Gunmen kill 3 T’bolis

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Gunmen raided a village on Wednesday night, September 5, in South Cotabato, killing 3 members of the T’boli tribe.

Police identified the victims as Jionie Ralla, 32; Melissa Fente, 32; and Harold Sorella, 35. The 3 were sleeping in Sorella’s apartment in the town proper of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, when the attackers arrived and shot them one by one, said provincial police commander Senior Supt Randolph Delfin.

Police have recovered 3 empty shells of calibre 45 pistol at the crime scene.
 
“We are trying to figure out if the attack has something to do with clan war,” he said.
 
In Mindanao, clan war is common among warring clans and sometimes the hostilities could last for decades until a peace pact is reached by protagonists, usually through mediation by religious leaders and the payment of blood money.
 
Among the major causes of clan feud include land disputes, particularly those caused by disputed government surveys or ancestral land claims; political rivalries, mostly election-related; crime-related, including murder, proliferation of illegal drugs; and competition over resources and businesses. – Rappler.com