Benjie Midtimbang, chair of the MILF ceasefire committee, said his group and the government have agreed to formulate a conflict resolution framework affecting the local residents in a meeting held last month in General Santos City.

The framework, according to Midtimbang, would be piloted in the towns of Shariff Aguak, Mamasapano, Datu Unsay, Datu Saudi Ampatuan and Datu Piang, all of Maguindanao province, where the incidence of grudges and clan feuds is very high.

MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar said that “rido,” the Maguindanaon term for clan feuds, is one of the most common causes of conflicts in the province.

Jaafar, in an interview over DXND, admitted that clan feuds, most of the time, result to hostilities between government and MILF forces assigned in the same area.

Ridos are usually caused by longstanding land disputes, political rivalries, and personal grudges.

To resolve clan feuds, the government and the MILF’s ceasefire committees would conduct series of workshops in the communities to generate a consensus framework that would address conflicts involving local residents, MILF members, political clans and relatives of the military or police personnel involved.

A conflict resolution management team would be organized in each community. This will reportedly include the local government units, religious leaders, MILF and military officers.

“This is a welcome development for both panels. By doing this, we are helping resolve conflicts in the area. We admit that many of our MILF members are involved in these feuds, but the fighting is not sanctioned by the organization,” said Jaafar.