DAVAO CITY, Philippines—A civil society group has warned that violence might erupt in Lanao del Sur before Monday's elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Lax Dalidig, chair of the Muslim Multisectoral Peace for Development (MMPD) based in Marawi City, said some members of his group reported sightings of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces in the ARMM provinces.

Dalidig arrived from Malaysia, where he was supposed to witness the signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain between the government and the MILF last Tuesday. The Supreme Court stopped the signing on the petition of Mindanao local executives opposed to the deal.

"We just hope that the government can really do something to prevent clashes from erupting in Lanao," Dalidig said.

But Salic Ibrahim, chair of Citizen's Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reform (Citizen's CAER) and Bantay Ceasefire, said that text messages have been circulating in Lanao warning the people to watch out for violence.

"We believe this is not an official statement from the MILF but perhaps from their local supporters. However, we cannot discount the possibility of security threats that may arise as the election nears, but as of today the security and preparations for the elections are okay," Ibrahim said.

"These text messages are only circulating in Lanao areas," Ibrahim said.

The 4th Infantry Division based in Cagayan de Oro has created a task group for the ARMM elections in Lanao areas. The 4th ID has jurisdiction only in the towns of Wao and Bumbaran in Lanao del Sur.

Major Michele Anayron Jr., chief of the 4th ID Public Affairs Office, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the Eastern Command has directed the 4th ID to create the task group.

"We have created a task group comprised of an infantry component with a battalion size ready for dispatch to Lanao areas for any eventualities that may arise," Anayron said.