Tribal feud settled in Iligan

Rogongon, Iligan City – Two feuding families, with the intervention of tribal leaders, local government officials and the police settled their conflict Sunday by swearing over the Qur’an and a compensation of one head of carabao to the aggrieved party.

According to Police Senior Inspector Benedicto Olaivar, the feud which could have become a full-blown clan war, started when a certain Irving Magunay shot and wounded Eddie Wade, last week, in Barangay Rogongon, this city, a Higa-onon tribal community.

In a tribal culture, the incident is considered a rido where every family member of the aggrieved party (Wade) is bound to avenge the injustice done to a member of their clan by the suspect (Magunay) and his clan.

This cultural tradition might lead to a series of violent confrontations that could result in casualties, since some clan members of both parties are armed and the conflict might spread to at least four hinterland barangays – Rogongon, Dulag, Bonbonon and Kalilangan, all in this city, according to Olaivar.

But the possibility of a continuing clan feud was settled through a dialogue after the shooting incident, by the Magunay and Wade clans as witnessed by the tribal leaders, barangay officials, the police and Iligan City mayor Lawrence Lluch Cruz.

However, it was not known if there was blood money that was paid to Wade but a head of carabao was given to him as compensation and both the victim and suspect’s clans swore over the Qur’an and with the promise not to harass or harm each other, including the respective members of their clans “otherwise, a violator will be executed according to tribal laws,” said Higaonon tribal chieftain Rolando Soong.

Those who witnessed the formal rites in settling the conflict include Rogongon barangay chairman Dimapingun Comonog, former Dulag barangay chairman Amando Mansumayan, barangay councilors and tribal leaders.