Clan wars displace 600 families in North Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 28): Clan wars displace 600 families in North Cotabato

The clan war that erupted between leaders of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the upland town of Banisilan, North Cotabato has displaced more than 600 families, officials said today.

Senior Inspector Jojie Barutas, Banisilan town police chief, said the displaced families came from at least six villages where Moro clans figured in a bloody firefight starting December 23.

Provincial and municipal officials are trying to defuse the tension which, according to evacuees, have already claimed the lives of at least 15 persons from both sides.

Board Member Kelly Antao said involved in the “rido” (family feud) are the heavily armed groups of Ali Rajamuda and his relatives Kineg and Bobby and the group of Sultan Medalya Tidong alias “Commanders Tanda,” Naki Laguib alias “Commander Paron,” Palao and Tahir.

Antao said in a radio interview that at least 15 have been killed in the sporadic skirmishes that started on December 23.

Supt. Romeo Galgo Jr, speaking for police in Central Mindanao, said the raging conflict erupted when the group of Ali Rajamuda, Kineg and Boboy and their followers attacked the villages of Tinimbacan, Pantar and Poblacion 1, known to be bailiwick of “Commanders Tanda” and “Paron,” triggering on and off gun battles that lasted until today, December 28.

Galgo said the attack on Friday and the succeeding skirmishes was in retaliation to the ambush on a convoy of vehicles of Panantaon Mantitayan, village chair of Barangay Busaon, last December 8 that left Alenor Mantitayan and two others dead. Alenor is the son of chairperson Mantitayan.

The forces of Mantitayan and Rajamuda have joined in fighting the group of Commander Tanda who they suspect was behind the Dec. 8 ambush.

Since Dec. 23, intermittent clashes between the warring groups, all belonging to Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have been going on, sending about 168 families from six villages of Banisilan.

Evacuees told reporters that seven of the fatalities were from the group of Rajamuda and 10 from the group of Commander Tanda.

But police could not confirm the fatality figure as families on both sides bury the dead immediately. “We are still confirming the report, we have not seen dead bodies,” Galgo said.

Acting North Cotabato Governor Shirlyn Macasarte has asked Board Member Antao, a Muslim lawmaker, to intervene and ask warring families to disengage.

“That December 8 incident of ambush against Chairperson Mantitayan caused this latest armed conflict,” Antao said.

The latest skirmishes flared up at about 4 p.m. Tuesday, police said.

Early today, the municipal peace and order council met to find solutions to the conflict and how to attend to the displaced families, mostly family members of warring Moro rebels.

Barutas said police personnel backed by soldiers have been deployed to protect the affected families. Government forces did not intervene in recognition to an existing ceasefire agreement between the government and the MILF.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=951420