1 dead in grenade attack in Sultan Kudarat town

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The police have deployed operatives to pacify a Bilaan community in Sultan Kudarat’s Columbio town, where a farmer was killed Tuesday dawn in a grenade attack, which is suspected to be sparked by a land dispute.

Chief Inspector Celestino Daniel, chief of the Columbio municipal police, said the ethnic Bilaan villagers are worried of a repeat of the grenade attack in a farm inside their tribal domain.

An ethnic Maguindanaon farmer, 60-year-old Tuasi Dilangalen, was blasted to death when a lone suspect hurled a fragmentation grenade into his farm house through an open window.

The attack triggered panic in the entire tribal enclave, according to Daniel.

Dilangalen, who was locked in a land dispute with relatives, was sleeping when the explosive landed near him and went off.

Dilangalen and a certain Monsod Mangelen reportedly squabbled for a patch of land in a hinterland area in Columbio.

Bilaan tribal leaders in the area have reportedly settled the conflict and ordered Dilangalen to relocate somewhere else, but refused.

Investigators have already summoned Mangelen for questioning on suspicion he could have masterminded the grenade attack.

The incident came on the heels of last week’s separate bombings in the public markets in the adjoining Tacurong City and Tantangan town in South Cotabato.

Daniel said they have assured the Bilaan settlers in the enclave that the local government unit of Columbio is ensuring the tribe's security.

Daniel said they have asked the beleaguered tribe to be vigilant and report any threat to their community to the police.