Saturday, August 30, 2008 Ilaga revival sends shivers to militants By Malu Cadeliña Manar Correspondent
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Church workers in North Cotabato have expressed fears over the resurgence of a vigilante group, which gained notoriety in early 1970s during the martial law years, will again imperil or endanger the lives of militant and progressive religious and lay workers.
Rev. Felixberto Rodenas Sr., spokesperson for the Promotion of Church Peoples' Response (PCPR) in North Cotabato, said the revival of the Ilaga (an Ilongo term that refers to a rat) is sending a "strong signal," not only to the Muslims in Mindanao, but also to those individuals or groups that have progressive or militant ideals.
"History tells us how the group of Ilaga, because of their disregard of human rights, has killed progressive individuals, and even those they perceived to be sympathizers of the progressive movement," said Rodenas in an interview over Catholic-ran dxND.
The pastor has included slain Italian missionary Tulio Favali in his list of those killed by the Ilaga in early '80s. The killing of Favali by the Ilaga, according to him, was so brutal that the members of the cult, Manero among them, were said to have eaten the priest's brain.
"The group has also targeted in their covert operations Father Peter Geremiah of the Diocese of Kidapawan," he added.
Geremiah heads the program of the diocese for the tribal Filipino.
In late 80s when food crisis hit central Mindanao, the missionary led a group of militant farmers in Columbio in Sultan Kudarat in their protests against the local government and the National Food Authority (NFA) to demand food from them.
Because of his alleged "link" with the leftist organizations in North Cotabato, he was then tagged by the Ilaga as an "enemy of the state," according to Rodenas.
Geremiah, when asked, has also expressed fears the revival of the group of anti-Moro fanatics "will mean more violations of human rights."
Rodenas said the Ilaga group and its "terror activities" can spread to other areas in Mindanao "if not stopped."
"We must put a stop to this group. The government should do something to stop it to prevent the conflict in Mindanao from escalating," he said.
As part of the awareness raising of the people in North Cotabato, Rodenas's group is set to conduct forum on Mindanao conflict and the resurgence of Ilaga movement and its impact on the peace process in schools, churches, and other venues.
"We want the people to be aware that the Ilaga can only rekindle the Christian-Muslim conflict, it can fan the fighting in Mindanao, thus, we must all join forces to stop this group from spreading terror in the province," he stressed.
Cotabato Vice-Governor Manny Piñol said the provincial legislative council, which he chaired, will conduct investigation on the alleged revival of the Ilaga movement in his province.
"I know some of the leaders of the group and I already told them that I don't like the idea of reviving the Ilaga. It's illegal. The revival of such group has no moral basis," he said during his weekly radio program aired over Catholic-ran dxND.
Piñol said that through legislative inquiry, the council will try to dig deeper the motives and possibly identify those individuals who could be behind the revival of the group.
The probe, according to Piñol, will start next Tuesday during its regular session at the Provincial Capitol.
