Balancing the tally

(Please feel free to distribute and publish this statement incluidng my prior statements to your network and friends. thank you)

During the attack of the MILF in Kolambugan, around 100 passengers of the two flagged down buses were invited by a Muslim community to take refuge in a Mosque nearby. “We were warmly welcomed and protected by them who even barred the armed men from entering the Mosque”, a statement from one of the 5 catholic priests from the Diocese of Dipolog who were among the passenger victims. They stayed in the Mosque until the firefight subsided, were given food and water and led to their safety travel on board a motorized banca to Ozamiz city. This is contrary to the earlier report that they were held hostage inside a Mosque.

A terrified Christian narrated that, while scampering for safety after hearing the gunshots, he encountered a Muslim who willingly lent his “malong” so that he will have a “cover”. Another, who was accosted and led to safety, talked to media afterwards, “Maayo man diay sila abi nako dautan” (They are indeed good, I thought they were bad).

These are only few of the stories which are not told and ought to be told. We are drawn and conditioned to believe what the media wants us to see, heard and read. And worst, we sometime refuse to listen to the real stories.

We are aghast and outraged by the sight we saw on TV and read on national dailies of the victims appealing for support and narrating their ordeal. The struggle of the Bangsamoro for legitimacy and recognition as a people has been demonized by these incidents. All the accusing fingers are pointed at them as the source of all these war misery and tragedy in Mindanao. However, we miss the greater picture in the context of the anti-terror overdrive of the government and retaliatory offensive action that victimized also poor, hapless Bangsamoro people.

Last year, there was no blown-out report and investigation prior to the beheading of marines in Basilan about the beheading of Imam Matarul Hakanul after his body was peppered with bullets. Early this year, a military operation in Baranggay Ipil, Maimbung, Sulu caused the massacre of 11 persons including women and children on board a pump boat and execution of several others in front of their spouses and relatives. The incident drew out massive protest and indignation. Several investigations by the government agencies have been initiated but no result came out so far and worst pre-empted by the military’s own investigation report that exonerated those pinpointed as involved in the incident.

Early this year, due to the counter-terrorist campaign of the government, one hundred thirty-five (135) families are dispersed in Indanan and Patikul in Sulu and more than 3,000 villagers from Tilucab, Upo. Mindipok and Maguling in Maitum of the Sarangani and portion of the Sharif Kabungsuan provinces. However, there is a failure to account the casualties in the sporadic wars in Central Mindanao and in Sulu and Basilan provinces since April this year.

The government has virtually declared an all-out-war against the group of Kumander Bravo and Umbra Kato to make them answerable to justice. But, this does not consider the many Moro civilians who will be caught in the crossfire. By the sight of the military, many cannot anymore leave their homes, trembling and unable to utter any word, especially the elderly and women.

Of the more than 10,000 tally of evacuees in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte, has anybody wondered how many of them are Moro? How much damage can anyone imagine brought by the MILF attack in the towns of Lanao del Norte and the city bombings alleged perpetrated by the Abu Sayyaf group compared to the constant aerial bombing and shelling hitting Moro communities? There are more cases of burning of houses, indiscriminate firing and killing of civilians in North Cotabato than in Kolambugan and there are certainly more Moro victims.

Since much news and reports on MILF atrocities have came out already, we are challenged to leave the comforts of our intellectual exchange to gather information in the field about “the other side of the story” and be one with the victims to offer hope and solace.

We should not be overwhelmed by our outrage and in such a state fail to see who the real victims are. There are a lot of magnanimous stories from the experiences of the people communities in the on-going war in Mindanaw. This is where the real understanding and healing must begin.

by Dani Conejar