More troops fielded vs clan war

PARANG, Maguindanao — The military has fielded more peace-keeping troops in this town to prevent hostilities between two feuding Muslim factions from escalating.

Maj. Julieto Ando, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said soldiers have been tasked to restrain members of the Imam clan and their bitter enemies, the Macapeges and Lidasan families, from building up their respective forces.

Tension has gripped this town since last week, spawned by a spate of violent incidents involving the three clans, including the Nov. 25 killing of cousins Felix Lidasan and Armand Macapeges in Intramuros, Manila. The gunman, Usop Camid, was arrested.

Armand’s brother Jamal, a former provincial board member, was wounded in the attack.

Lidasan and the Macapeges brothers had just come from the Commission on Elections in Intramuros to follow up an electoral protest against Hadji Nasser Imam, mayor of Matanog town, when Camid approached them from behind and opened fire with a caliber .45 automatic.

Apparently in retaliation, suspected members of the Macapeges and Lidasan clans set on fire Imam’s house here Friday night. — John Unson