‘MILF commanders instigated clan war’

PAGALUNGAN, Maguindanao – This town’s vice mayor has accused local commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of instigating the bloody encounters between his relatives and supporters of a rival clan in the past three days.

Vice Mayor Norodin Matalam, mayoral candidate of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, said the hostilities started when MILF rebels, led by Commander Shamier, younger brother of the front’s founding chairman, Salamat Hashim, raided a village whose residents are his supporters, last Friday.

Hashim, according to Matalam, is identified with last-term Pagalungan Mayor Macabengen Montawal, whose son, Otoh, is running for the mayoral post under the banner of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) party.

The hostilities spilled over to the town proper when a barangay chairman, Mokamad Andoy, and his armed followers attacked a village whose residents support Matalam.

Andoy is a candidate for councilor under the young Montawal’s ticket

"The civilian volunteers in the town proper had no choice but to defend their communities and engage the group of Andoy," Matalam said. Three people were killed in the clashes, including a nephew of Mayor Montawal.

The firefights, which waned only last Monday, forced more than 800 families to evacuate to nearby Pikit town in North Cotabato.

Matalam called on the joint ceasefire committee and the Malaysian-led international monitoring team to investigate the involvement of Commander Shamier, his son, Tohami, and another MILF leader named Kowat, all known to be related both by blood and affinity with the Montawals.

Montawal claimed the tension erupted last week when members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) were seen at Matalam’s political headquarters at the town proper.

Matalam, a ranking MNLF commander in the 1970s, admitted he had visitors from the front, but said most of them were relatives from other towns who did not come over to engage in partisan activities.