Police hunting down suspects in North Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat border armed skirmishes

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Police hunting down suspects in North Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat border armed skirmishes

Police authorities in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato have conducted a joint operation in hunting down two men who attacked a farming village in the boundary of two provinces Tuesday.

Sr. Supt. Danny Reyes, Sultan Kudarat provincial police director, said his office had been coordinating with the office of Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum, North Cotabato police director for the deployment of peacekeepers in the village of Maybula, a border barangay between Tulunan, North Cotabato and Colombio in Sultan Kudarat.

Reyes, citing reports from Colombio PNP, said about 20 armed men fired at farmers and village watchmen in Sitio Saban, Barangay Maybula, Tulunan.

The attackers apparently came from Colombio side, he said.

"We are still investigating, we are sending peacekeepers to prevent similar incidents in the future," Reyes told reporters.

A Church-run Radio DXND in Kidapawan City reported that the clash erupted at about 11 a.m. when gunmen attack a group of farmers, triggering a three hour firefight. Three of the farmers were killed and were identified by the villagers.

Responding police men also recovered three bodies of the attackers who were not residents of Barangay Maybula. Village defenders helped in fighting the attackers until the police arrived.

Reyes said the attacked was triggered by land dispute involving two groups of farmers claiming ownership of a vast track of lands.

Government agencies were tapped by the local governments of Tulunan and Colombio to settle amicably the land ownership issue.

The clash also sent about 50 families to abandon their homes and proceed to the village center of Maybula. It was now clear if there were evacuees on the side of Colombio town.

 

The local social welfare office have been attending to the needs of the affected families in Tulunan, local officials said.

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