Friday, August 22, 2008 Family hid in toilet to evade MILF attack
SIXTY-five-year-old Ireneo Zaysa lives with his wife, 66, and a 12-year-old grandson in their small hut in Poblacion Dos, Kolambugan town just beside the Kolambugan Elementary School.
In the morning of August 18, his grandson told him that there is fighting outside their house.
It was 5 a.m. when Zaysa took a look from inside the gate of their front yard.
"Nakita nako duha ka armadong tawo. Kadtong isa kalit nga milingi padulong nako ug misyagit ug kato. Dali-dali dayong ko misulod sa among balay ug akong giingnan ang akong asawa ug apo nga ayaw mo'g labas kay nay mga Moro sa gawas na armado (I saw two armed men. One looked my way and shouted. I hastily went inside and told my wife and grandson not to go out for there are armed Moros outside)," Zaysa narrated.
He immediately ordered his wife and grandson to hide inside a small hole right below their hut.
Zaysa meanwhile sat inside the house waiting for what to happen next.
Two hours after, he decided to transfer his family to their small toilet while he hid himself in a small canal beside the toilet.
At 11 a.m., he saw an armed MILF rebel peeked from the inside window of his neighbor's house. The rebel saw two children hiding at the adjacent toilet where the Zayas hid.
"Gitiunan ug baril sa rebelde tong duha ka bata. Nagnutana tong rebelde sa mga
bata kung unsa ang ilang ginabuhat didto. Ingon pa sa mga bata, ayaw kol, nagtago mi dinhi kay hadlok mi. Gutom na mi kayo, ingon pa sa mga bata (The rebel pointed a gun at the two kids. He then asked the kids what they were doing there. The kids said, 'Don't harm us. We are hiding because we are afraid. We are very hungry),'" Zaysa recalled.
The MILF rebel allegedly told the two kids to get out of the toilet and cook rice so they (kids) could eat.
"Murag but-an pud tong rebeldeha to kay gipakaon pa man niya ang mga bata. Pero ingon sa mga bata na dili lang sila mugawas kay hadlok sila (I guess that rebel was kind because he told the kids they may eat. The kids however said they won't go out because they are scared)," the old man said.
In the house of councilor Francisco Camino, two houses away from the Zayas, a certain Petri Pabingwit was shot and killed by the MILF rebels while retreating from Kolambugan proper.
Zaysa said the 60-year-old Pabingwit was taken hostage by the rebels but Pabingwit had a hypertension attack. He was then left by the rebels at the terrace of the Camino residence.
Pabingwit allegedly collapsed and was awaken by another group of rebels who passed by the house.
"Sige nilag mata kang Petri dili man gyud mumata. Ingon atong usa ka rebelde na nagpaatik lang daw ug tulog-tulog si Petri mao nga ilang gipusil dayon (The rebels forced the old man to wake up. They said he was feigning sleep thus they killed him)," Lolo Ireneo narrated.
Pabingwit was shot while sitting at a bench unconscious.
The rebels also strafed the house of the councilor.
Two school buildings were also burned down by the rebels as they brought with them civilian hostages to make as human shields against the military helicopters hovering above.
Zaysa said they could never believe that the MILF rebels would do such a dastardly act.
He said the rebels entered their home and ate at their table but never saw them in the six hours they attacked the town since they hid in the toilet hole. (BOT)
