Basilan warring clans 'smoke the pipe of peace' through police efforts

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 25): Basilan warring clans 'smoke the pipe of peace' through police efforts

Police authorities in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have yet settled another bloody Moro clan wars in Basilan after two families smoke the pipe of peace, officials said Tuesday.

In his report to Chief Supt. Ronald Estilles, police regional director for the PNP-ARMM based here, Supt. Oscar Nantes, Basilan police director, said two groups have signed a truce ending decades old conflict that claimed several lives from both sides and stalled economic growth in their communities.

Nantes said elders of the Yakan family of Idan and the Arabani and Baite families, all in the town of Maluso, have ended their armed conflict and swear before the Holy Quran after signing the peace agreement.

"They both agreed not to resort to violence anymore and help build peace in the communities," Nantes said. "They realized they will be the end beneficiaries of any peace and development that will come to Maluso if the end hostilities."

Territorial dispute triggered the armed conflict between the warring families who happened to be related by affinity and by blood with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Nantes said it took more than a month for the local police and Muslim elders to convince hardliner members of the warring families since the conflict dates back to the 1980s and resulted in the death of more than a dozen members from both sides.

The police provincial director lauded the support extended by ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman and the local military counterpart.

Few days ago, the ARMM regional government, through the Regional Reconciliation and Reunification Commission, successfully brought warring families in Sumisip and Lantawan to the negotiating table and smoke the pipe of peace.

With the successful unification of warring families, Nantes said he was inspired to "work harder" and settle remaining clan war, locally known as "rido," in Basilan.

"We have found the strategy that will soften the hearts of those involved in bloody family dispute," he said.

Election season is coming and settling clan wars in war-torn Basilan is one step to ensure peaceful balloting next year.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=796919