Manila: Government troops will remain stationed in the town center to reassure residents of their safety and protection as they begin to return home following the cessation of recent clan hostilities.

According to Philippines News Agency, Brig. Gen. Frederick Sales, the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade commander, stated that troops deployed to defuse tensions in Barangay Tipo-Tipo Poblacion will stay until normalcy is fully restored. Sales emphasized the need to secure the area due to ongoing speculation that the conflict may reignite.

Sales, alongside Col. Cerrazid Umabong, the provincial police director, met with Mayor Ingatun Istarul at the town hall on Wednesday to assess the current situation. Earlier, Governor Mujiv Hataman also met with Istarul and those involved in the ‘rido’ (clan war) to address the conflict.

The clash, which erupted on Tuesday between lawless elements backed by some members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team in Barangay Tipo-Tipo, resulted in four injuries. Sales noted that MILF leadership assured him that involved parties would not return to the town center.

Mayor Istarul reported that approximately 50 percent of the 1,700 families who had fled during the fighting have now returned. Meanwhile, Governor Hataman successfully persuaded the warring families to allow legal processes to resolve their dispute. He described the situation as ‘very sensitive’ and stressed the importance of a hands-on management approach, maintaining open communication with both parties to prevent future incidents.