BULUAN, Maguindanao, Feb. (PNA) -- Local officials of Rajah Buayan municipality, in coordination with the Army’s 1st Mechanized Brigade (BDE), settled here Thursday a long-standing conflict between two former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) commanders-cum-village chiefs that stemmed from an 18-hectare contested land situated between their barangays.
The conflict between village chiefs Zulfikar “Duma” Ugayan and Jerry Makalay of Barangays Malibpolok and Tabungao respectively, resulted to the death of one and evacuation of 1,742 families from the area and its neighboring villages of Panabtaban, Mileb, and Bital.
“Both Ugayan and Makalay swore before the Koran to end the dispute and even hugged each other tightly afterwards like long lost brothers,” Col. Mayoralgo dela Cruz, 1st Mechanized Brigade, said in an interview.
The military official said the settlement was made inside the brigade in this town as it was considered as neutral ground of the conflicting parties.
Rajah Buayan Mayor Yacob Ampatuan said he felt "relieved and happy" on the settlement of the atrocity as his people could now resume attending to their families and farmlands. "It is the children affected by the conflict that I pity most," the mayor said.
Armed followers of Ugayan and Makalay have locked in running gun battles since Feb. 12, resulting to the death of one Tabungao armed supporter during the initial encounter.
Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu said provincial social welfare personnel have attended to the evacuees housed at various public schools in Rajah Buayan since the escalation of hostilities.
“We have yet to decide whether to impose suspension to Ugayan and Makalay since they are elected village chiefs and not rebel leaders as before. However, we have to look into the root cause of the problem that originated from questionable village territorial boundaries,” Mangudadatu said.
The governor stressed, however, that their current primary concern focuses on the condition of evacuees at the evacuation centers.
Dr. Tahir Sulaik of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) has scheduled to attend to the evacuees over the weekend resulting to the cessation of violence.
The IPHO kicked off on Feb. 15 a three-day bloodletting activity to boost their anti-dengue drive in anticipation of dengue cases prevalent during the first quarter of each year.
“Those people at the evacuation centers are most vulnerable to such disease. We have to be always ready,” Sulaik said.
The doctor said they are targeting some 500 bags of blood from donors to their activity that has for its theme “Thank You for Sharing your Blood and Giving Me Life.”
On Wednesday, some 150 soldiers from the Army’s Sixth Infantry Division and 37th Infantry Battalion trooped to the IPHO headquarters in this town to donate blood. (PNA)
LAM/NYP/
