Joint Task Force Ranao facilitates end to Lanao del Sur Bloody Clan War

The high-powered firearms surrendered by the feuding families of Mayor Balindong and Vice Mayor Dipatuan in Lanao del Sur

By Jong Cadion

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur  (January 23, 2018) – Joint Task Force “Ranao” facilitated the settlement of a decades old “Rido” or violent family feud between the two big political clans in Lanao del Sur, Monday (January 22), military official said.

Col Generoso M Ponio INF (GSC) PA, Commander of 103rd Infantry Brigade under Joint Task Force “Ranao” led the settlement of the violent family feud or “Rido” between the families of Tugaya Municipal Mayor Al Fatah Pacalna Balindong and Bacolod Kalawi Municipal Vice Mayor Jafar Dipatuan.

Information officer Maj Ronald E Suscano (INF) PA, 1^st Infantry (TABAK) Division, disclosed that the end to the violent family feud was concluded when the two (2) heads of the families swore on the Holy Qur’an to settle their “Rido”.  The families surrendered twenty –four (24) high-powered firearms to symbolize their resolve to conclude the long-time violent family feud. The weapons surrendered included two (2) caibel .50 sniper “Barret” rifles; six (6) 7.62 millimeter M14 rifles; seven (7) 5.56 millimeter M16 rifles; four (4) 40 millimeter M203 Grenade Launchers; three (3) 40 millimeter M79 Grenade Launchers; one (1) calibre .30 machine Gun and one (1) calibre .30 Browning Automatic Rifle.

Maj Gen Roseller G Murillo AFP, 1ST Infantry (Tabak) Division and concurrent Joint Task Force “Ranao” Commander congratulated all the parties involved in the peaceful settlement of the decades old violent family feud.

“I commend the 103RD Infantry Brigade for the successful mediation that led to the peaceful settlement of a violent family feud that has cost the lives of many from both sides and affected the peace in the area for so many years”, he added. 

Maj Suscano said that the just settled bloody feud was reportedly decades old with two (2) of the more recent incidents being the shooting of one of the scions of the Dipatuan Clan in a busy commercial area of Iligan City last November 13, 2017 and the wounding of four (4) and the displacement of more than 200 families when an hour-long gun-battle between the clans erupted in Bacolod Kalawi town last January 5, 2018.

The settlement was achieved with the active participation of the Provincial Vice-Governor Mamintal “Bombit” Adiong Jr of Lanao del Sur, the Provincial Philippine National Police (PNP) units, Local Religious Leaders, and other members of civil society and the local government at Headquarters, 103RD Infantry Brigade, Kampo Ranao, Marawi City, he added.