, wife of MILF Commander Pingkoy Timbulan, and briefly used them as human shields, Matiagal said. He named the MNLF group leaders as Tulisan, brother of Commander Sandab and a certain Kanapia.

“This is the third time the group of Sandab had been harassing our farmers,” Matiagal said.

Matiagal said “Timbulan was so angry that his wife was abducted by Sandab’s men so we decided to attack the base of Commander Sandab.”

Bai Dido and the driver were later released by Sandab’s men.

Guiabar admitted that several peace negotiations had been conducted but the group keep on violating them, thus, they clash every now and then.

Bulao said a team from the 7th Infantry Battalion, led by Lt. Leonard Lopez, had been deployed as peacekeepers in Barangay Manubuan and to secure portions of the Cotabato-Davao highway.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=662082