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During his second state of the region address, the governor said that "to date, four conflicts involving land and family feuds have been settled while seven are under negotiation."
Ampatuan, in a statement issued by the Bureau of Public Information of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), reported that another local conflict involving two families in Sulu was amicably settled. These are the families of Mayor Wahid Sahidula of Tongkil, Sulu and that of Maling Okang, also of the same place.
The governor said the long standing conflict between the two families involved claims over two islands known as Duay Bulod located in the municipality of Tongkil in the province of Sulu.
Ampatuan has created the Task Force Duay Bulod, chaired by ARMM Executive Secretary Oscar Sampulna, to settle the Sulu conflict, which resulted in the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the two feuding parties.
Okang has reportedly agreed to fully recognize the mayor’s full ownership of the islands while the mayor will allow Okang to fish in the surrounding waters and to seek shelter in the two islands.
Ampatuan said that Sahidula and Okang both declared that they will live harmoniously as brothers and to forgive each other, as well as their relatives.
"We are now down to six. And we are still working on to settle the remaining conflicts. Negotiations are still on for the remaining conflicts," Ampatuan reported.