Hundreds flee as clan war erupts among rebel groups in Cotabato

COTABATO, Philippines (Xinhua) - Fierce fighting erupted last night in a remote village of North Cotabato, forcing hundreds of civilians to flee in fear of safety, police said today.

Members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Moro National Liberation Front clashed in Marbel Village of Matalam Municipality around 6:00 p.m. due to long-standing land conflict between two rebel commanders, town police commander Elias Dandan said.

The incident, which forced more than 50 families to evacuate, has nothing to do with the upcoming midterm-elections, he said.

"The evacuees stayed at the village hall. They are all safe," Dandan said.

Clan wars are common in the country's southern Mindanao region, and sometimes the hostilities could last for decades until a peace pact is reached by protagonists, usually through mediation by religious leaders and the payment of blood money.

Major causes of clan war include land disputes, particularly those caused by disputed government surveys or ancestral land claims; political rivalries, mostly election-related and crime- related competition over resources and businesses.