Land dispute behind latest clashes in Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines – In the heels of hostilities between the military and secessionist rebels in North Cotabato, fresh clashes erupted anew in the province - this time over a land dispute. Senior Superintendent Lester Camba, North Cotabato provincial police director, on Thursday said fighting erupted on Wednesday in Sitio Maligaya, Brgy. Lower Malamote in Matalam town after some 70 armed men fired shots towards farmers who were harvesting palay. A group of farmers in nearby Brgy. New Pandan was also attacked, police said. Also, members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team of the Kidapawan City PNP engaged some 30 armed men in Brgy. Malinan in Kidapawan City in a firefight around 3:30 p.m. Nobody was killed or injured in the hostilities. Kidapawan City police chief Chief Inspector Leo Ajero said authorities are considering the possibility of land conflicts sparked the fresh fightings. “We can’t discount possibility that land conflict might have caused the Muslims to again reclaim the lands, which they believed were theirs," said Ajero. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which has fighters located in the area, cited field reports showing that conflicts arising over land disputes was the cause of the latest clashes. “It was caused by boundary conflict and land conflict between and among the residents in those areas," Kabalu said in an interview over Catholic-ran DXND. Records show the Barangay Malamote is both claimed by the local government units of Kabacan and Matalam. Also, the native Maguindanaons in Brgy. Upper Malamote in Kabacan are claiming that the agricultural fields now being occupied and tilled by settlers in Lower Malamote are actually theirs. However, settlers in those villages have documents showing they own the land. - Malu Cadelina Manar, GMANews.TV