Army, PNP to host dialgoue of warring farmers in Maguindanao-Sultan Kudarat borders
Local News • 14:50 PM Tue Nov 10, 2015
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
Farmers retrieve the remains of one of the fatalities in armed conflict in Maguindanao-Sultan Kudarat borders. (Ferdinand Cabrera)
ABDULLAH
SANGKI, Maguindanao – The military, police and the local governments are
initiating dialogues to settle peacefully the brewing armed conflict triggered
by land dispute involving Ilonggo and Moro farmers in the borders of
Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.
Lt. Colonel
Ricky Bunayog, 33rd Infantry Battalion commander, told DXMS Radyo
Bida that the warring groups are contesting a 40 hectare farm land for several
years now.
This is a
brewing land conflict,” Bunayog said, adding that Mayor Miriam
Sangki-Mangudadatu of Abdulla Sangki and the LGU of Esperanza and the warring
families have been invited to a dialogue on Thursday.
I hope the
Ilonggo settlers will show up,” he said. Previous dialogues were ignored by
emotional settlers, he added.
Bunayog said
only two dead bodies were recovered on Sunday after both sides traded
shots. Some reports say there were five fatalities
but no bodies were retrieved except the two fatalities from settlers.
sand//fbcdn-photos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpl1/v/t1.0-0/p180x540/12189732_504766556358190_6856545311549409789_n.jpg?oh=83a080d82b9877e67332d6d186c57ef9andampoe=56B54585andamp__gda__=1455297708_cfa217d044f21e3209a4378eec80464c Tension had
died down, after Sunday’s skirmishes, police and Army peacekeepers have been deployed
in the village,” he said.
Emotions were
high because the area was developed by Ilonggo farmers until the Maguindanaon
secured land title owning the contested lot,” Bunayog said. The Ilonggos felt
the acquisition of land titles were not fair,” the Army officer said.
There was no
forced evacuation, he said. Farmers,
both Maguindanaon and Ilonggo, do regular farming at day time and stay in their
respective communities at night time, especially when armed men from both sides
were seen roaming around the sub-village.(Photos provided by Ferdinandh Cabrera) sand//fbcdn-photos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-0/p180x540/12191041_504766569691522_2207899869508318346_n.jpg?oh=fc00e399e9c5257b5b90b31b39448fffandampoe=56B83047andamp__gda__=1458861216_0fe70d7963cafe81be9d34d7185d9a3a