1 killed, 4 hurt in North Cotabato land dispute

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines — A gunman was killed while four others were wounded in gunfights Tuesday between two families squabbling for control of parcels of farmlands in Pikit town in North Cotabato.

The skirmishes between the Maganak and Sendad families, both armed with assault rifles and grenade launchers, also sent hundreds of villagers running for their lives.

Reports from the North Cotabato provincial police office and the Army’s 602nd Brigade indicated that one from the Maganak family was killed while two others were wounded in the ensuing encounters.

Two members of the Sendad family also sustained gunshot wounds as the two groups fought in a secluded area in Barangay Balabak, an interior agricultural enclave in Pikit.

Members of the Pikit municipal peace and order council said their mayor and local commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have managed to disengage the rival groups to pave the way for the peaceful resolution of the conflict.

The government and the MILF are bound by security agreements to cooperate in addressing peace and security issues in conflict flashpoint areas in southern provinces.

The municipal government of Pikit is now attending to the needs of the villagers displaced by the incident, according to the police.