North Cotabato clan war leaves 2 dead, 3 hurt

PIKIT, North Cotabato–Two persons were killed and three were injured in a gun battle that erupted between two Moro clans in interior villages of this town Sunday, the police said Monday.

Senior Insp. Elias Dandan, police chief of Pikit, said efforts are underway to settle the dispute peacefully.

“It’s a long-time dispute over political boundaries between families in Langayen and Dungguan, both in Pikit,” Dandan said.

Col. Prudencio Asto, spokesperson of the 6th Infantry Division, said that those involved in the dispute were a certain Kuyo, a commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front 105th Base Command, and the Tayuan family.

The names and ages of the two fatalities, members of the Tayuan family, were not immediately available.

Asto identified the wounded as Kanapia Musa, 42; Eric Pasandalan, 19; and Kamir Pasandalan, 23, all followers of Commander Kuyo.

He said that early Sunday morning, followers of Kuyo harassed the village of Langayen where the Tayuan family resides.

The Tayuan family retaliated and engaged the attackers in a two-hour firefight that left two Tayuan members dead.

Asto said the conflict was triggered by the killing last month of Kuyo’s younger brother which the MILF field official blamed on the Tayuan family.

Dandan and Asto said both sides are claiming ownership of a large patch of land in the border of Barangays Dungguan and Langayen.

He said the local government of Pikit has set a settlement meeting between the warring groups who both expressed willingness to show up to end bloodshed.

At least 25 families who are related by blood or by affinity with the warring clans have fled to safer ground.