A long standing family feud that stemmed from territorial
dispute triggered the murder Friday of a village chair in Pikit, North Cotabato , police said.
According to Senior Inspector Sindatu Karim, Pikit police
chief, initial investigation showed a long standing family feud was believed
behind the killing of Chairperson Dhats Simon of Barangay Bulol, Pikit and his
escort-relative Akmad Bantas.
“The gunmen were known to Chairman Simon and he was the real
target," Karim said, adding that the suspects used high powered firearms
to ensure the village official is killed.
According to Karim, Chairman Simon had sought police and
military assistance after he received threats from his family rivals who are
incidentally affiliated with armed groups operating in his village.
But due to lack of police personnel, Simon was forced to
allow his relative as escort-bodyguard. He was identified as Dats Bantas.
Karim was driving his motorbike with his escorts backriding
on their way home at past 2:30 p.m. when ambushed by five armed men along a
dirt road in Barangay Gli-Gli, Pikit.
Karim said the gunmen used M-16 Armalite rifle based on the
37 empty shells recovered by responding policemen in the crime scene.
Family feud, locally known as "rido," is among the
deterrent in attaining local peace in most of Mindanao
areas where Moro people reside.
It is a culture peace advocates in Mindanao
were trying to address through peaceful means and through development.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=793876
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