|
Friday, February 08, 2008
Sulu massacre an attack to sleeping civilians: CHR
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The incident in Maimbung, Sulu where seven civilians were killed appears to be an attack on the sleeping residents by government troops, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said based on its initial investigation.
CHR Commissioner for Mindanao Dominador Calamba said investigators initially found no proof of Abu Sayyaf men present in the area when joint Army and Navy troops raided the village of Ipil in the town of Maimbung.
Post here your Valentine's Day greetings
Calamba said it might be that the military did not have sufficient intelligence about the presence of many civilians in the area that resulted to the death of children and women.
The military reported two soldiers killed in the said clash between government troops and the Abu Sayyaf bandits.
Calamba said statements they gathered from the civilians showed that the military surrounded the village and fired at the houses.
"It could be that fellow soldiers hit their own during the raid," Calamba said in a television interview.
According to Calamba, findings of the probe team showed that the soldier on leave, who was killed during the raid, was a Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) integree to the Army.
He said the soldier was hogtied and maltreated before he was shot to death.
CHR Regional Director Jose Manuel Mamauag sent a four-man team to probe the incident in Maimbung town.
"It was an attack on the sleeping residents as far as our team's finding is concern," Mamauag said on Thursday over a telephone interview.
Eight people, including a soldier on leave, two children, and two teenagers, were killed when troops in pursuit of the Abu Sayyaf bandits holding captive a rice trader from Jolo clashed with the bandits around 2:55 a.m. last February 4 in the village of Ipil, Maimbung town.
The Sulu Provincial Government Area Coordinating Center (ACC) identified the slain victims as Marisa Payian, 4; Wedme Lahim, 9; Alnalyn Lahim, 15; Sulayman Hakob, 17; Kirah Lahim, 45; Eldisim Lahim, 43; Narcia Abon, 24, all civilians, and Private First Class Ibnul Wahid, of the Army's 6th Infantry Division.
Mamauag said the probe team will stay in the area until the investigation is completed.
A member of the probe team however went home to this city on Wednesday after suffering a fractured shoulder in a vehicular accident.
"They are traveling from the clash site aboard habal-habal, a motorcycle for hire, which is a common type of transportation in remote areas, when they met an accident," said Mamauag.
He added that the CHR probe team has already obtained affidavits of the residents of Ipil village citing "almost all of them (residents) are willing to execute affidavits."
Mamauag said all other issues surrounding the incident will be thoroughly investigated like the reported fighting between two warring families that erupted when the troops arrived in Ipil.
The Joint Task Force Comet (JTFC) reported to the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) that the clash ensued since the troops were met by the bandits holding captive Jolo rice trader Maria Rosalie Lao.
Two soldiers and three Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed while five others, including a junior officer, were wounded in the clash that lasted for about an hour, the JTFC reported.
Westmincom chief Lieutenant General Nelson Allaga has also ordered the conduct of a separate investigation about the incident.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro will also visit the clash site on Saturday.
Sulu Governor Sakur Tan, on the other hand, is still in Manila. He flew to Manila after visiting the clash site to personally report the incident to higher authorities. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Davao. (February 8, 2008 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Kampi members oppose merger with Lakas