603rd INFANTRY BRIGADE CAMP, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao -
Warring clans in the towns of Buldon and Barira ended 40 years of 'rido' at a
meeting to settle disputes on Sunday
The clans of Malambut,Kudanding have made peace with the
families of Madid, Cawi and Macauyag. The clans are from neighboring villages
separated by just a few meters.
Hundreds — including clan members, local leaders, military,
police and the media — came to the camp of the Army 603rd "Persuader"
Infantry Brigade to witness the end of the conflict.
Swearing on the Quran to never again engage in violence or
violate the truce, members of the clans hugged and asked each other for
forgiveness after the signing of a peace covenant.
For the past four decades, these two clans had been wary of
each other's movements, fearing that the other side might strike back avenge
departed loved ones at any time.
In the long decades of fighting, eight people have been
killed and another eight wounded in attacks.
Amerodin Malambut,66, came to the camp wearing dark
eyeglasses and wa sguided by towards the negotiation area.
Malambut was blinded in a fierce firefight in Barangay
Minabay with the rival clan in 1977. He survived the gun battle but two
relatives were killed in the clash.
He said the feud started when he was still a young Moro
National Liberation Front (MNLF) commander. He said they initiated an attack
after being harassed by armed men believed to be from the constabulary forces.
“It was a [case of] mistaken identity when we happened to
kill their relatives, so that was the start, though we asked for forgiveness
and offered blood money, it didn’t stop them [trying] to avenge their relatives
and so the vicious cycle followed”, he said.
“[T]he consequence of it, our [livelihood] in the community
was limited and restricted. We lost a lot of opportunities but now we are
thankful there are people who took steps to end the conflict”, he said in the
Iranun dialect.
For Ebrahim Cawi, “enough is enough”.
He said they were just forced to avenge the loss of his
in-laws and other relatives, but the rido should not be passed to the next
generation of their clan.
"It’s a gross picture of a Muslim existence in this
world by killing other people... fighting with other clans who also have blood
ties with you in Iranun lineage,” he said.
Roots of rido
Buldon Mayor Abolais Manalao blamed the proliferation of
guns in Iranun communities, which could easily be used during simple
misundertandings or as only means to get justice or to reclaim Maratabat
or honor.
“I must admit, guns in Iranun towns are almost found in
every household, it's part of their way of living, they acquired it even
[during] the time of Martial Law, when they were bound to defend themselves ”,
he said.
“No one wins in clan wars, all of the parties — including us
in local government — and the welfare of the people are casualties here, so we
must wake up and end this senseless vicious cycle,” Manalao stressed in his
speech.
Manalao thanked the 603rd Infantry Brigade and USAID Engage
for helping them come up with strategies to end the conflict between clans. He
admitted ridos are the main obstacle to development in his hometown.
Col. Arnel Dela Vega, brigade commander, said the settlement
reached on Sunday could motivate others involved in clan feuds to end their
ridos.
“Your rido are only smalls conflict to the bigger conflict
of the government panel and Moro Islamic Liberation Front are dealing with now,
but they opened their hearts and minds to settle the differences on the table,
so why [the] need to shed blood?” Dela Vega said.
Since the start of 603rd brigade’s campaign to bring peace
and order to the area a year ago, 27 ridos or clan feuds have been settlled and
several other may feuds may soon be ended as ground negotiators intensify
efforts to convince people to put an end to clan wars.
Joint-Task Force Iranun
Crafted from the Public Safety and Order Plan during last
years’ security meeting, the towns of Parang, Barira, Matanog and Buldon have
created the Joint Task Force-Iranun (JTF-Iranun) to address peace-related
matters, especially clan feuds and crime.
The group has gained technical support from USAID's
Enhancing Governance Accountability and Engagement program for improved
governance to build prosperity and stability in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao .
Under the program, the towns work with military, police, the
MILF, councils of elders, civil society groups and non-government organizations
to create mechanisms for peace.
Under JTF-Iranun, regular meetings are held quarterly and
town mayors and the 603rd's brigade commander alternate being the chairperson
and host.
“Usually, conflicts involving ridos are coming from
[neighboring] towns, which, during the meetings, can be handled by easy
coordination between town mayors,” said Clarissa Echavez-Rendon, the area
coordinator of USAID-ENGAGE.
“Resources-wise, all of them can save and the relationship
of Iranun mayors will be further strengthened together with security forces,”
Rendon added.
There is development if there is peace
With a relatively better peace and order situation — and no
recorded clashes between the government and the MILF — multimillion-dollar
investments are coming in especially for banana, pineapple, coconut, and coffee
production.
Mayor Mohammad “Kits” Guro of Matanog town said that due to
persistent efforts to maintain the peace with the help of the 603rd brigade,
even foreign investors have signified interest in investing in Iranun towns,
where the fertile soil is ideal for planting high-value crops.
“In fact, we really don’t need to wait long for the
[Bangsamoro Basic Law]... We just need to work it out with a peaceful community
where internal conflicts are settled and cannot hamper economic activities,”
Guro said.
Seeing the potential of vast and fertile land left untilled,
the military has been working with local chief executives to bring economic
gains to their respective towns.
Most of the Iranun people dwell in the huge and fertile land
surrounding the former Camp Abubakar , now called Camp
Iranun , in the provinces of
Maguindanao, Lanao Del Sur and parts of North Cotabato .
Between the 1970s and 2000s, war was prevalent in these areas. But only one firefight involving government troops and the MILF has been monitored since 2003. That clash, which happened in 2005, was immediately patched up.
Between the 1970s and 2000s, war was prevalent in these areas. But only one firefight involving government troops and the MILF has been monitored since 2003. That clash, which happened in 2005, was immediately patched up.
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