N. Cotabato warring Moro clans forge ceasefire, vow to settle case in court

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 28): N. Cotabato warring Moro clans forge ceasefire, vow to settle case in court

Police and local officials here said Tuesday that leaders of warring Moro clans who clashed due to a land dispute over the weekend have agreed to a ceasefire.

Chief Inspector Julius Malcontento, Carmen town police chief, said the Matalam and Cua clans, both claiming ownership of vast track of lands planted to oil palm and corn in Sitio Nalawisan, Barangay Gen. Luna here, agreed to settle their misunderstanding in the presence of Carmen Mayor Roger Taliño and Senior Supt. Emmanuel Peralta, police provincial director.

Malcontento said Taliño summoned the leaders of the warring families to a peaceful dialogue. They agreed to stop fighting and bring their dispute before the courts. North Cotabato board member Kellie Antao, chairperson of the provincial council's peace and order committee, also helped in pacifying the warring clans.

Taliño and Peralta proposed the establishment of a "peace reactionary force," a composite force of police and soldiers from the 7th Infantry Battalion to be deployed between the warring clans.
“As agreed, the warring families will be allowed to farm in the contested land without firearms and only the reactionary force members are allowed to bring guns,” Malcontento said.

Major Calvin Macatangay, speaking for the Army's 602nd Infantry Brigade, said on Saturday the armed conflict, locally known as "rido" (family feud), claimed the lives of six person.

Three others were injured and are now recuperating at the North Cotabato provincial hospital.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=975731