MANILA – Close to a thousand families have left their homes as tension between armed groups continues to increase in Mamasapano, Maguindanao del Sur.
According to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) head Vincent Cuales, those who evacuated have taken shelter temporarily at some schools in the town.
The number of families affected has increased to more than a thousand as the tension escalated to the neighboring barangays of Libutan and Dasikil since the tension started on April 2.
“More than one month na pero hindi naman continuous talaga ang putukan. Minsan, humihinto siya ng one week, babalik na naman ang bakbakan,” Cuales said in an interview with GMA Regional TV.
Mamasapano Municipal Police Station chief Lieutenant Lou Christian Villones said the tension started after members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) allegedly ambushed the family of a barangay chairman of Pimbalakan.
“Ang tinitingnan nating motibo is land dispute or political. After nung ambush doon na nag-umpisa ang firefight sa naturang lugar,” Villones said.
“Nagkaroon ng kampihan, maybe kapamilya nila ang mga naglalaban which is kinampihan nila hanggang sa dumami na ang nag-reinforce,” he added.
Villones also called for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) groups to stop the fighting as more civilians have been affected.
Government forces, on the other hand, have remained on full alert to secure communities./PN
