Aquino leads groundbreaking rites for Mindanao Garden of Peace

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 18): Aquino leads groundbreaking rites for Mindanao Garden of Peace

President Benigno S. Aquino III led Monday the groundbreaking ceremonies for the development of the Mindanao Garden of Peace in commemoration of the 45th year of the Jabidah massacre.

The Chief Executive spearheaded the groundbreaking rites which had for its theme "Learning from History, Uniting for People."

It signalled the start of the development of the Mindanao Garden of Peace at the tailside portion of Corregidor Island.

President Aquino was accompanied by Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Undersecretary Manolo Quezon III, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Ronald Llamas and other government officials.

Also in attendance were Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Regional Governor Mujiv S. Hataman, Colonel Artemio Matibag, Sister Ma. Lourdes Arnold Noel.

The Mindanao Forum Inc. and the Corregidor Foundation Inc. agreed to put up the Mindanao Garden of Peace to remind the people of the tragic Jabidah massacre that happened 45 years ago. In 2010, the museum was put up in the place in recognition of the heroism of the Jabidah Martyrs.

The Mindanao Garden of Peace is a strong reminder not only for the Filipinos but also to the whole world that both Muslims and Christians, desire true, genuine and lasting peace.

After the groundbreaking ceremonies, President Aquino proceeded to the Jabidah Marker for the Hands for Peace where he placed his handprint on the Hands for Peace Wall.

The President led the nation in commemorating the grim chapter in the country's history known as the Jabidah Massacre. The incident refers to the massacre of a number of young Moro recruits from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, with estimates ranging from 28 to more than 200, by their military handlers on the island of Corregidor.

The recruits were undergoing training for a government-sponsored covert military operation dubbed “Operation Merdeka” with the objective of invading Sabah.

Records showed that Col. Eduardo “Abdullatif” Martelino started the commando-type of training that involved jungle warfare at Camp Sophia in Simunol, Tawi-Tawi where the training camp was set up.

The trainees were later shipped to Corregidor by a naval boat.

It was during the second phase of the training in Corregidor that the recruited Muslim trainees learned that their true mission was to invade Sabah, which would mean not only fighting their brother Muslims but also possibly killing their own Tausug and Sama relatives living there.

The recruits then demanded to be returned home but their military handlers prevented their return and instead killed them.

Jibin Arula, one of the Jabidah recruits from Siasi, Sulu was the lone survivor who managed to tell about the massacre. The Senate subsequently conducted a probe of the alleged massacre after the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. denounced the unfortunate incident in a privilege speech on March 18, 1968.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=508190