(SALAAM. Two Muslim clans represented by their elders Samir Sarip and Omar Hadji Omar Deoro place their hands on the Koran as a sign of their sincerity in agreeing to a peace settlement on Thursday at the Angeles City Satellite Office at Robinsons Place Balibago. Photo by Ashley Manabat)
ANGELES CITY – A bloody armed confrontation between two Muslim clans here that left seven persons hurt on Christmas Eve was finally resolved on Thursday.
Amroding D. Rasul, Angeles City Muslim Affairs Desk (ACMAD) administrative officer, said the clans of Samir Sarip and Omar Hadji Omar Deoro agreed to peacefully settle their differences by placing their hands on the Koran as a sign of their sincerity and pledge of peace.
Sarip and Deoro also signed their names on a peace agreement (Kasunduan) and witnessed by Hadji Ali Banto, sultan of Mintring.
Randy B. Dayrit, officer-in-charge of the Angeles City Satellite Office at the Robinsons Place mall here who represented Mayor Edgardo D. Pamintuan, was instrumental in the amicable settlement mediated by Rasul.
Also observing the peace agreement at the city hall satellite office were Chief Insp. Francisco M. Guevarra Jr. and Dan Liwanag of the City Information Office as well as numerous members of each clan who came in droves.
“Ang problema dahil lang sa mga bata hindi nagkaintindihan kasi busy sila December 24. Tapos marami ang customer, kaya pagod at nagkaroon ng alitan (The problem was because of their children, they had a misunderstanding because they were busy, it was December 24. Then there were a lot of customers, they were tired and there was a quarrel),” Rasul said.
The warring clans are merchants selling their wares in and around the San Nicolas public market here.
The armed confrontation between the two clans started at about 11 a.m. on Christmas Eve which resulted in seven persons hurt by gunfire.
Three Deoro clan members were wounded by gunfi re and while four from the Sarip clan also sustained gunshot wounds.
Rasul said two were seriously hurt but it was a miracle no one died in the armed confrontation. Guevarra said the firearms used in the gunfight have yet to be confiscated by the police.
He appealed to the two clans to surrender their firearms to their Muslim elders to strengthen their peace settlement. Dayrit said Mayor Pamintuan was thankful that the two clans finally decided to settle their differences.
