PANGLIMA ESTINO, Sulu — Two feuding families in Panglima Estino, Sulu formally ended their yearlong conflict after signing a peace covenant brokered by community leaders and security officials.
Brigadier Gen. Alaric Avelino Delos Santos, commander of the Army’s 1102nd Infantry Brigade, identified the clans as those of Pajid Yusop Ubaidulla and Rasmin Asara.
The rift stemmed from a shooting on June 18, 2024, in Barangay Kan-Bulak, Luuk, which left Nurikman Padjid dead. Violence flared again on June 22 this year when an ambush in Barangay Kan-Asaali, Panamao, claimed the life of Asbi Mallah and injured two of Asara’s relatives.
“This act of reconciliation is not a sign of weakness but of true courage. It takes more strength to forgive than to seek revenge,” Delos Santos said in a Thursday statement.
He added that the decision of both families to reconcile “will be remembered by their children and grandchildren as the day they gave them a better future.”
Delos Santos stressed that the resolution showed that even long-standing clan wars, locally known as “rido,” can be settled through dialogue, strong local leadership, and community cooperation.
The signing of the covenant was witnessed by key community leaders, officials, and members of the security sector in Sulu’s second congressional district.
