COTABATO, Philippines, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of terrified families fled on Wednesday as they seen Muslim rebels massing in remote villages of southern Philippine township of Tulunan, a police official said.

    Philippine provincial police director Senior Superintendent Norberto Batislaong told reporters the presence of rouge Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels in the villages of Bula and Canibon in Tulunan township forced the people to abandon their houses for fear of their safety.

    Batislaong said residents fear rebels may launch a surprise attack similar to what they did last year after Manila and their organization failed to sign an agreement that would give them autonomy in the volatile south.

    Earlier this year, MILF guerrillas raided a banana plantation owned by a governor in the town.

    Rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu said the land and banana plantation of North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Pinol was part of their ancestral domain.

    The peace talks between the government and the 11,800-member MILF collapsed in August 2008 after the two sides failed to sign an agreement on ancestral domain, prompting some rebel commanders to launch deadly attacks on Christian communities in Mindanao.

    Ancestral domain refers to the MILF's demand for territory that will constitute a Muslim homeland.

    It is the last remaining hurdle for a final political settlement that is expected to end the four decades of Muslim insurgency that has claimed more than 120,000 lives. Once signed, both sides are expected to work towards a final peace deal that would include plans for the future of the MILF rebels.