Cotabato village placed under state of calamity due to clan war

KIDAPAWAN CITY - Village officials in Matalam, Cotabato (formerly North Cotabato) have declared a state of calamity due to continuing skirmishes between two warring Moro clans since two weeks ago.

Felipe Maluenda, chairman of Barangay Kidama, said the declaration will give them authority to use the allotted calamity funds to the barangay for relief operations.

At least 115 families have left the village due to armed encounters between two warring clans from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) since December 31.

At least six people have died and three more have been wounded as a result of the skirmishes.

The two Moro clans have a long-standing land dispute.

In nearby Pikit town, two residents of Barangay Rajamuda were killed and two others were wounded after they were caught between the warring clans last week.

Tahira Kalantongan, head of the Pikit Municipal Disaster Risk and Reduction Management (MDRRM) office, said one of those killed was a mother who was about to leave home when the clans started exchanging gunfire.

One of those wounded was a 10-year-old boy who was running for his safety at the height of the fighting.

Kalantongan said it is not yet safe for their evacuees to return home.

“Residents are still panic-stricken and the place is not yet conducive for their abode,” said the MDRRM officer. — ALG, GMA News