Sunday, May 15, 2016

Army, police, MILF deployed in Maguindanao town to stop clan wars

From the Philippine News Agency (May 16): Army, police, MILF deployed in Maguindanao town to stop clan wars
 
Police and military said fighting between warring clans in a Maguindanao town have simmered down after joint police and military personnel were deployed as peacekeepers.

Senior Inspector Freddie Solar, police chief of Talitay town in Maguindanao, said armed supporters of town Mayor Muntasir Sabal and Kagi Buisan cease fighting Sunday.

Four persons have been killed, one from the side of Buisan and three from the group of Sabal family.

“They stopped fighting but we cannot say they will not in the future,” Solar said, adding that both sides have relatives from Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“That is our problem, they were armed and they belonged to MILF but this is not an organizational fight,” he added. Sabal was reelected mayor as against Fahad Midtimbang who was a relative of the Buisan family.

Solar said the Buisan and Sabal family were locked in a long standing family feud that dates back to 2013.

“Before election, a member of Buisan family was killed and retaliatory attacks ensued,” Solar said.

Capt. Joann Petinglay, speaking for the 6th Infantry Division, said Army personnel were also deployed in Talitay to serve as peacekeepers and not to fight warring families due to an existing ceasefire agreement between the government and the MILF.

About 3,000 persons, mostly women and children, have fled to safer grounds.

“It’s quiet now in Talitay town center but evacuees refused to return home at this time,” Solar said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=885509

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