NATION
Military settles Basilan rido
‘When I first assumed as the Brigade commander, there were about 30 warring groups in the province’
ISABELA CITY — Two warring groups voluntarily settled their differences and turned over 10 high-caliber firearms through the intercession of the military and local government units of Tuburan and Akbar in Basilan province.
The “rido” settlement took place inside the 101st Infantry Brigade in Barangay Tabiawan, Isabela City yesterday.
The 101st Infantry Brigade Commander, Brig Gen. Alvin Luzon, identified yesterday the two warring groups as the Roger Latip of Tuburan and Kedyok Nulhakim from Akbar town.
According to Luzon, the two groups engaged in a firefight for about 60 minutes on 4 May in Sitio Lessem, Barangay Upper Bato-Bato in Akbar.
The incident resulted in the injuries of six followers of the Latip group including a town councilor of Tuburan.
Luzon said it took them only a week to convince the group to settle their differences.
Among the firearms, they surrendered were two M1 garand and eight M16 Armalie rifles. All the surrendered firearms are now deposited at the 101st Infantry Brigade.
During the amicable settlement of the feud, Luzon warned the two groups not to engage in any hostilities or face the full force of the law.
Luzon vowed to resolve the remaining feuds in the province by the end of June.
“When I first assumed as the Brigade commander, there were about 30 warring groups in the province,” Luzon said.