Palawan – The “Final Frontier” undergoes some problems as supposed members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) took over a small village in Balabac, Palawan. The group composed of more or less 30 individuals has occupied the small of village of Matangguli in Balabac. The event has forced hundreds of Matangguli residents to flee the community, evacuating to the town center of Balabac wherein in they were given food and shelter while the problem was being taken care of by the proper authorities.

A close range fight ensued with the MNLF troop suffering seven deaths from clashes between with the government forces on Wednesday. However, confirmation as to whether or not the group is really composed of MNLF members is still in question. According to Western Command, some of the casualties include Guru Abdurajak and his two sons, Saib and Abdul Majid Abdurajak. The original estimate of the MNLF troop was about 30, after the fight it is believed that a few more members of the troop have fled to nearby locations. The government forces are persistently tracking down the rebels to avoid further problems that may be caused by their takeover.

The MNLF has signed a peace agreement with the government about 14 years ago and has since then been quite dormant in their activities. Prior to that, they have been involved in bloodstained campaigns in support of an Islamic state in Mindanao. The peace agreement was achieved through the grant of a Moro National Liberation Front dominated independent area.

More information is expected to come as the government tries to resolve the problems, however, as of now, the residents are thankful that their village is now somewhat safe and they can now lead their normal lives again free from strife.