Residents evacuate as soldiers, NPA clash in remote Cotabato village

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines — Residents of a remote village in Magpet town in the province of Cotabato evacuated to safety as soldiers and suspected New People’s Army fighters clashed, police said.

Police Captain Tolando Dillera, Magpet town police chief, said village officials have been asked to ensure the safety of villagers, especially those living in Sitio Kirurum where the firefight has been raging since 8 a.m. of Thursday, May 9.

Dillera said they have coordinated with the village leaders who have been asked to secure that the affected residents are brought to safety and would not be caught in the crossfire.

Magpet, a first class town, is some 21 kilometers from Kidapawan City, the provincial capital.

The clash, police said, erupted between troops of the Army’s 72nd Infantry Battalion and a group of suspected NPA fighters.

“We dont have exact details of the incident but we received information that the firefight is ongoing,” Dillera said in a phone interview shortly before 9 a.m.

Dillera said they could not immediately proceed to the area without clearance from their military counterpart as police officers could become targets of possible roadside bombings. /muf