MANILA, Philippines The government said Tuesday it was still verifying reports that the son of Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) Ameril Umbra Kato was killed in a clash in Aleosan town in North Cotabato.
A radio report quoted North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol as saying that he was still confirming with other local officials the intelligence information he received about the supposed death of Kato's son.
Like Piñol, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it has yet to speak with their ground commanders in North Cotabato to verify the information.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) earlier reported that four people have so far died as a result of the recent clashes in the province.
The fatalities included one soldier, two MILF members, and a 62-year-old civilian.
The NDCC also reported that at a total of 83 houses had been torched in the towns of Aleosan and Midsayap, both in North Cotabato.
The MILF, in a statement on its website, blamed Piñol for triggering the latest atrocities in the province.
The rebel group said that 57 casualties from the government side had already been reported and almost 130,000 people had been internally displaced in the last four days.
The armed clashes between the MILF and government forces happened even as automated elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was held Monday.
And despite reports of ballot snatching and machine failures in parts of six-province ARMM, the Commission on Elections had said that the conduct of the polls was generally peaceful. - GMANews.TV