Tuesday, October 07, 2008 Moro rebels attack Sarangani village
GASI, Kiamba, Sarangani -- Tboli villagers condemned an attack by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels that left five barangay buildings razed to the ground, including a Tindahan sa Kalinaw (store for peace) and a day-care center.
The MILF rebels also torched the building where the village chair and the local council hold office, a waiting shed and a stage used for various activities.
Barangay chair Mariano Fado wants "justice for what happened to our barangay." He asked higher authorities to investigate the incident and file appropriate charges against the culprits.
Fado said an armed group he refused to name had warned villagers to evacuate or their village would be torched.
"Unsa pud among kasalanan. Wala man ko kalaban na Muslim. Open man ko sa ila bakit ganun?" Fado said. (What is our sin? I don’t have Muslim enemies. What has this happened?)
Around 12:20 a.m. Saturday, Fado said a village guard saw two persons enter the barangay government compound gate while the rest of the armed group went around the buildings.
"Siguro gasolina ang ginamit nila kasi bigla man nag apoy," he said.
Fado said Tboli villagers were being recruited before but nobody from the village joined the armed group.
"Kung sino ang may kasalanan hanapin natin, i-file natin ng kaso," Fado said. Insulto din yan sa amin, sa mga Lumads."
Pastor Nonie Sambuan said some 30 heavily armed men arrived on that night. "After torching the buildings, they fired shots in the air when they fled," Sambuan said.
Gasi was a peaceful lumad barangay, he said, "thus the perpetrators must be hunted down and brought to justice because they inflicted heavy damage on our barangay."
"I was so worried that the rebels were taking all the goods at the store," said Rosita Fado, a village worker.
"Authorities must look for them for their offenses here," she added.
Colonel Rainier Cruz, commander of the Army 1002nd Infantry Brigade based in Sarangani, said rebels from 105th base command of the MILF were responsible for the attacks.
The MILF raided Gasi following a botched attack a couple of hours earlier in adjacent Kling Plantation.
Plantation guard Jupiter Pequiro, who was wounded in the attack, said that splinters of the first rocket grenade fired by the rebels hit Gloria Lyn Barrientos in the abdomen.
"It was followed by automatic fire towards my post so I fired back," Pequiro said.
The guard said the attackers fired an M203 grenade that slightly injured his foot.
Reinforcing plantation guards returned fire, forcing the rebels to withdraw, Pequiro said. The firefight lasted for about five minutes.
Kiamba police chief Inspector Alex Joe Orcajada said the plantation's security set-up and immediate police response prompted the raiders to leave.
Orcajada said a witness has identified one of the attackers.
Meanwhile, Vice Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon, whose family owns Kling Plantation, said officials of barangays Kling and Gasi were putting up a community defense system.
The system includes training for citizens and a strong information network among barangays.
"We will support the PNP and military to stop the terrorist acts of the armed groups," Solon added.
In June, civilians in Maitum were held hostage by MILF who swooped down from Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat. A civilian volunteer was killed by rebels in Barangay Ticulab.
The MILF-triggered evacuation of civilians in three barangays came as villagers were returning to their homes in the aftermath of flashfloods caused by typhoon Frank.
In August, MILF forces killed two innocent civilians, wounded another and ransacked Maasim public market. The rebels attacked the town hall and police station but outnumbered policemen repulsed them.
A warrant of arrest for the crime of murder, destructive arson, arson, robbery with violence against and/or intimidation of persons has been issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 38 for at least 50 accused "members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)."
