Police, Army send "peacekeepers" to separate warring MILF leaders in Maguindanao, North Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 17): Police, Army send "peacekeepers" to separate warring MILF leaders in Maguindanao, North Cotabato

Four persons have already been killed in an on going fighting between commanders of Moro rebel groups in Maguindanao and it has already displaced civilians, police on Thursday said.

Inspector Rasul Pandulo, speaking for Maguindanao police office, said Senior Supt. Nickson Muksan, Maguindanao police chief, have sent appeals for the leaders of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to pacify its leaders locked in clan war in Maguindanao's towns of Datu Piang, Datu Salibo and nearby towns.

The conflict has affected civilian communities in Datu Piang in Maguindanao and in Midsayap, North Cotabato, reports from the social welfare department said.

Pandulo said the family feud locally known as "rido," flared up on Nov. 13 and sporadic skirmishes have been on going between the followers of Saib Abas Kuranding of the MILF based in Datu Piang and MILF commander Bitoy Edsda of Barangay Lumupog, Midsayap.

Pandulo said the conflict is far from over since lives have been lost in the conflict.
"We expect retaliation from both sides," he said.

Pandulo also said that Muksan has coordinated with the leaders of the MILF to help convince warring families to disengage.

Classes have been suspended in areas where the warring families have been occasionally trading shots.

The affected families are temporarily housed in nearby villages while social welfare office have distributed relief goods.

Meanwhile, the military and police have deployed peacekeepers in the middle of warring families to prevent the conflict from escalating to another villages.

Pandulo said the Army and the police will not intervene in the "infighting" because of the existing ceasefire agreement between the MILF and the government.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=940786