2 wounded as village defenders battle cattle rustlers in North Cotabato

COTABATO CITY – Close to 70 families have fled to safer ground as village defenders and suspected cattle rustlers clashed, on Saturday morning, in a remote town in North Cotabato, leaving two village watchmen hurt.

Colonel Dickson Hermoso, speaking for the 6th Infantry Division, said the fighting erupted Saturday morning between armed village watchmen known as the Barangay Peacekeeping Action (BPAT) and about 15 heavily armed robbers.

The sporadic skirmishes lasted until Saturday evening in the village of Maybula, Tulunan, North Cotabato, village chair Mateo Tadique said.

Tadique said Teodoro Baladjay and a companion were wounded when they chased the cattle rustlers who took five cows and carabaos. The cattle rustlers fled toward the boundary of North Cotabato and Maguindanao.

Tadique said the evacuees, mostly women and children have sought refuge at the village center and the local government’s social welfare office have attended to their needs.

But not all residents of Sitio (the settlement of) Malipayon have fled, Tadique said.

“The males opted to stay to watch their valuables and other farm animals,” the village chair said, adding that soldiers have arrived and secured the village.

Village officials could not say whether the attackers also suffered casualties.