COTABATO CITY (June 5) — Just days after a deadly gun attack left four people dead, residents of a village in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) Special Geographic Area (SGA) were once again forced to flee as gunfire erupted Thursday night, underscoring the fragile peace in one of the region’s most politically sensitive territories.
Around 160 families, or more than 800 individuals, abandoned their homes in Barangay Malingao, Kadayangan, seeking safety as unidentified armed groups exchanged gunfire near their community.
For many residents, the evacuation was a grim reminder that despite the promise of self-governance under BARMM, pockets of violence continue to disrupt daily life and threaten civilian security.
“It happened in the same area where four people were killed on June 2,” Barangay Chairperson Norodin Dilangalen said, referring to a previous attack authorities linked to the illegal drug trade.
The latest clash occurred in Purok 4, the same area that had already become the focus of police investigations earlier this week. Dilangalen said those involved in Thursday night’s firefight could be connected to the earlier killings, though authorities have yet to confirm the link.
A civilian was reportedly injured by stray bullets, but police were still verifying the report as of Friday.
The incident highlights the continuing challenge of maintaining law and order in the SGA, a cluster of communities in Cotabato province that voted to join BARMM during the 2019 plebiscite. While the area is now under Bangsamoro governance, security threats tied to private armed groups, clan rivalries, and criminal activities continue to test local authorities.
The recurring violence also exposes the vulnerability of civilians who often bear the immediate consequences of armed confrontations.
As gunfire echoed through the village Thursday night, families had little choice but to leave behind their homes and belongings, uncertain of when it would be safe to return.
Police and military forces, including personnel from the Kadayangan Municipal Police Station and the 33rd Infantry Battalion, launched clearing operations in the area Friday to prevent further hostilities and restore order.
Meanwhile, humanitarian responders from BARMM’s Ministry of Social Services and Development rushed assistance to evacuation sites, distributing food packs and other emergency supplies to displaced residents.
The displacement may be temporary, but for many families in Malingao, the latest evacuation reinforces a troubling reality: peace remains elusive when armed groups can still trigger fear and uproot entire communities overnight.
As authorities investigate the latest clash and its possible connection to the June 2 killings, residents are once again left waiting—not only for security forces to restore calm, but for lasting solutions to the violence that continues to shadow parts of the Bangsamoro region.
