COTABATO CITY, Philippines—The military here was verifying reports one of the followers of Ameril Umbra Kato was slain in a clan war triggered by a long-standing land dispute.
Major General Rey Ardo, 6th Infantry Division commander, said troops in the 601st Infantry Brigade were verifying reports a certain Mutin died in a clash with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members in Datu Saudi Ampatuan early Sunday.
“Clan war has been a problem in these areas, we do not intervene unless other civilians’ security is at stake,” Ardo said of the skirmishes Sunday.
Quoting reports from the 601st brigade, Ardo said the MILF fighters, led by a certain Fahad of the 118th base command, clashed with the group of Mutin of the Kato-led Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
But Abu Misri, BIFF spokesperson, claimed Mutin was alive but was injured in a clan war, or “rido.”
Kato formed the BIFF early this year after expressing the MILF was no longer representing the Bangsamoro people.
Misri said the BIFF will continue to fight for Muslim independence in southern Philippines “come what may.”
Ardo said the conflict was internal to the MILF, and that the military did not interfere to avoid violations of the ceasefire agreement.
The MILF had settled several rido in Maguindanao involving its men but is yet to settle the one with Kato and his men.
Kato’s men were recently linked to the abduction of a relative of a North Cotabato town mayor.
“It could be their fund raising drive ahead of the holidays and gathering funds enough to sustain operations should the GPH-MILF talks fail,” an Army intelligence officer told the INQUIRER but asked not to be named because he was not authorized to talk about it.
Misri denied BIFF men were involved in the kidnapping of Romy Cabaya, a distant relative and errand person of Mayor Loreto Cabaya of Aleosan, North Cotabato.