COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Police and military forces have deployed peacekeeping contingents to three towns in Central Mindanao where heavily armed rival Moro groups engaged in clashes, prompting villagers to flee their homes. Local officials confirmed that personnel from the Army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion arrested and disarmed three members of a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) faction involved in a clash with a rival MILF group in Maguindanao del Sur. The suspects, Nur Muktar, Harris Lido, and Bagundali Maon, are now in custody and face criminal charges. Troops from the 33rd IB confiscated an M14 assault rifle, a .45 caliber pistol, and explosives from the suspects. The Army’s 6th Infantry Division is securing areas affected by armed encounters between rival MILF factions, which stem from land disputes and political rivalries. Officials are working closely to resolve the conflicts, with Brig. Gen. Arnold Ardiente, police director of Region 12, and Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, leading the efforts. The ongoing clashes have caused panic among residents, with two groups reportedly exchanging gunfire in Maguindanao del Sur on Tuesday night.
