7 Killed in Deadly Land Dispute in Cotabato
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/November 25)– A long-standing land dispute turned deadly in the border areas of North Cotabato, leaving seven armed men killed following a 30-minute firefight, provincial police authorities confirmed.
Lt. James Warren Caang, spokesperson for the Cotabato Provincial Police Office (CPPO), said the incident took place around 5 a.m. Sunday, November 24, 2025.
Among those killed was the leader of the group, identified as Salindato Edris Langalen, and his followers Sammy Baraguir, Marudin Baraguir, Nasrudin Baraguir, Nasrodin Amelil and Mohaimen Amelil. A seventh victim, Mastura Edris Kusain, was rushed to a medical facility but succumbed to his wounds at the hospital. A lone member of the group managed to survive the firefight.
The violence, which broke out Sunday, was not contained within Matalam. The conflict spilled over into neighboring Barangay Malinan in Kidapawan City, where gunfire echoed for several hours.
In a phone interview, Caang said the incident was an armed encounter and not a massacre, contrary to initial reports.
According to Caang, the violence stems from a recurring conflict over a contested piece of land situated at the boundary of Matalam and Kidapawan City. It is not yet clear how big the piece of land involved in the conflict is.
He said the fatalities, who are claimants of the contested piece of land, all hail from Cotabato City and Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte.
Caang said they were also part of an armed group that entered the property under dispute.
“These people who died, they were the ones who went there wanting to claim the land, and they were armed,” Caang said
“Actually, by last August, there was already a previous incident in that area. Disorder broke out when armed individuals went there wanting to claim the land,” Caang said.
He said there was lone survivor from the group who told investigators that they were ambushed by unidentified men wearing bonnets (masks).
” He could not identify who they were or what group they belonged to,” Caang said.
Following the clash, acting Provincial Director Police Col. Jerson Birrey and Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog of the 602nd Brigade, together with teams from the Adhoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG), immediately visited the site to assess the situation.
Tension remain high among residents in spite of the deployment of security forces from the Army detachment in nearby Barangay Malinan.
Around 30 families have fled their homes and remain in evacuation centers.
“They (residents) are afraid that the armed elements might still be based in the area or that accomplices of those killed might retaliate,” Caang said.
Investigators are also keen to determine under whose jurisdiction the crime scene is under—whether the encounter site falls under Matalam or Kidapawan—and to gather more evidence.
No firearms were recovered from the scene during the initial sweep Sunday.
Meanwhile, police officials have reached out to the wife of one of the victims, urging the family to file a formal case if they can identify the perpetrators, so that warrants of arrest may be issued.
The families of the fatalities immediately laid their dead relatives to rest in accordance with traditional Muslim burial rites.
In recent weeks, escalating conflicts rooted in land disputes have become a significant challenge to the peace and security situation in the province of Cotabato. (Ferdinandh Cabrera/MindaNews)
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