Feuding MILF leaders settle clan feud

MANILA, Philippines – A land row that caused a ‘rido’ or clan feud among two rebel leaders, and displaced dozens of families in a remote town in North Cotabato has been settled. Contending parties agreed to temporarily stop the fighting while government agencies resolve the territorial dispute.

The Government of the Philippines (GPH) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) said that armed clashes have occurred among the clans of “Sultan” and “Panangulon” in Tulunan municipality and neighboring M’lang town due to a boundary dispute on a banana plantation covered by a private company.

Accordingly, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders Jun Panangulon and Jabidi Abdul alias “Bedz” of the Panangulon clan and former commander Sukarno Husain of the Sultan family, were named as among the warring parties in the land dispute.

Local officials of Tulunan sought the intervention of the government ceasefire committee in resolving the conflict that has reportedly dislocated at least 100 families.

The CCCH and Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) convened on January 16 the feuding families and town officials of Tulunan and M’lang to agree to a cessation of hostilities while the land conflict is being resolved by government agencies. All 3 clans previously signed a Memorandum of Agreement to establish boundaries of each landholding through an actual survey that would be conducted by the Ad Hoc Committee of Tulunan.

The CCCH consists of members from the GPH and the MILF, as well as neutral parties. Established in 2003, it has been tasked to monitor the implementation of the GPH-MILF Ceasefire Agreement and resolve complaints over ceasefire violations so that small skirmishes do not intensify. – Rappler.com