KABACAN, North Cotabato, Nov 9 (PNA) — The local government here is attending to the needs of about 70 families who remained in evacuation centers after armed Moro rebels harassed a remote village here last week.
Mayor Herlo Guzman, Kabacan mayor, has directed the town social welfare and development office to distribute relief goods to the displaced families in Barangay Pedtad, Kabacan, North Cotabato.
On Wednesday, about 50 armed Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas harassed the village and engaged the village defenders in a two-hour sporadic fire fight.
Barangay Pedtad chairperson Romeo Mantawil said undetermined number of armed men belonging to the MILF led by Commander Galay clashed with village defenders in Sito Ladao, Barangay Pedtad.
Feared for their lives, the 70 families fled and stayed at village center multi-purpose building, according to Mantawil.
He said many of them refused to return home after the harassment. At day time, the husbands return to the sub-village to attend to their farms but return to evacuation center for safety at night.
Mantawil said the group of Commander Galay fired at members of the Barangay Police Action Team (BPAT).Mantawil said it was the third time the group of Commander Galay harassed the village.
He added he tried to reach out to Galay but it appeared he refused to negotiate what he really wanted and why he has been harassing Sitio Ladao.
Despite the incident, Mantawil said classes in Barangay Pedtad will continue since the clash site was far from the village school. (PNA)