MILF infighting erupts anew; 2,800 internally displaced remain in evacuation centers

From InterAksyon (Jan 11): MILF infighting erupts anew; 2,800 internally displaced remain in evacuation centers

 PIKIT, North Cotabato - Warring members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) clashed anew in interior villages here despite efforts to separate warring families related both by blood and by affinity, police said.

Chief Inspector Sindatu Karim, Pikit town police chief, said the families of Bhuto Mantol attacked anew the communities in Barangay Talitay, where Mokamad Andoy and Ricky Husain, all leaders of the MILF, on Sunday dawn, triggering five hours of sporadic fire fight.

”No casualty was reported in the latest skirmishes,” Karim said.

He said that while the latest skirmishes did not hurt anybody, last Sunday’s trading of bullets and mortars has sent messages to displaced families their communities remain unsafe.

Per police assessment and evaluation, about 568 families or 2,831 individuals remain in various evacuation centers in Poblacion Pikit and nearby villages.

”This is an infighting among MILF leaders triggered by land dispute and family feud,” Karim said, adding the police have tried to mediate but they were met by gunfire from both sides.

”Our mandate is to secure the civilians. We will not interfere in the armed conflict because of the existing peace agreement between the government and the MILF,” Karim said in a radio interview.

”We look for MILF leaders’ action on this problem,” the police chief said.

”The national highway linking Cotabato and Davao is safe...We have enough police personnel securing the road network at the same time implementing election gun ban,” Karim said. Election gun ban commenced Sunday.

Von Al Haq, speaking for the MILF’s military arm, said emissaries have been sent but the team is yet to submit report to the MILF central committee.

To avoid the escalation of armed hostilities involving Moro rebels in North Cotabato’s Pikit town, Army and police forces have been deployed to serve as peacekeepers.

Karim said in an interview that soldiers from the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade were deployed Thursday along with the police near the village of Talitay.

”They are there to secure the civilians and not to fight the rebels,” Karim told reporters after two commanders of the MILF traded bullets at grenades due to “rido” or family feud.

To contain the flame standing between warring MILF commanders in his area of operation, Maj. Gen. Eduardo Pangilinan, 6th Infantry Division commander, has a standing directive to all Army units under the 6th ID not to engage warring Muslim families but secure civilians in the event infighting occurs.

Clan wars are common in communities in Maguindanao, including infighting among forces of the MILF, the biggest rebel movement that entered into a peace agreement with the government in 2014.

At the break of dawn Thursday, civilians with their valuables and work animals went on an exodus to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Sadly, civilians suffer the most in armed conflict not of their own making in Pikit.
Karim said Commanders Andoy and Hussain allegedly refused to surrender to police authorities in Kabacan, North Cotabato one of his men suspected of killing Commander Mantol’s brother in Barangay Kayaga, Kabacan, North Cotabato.

Karim said the infighting broke out a few kilometers from Camp Rajamuda, a government recognized MILF areas and one of the biggest MILF camps in North Cotabato.

Tahira Kalantongan, Pikit Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer, said the evacuees fled to nearby Barangays Inug-og, Rajamuda, and Gli-Gli, also in Pikit.

Police and military authorities are hoping the MILF emissaries could bring the warring MILF leaders to the negotiating table so the displaced families could return home.

The skirmishes in Pikit came two days after unidentified armed men ambushed and killed village chairperson Pecson Mangansakan of Barangay Silik, Pikit, North Cotabato.

But Karim said the murder of Mangansakan was not related to the MILF infighting/

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/122535/milf-infighting-erupts-anew-2800-internally-displaced-remain-in-evacuation-centers