Thursday, August 21, 2008 Kauswagan folk warned about raid By Ben O. Tesiorna
RESIDENTS of Barangay Libertad in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte knew of the impending attack by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) three days before it happened early morning Monday.
Libertad barangay captain Bernie Roble said they were warned by some Moro barangay officials of the planned attack by the MILF.
He said this prompted them to have their women and children transfer to a safer barangay.
On Friday evening, August 15, Roble went to the headquarters of the Philippine Army's 32nd Infantry Battalion to inform them about the impending MILF raid in their barangay.
"Gikasuk-an naman hinoon me atong si Captain Baya kay ngano daw pataka lang mi ug tuo anang mga balitaa. Ingon pa niya ipakita daw namo sa iyaha ang among ebidensya (We were instead scolded by one Captain Baya saying we were just making stories. He said we should show him proof)," Roble narrated.
Asked what evidence they have, Roble said that days before the attack Muslim residents in the area have suddenly fled their homes. He said this is one clear indication of an impending MILF raid.
Protecting the bridge
When the MILF raid happened around 4 a.m. of August 18, residents said the Army soldiers never attempted to protect them from the rebel raiders.
"Mas gi-una pa nila ang pagprotekta sa tulay kaysa sa mga tao (They protected the bridge first before the people)," cried one female resident who refused to give her name.
In an interview at the clash site, Captain Hussein Pakilulla, commander of the Army's 32nd IB Bravo Company, said they were told by their superior officers to protect the bridge that connects Iligan City to Lanao del Norte at all cost.
But, Pakilulla said that despite the primacy given to the bridge, they also tried to neutralize the MILF rebels but said that the raiders were making the civilians their human shields, thus they could do nothing.
As the interview with the captain was ongoing, the female resident kept on shouting at the soldiers pleading them not to leave their barangay for fear that MILF rebels would return and do more atrocities.
Captain Pakilulla assured the residents that they will not leave the area until they are certain that the rebels are no longer in the vicinity.
The captain admitted that the rebels are still holed up in the mountainous areas near Libertad.
MILF as civilians
A former resident of Libertad believes that the MILF rebels are still in the area and are posing as civilians to avoid capture by the military authorities.
The resident who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal identified the areas of Matungao and Pantao Ragat as haven for MILF rebels who are evading the authorities.
The resident said houses in these areas have a lot of bamboo in their vicinity as this is where the rebels keep their high-powered firearms.
The resident, who happened to be a former teacher of the infamous MILF Kumander Bravo, said Matungao and Pantao Ragat are known Moro villages and had long been coddling MILF rebels since time immemorial.
The resident lost her brother during Monday's rampage.
She said her 60-year-old brother was hacked to death by the MILF combatants.
Thirteen other residents of Libertad were either shot many times or hacked to death. The rebels also did not spare animals during their attack.
The innocent civilians killed by the MILF in Libertad are Miguel Daitia, 94; Ruben Daitia, 33; Aldrin Tan, 55; Galiciano Tausa, 62; Tata Labid, 25; Javez Ganzan, 60; Lyndon Amarille, 16; Oliver Jagus, 10; Audy Jagus, 30; Rizza Cambarihan, 17; Leonarda Jagus, 51; Rene Pua, 35; Henorimo Gaid, 61; and Jonard Marcera, 31.
In a statement, the MILF said that the civilians killed by the MILF rebels "are identified with the violently anti-Muslim Ilaga and so-called Shepherd groups."
"Houses belonging to members of these groups were also torched by Moro civilians who joined the mujahideen guerillas. The Moro civilians' impulsive act to exact vengeance on said groups responsible for killing innocent Muslims in the past has gone out of control given the situation where battles were fiercely raging. A portion of the market of Kauswagan was likewise burned as a result of the subsequent fighting," the MILF said.
Distrust widens
A former resident whose relatives still live in the barangay said they have long been co-existing with their Moro brothers and sisters thus they could not fathom why the rebels would kill dwellers in such a barbaric manner.
The former resident said the dwellers will now be forced to arm themselves to protect from future MILF raids. She added that while they are Christians, this is not about religious conflict and that they are arming themselves only against the MILF.
She also urged peace-loving Muslims to help guard their community against future attacks.
Armed Forces of the Philippines vice chief of staff Lieutenant General Cardoso Luna meanwhile said that the all-out offensive by the AFP is not geared against the MILF as an organization but only against few faction.
He added they also do not want the armed conflict to be construed as a declaration of war against the Muslims.
This as he denied reports that the MILF rebels have abducted a priest and murdered a busload of passengers.
Luna admitted though that what the MILF rebels did in Kauswagan and Kulambugan is cold-blood massacre.
He said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the AFP to hunt the group of Kumander Bravo Macapaar and that is what they will exactly do.
Luna said the MILF rebels are now hiding in the mountains of Lanao and are on their way to Lanao del Sur where they are more knowledgeable of the terrain.
The MILF rampage left a total of 28 civilians and three soldiers dead.
Four soldiers were also wounded while several MILF rebels were said to have been wounded or killed.
Twenty houses were also burned along with two classrooms while twenty thousand people were displaced as a result of the MILF raid on Monday.
AFP chief Alexander Yano meanwhile said that the military operations would not stop with the clearing of the areas.
He said the military cannot accept the excuse offered by the MILF leadership that they did not sanction the atrocities by elements of the 104th and 105th Base Commanders under Commanders Bravo and Umbra Kato respectively.
"If they keep on saying that line, if they cannot control (their men), then the government will certainly control them and we will undertake our mandate to protect the people and the communities and we cannot renege on that constitutional mandate," Yano said.
Yano said they have bent backwards too much in upholding the primacy of the peace process, citing the military actuations in North Cotabato where the rebels occupied at least 15 barangays starting July 1, displacing at least 160,000 residents.
