A wounded Army soldier awaits evacuation as fighting
between government forces and MNLF gunmen continues for the fifth day in
Barangay Sta. Catalina, Zamboanga City on Friday, September 13. At least 18
people have been killed and scores have been wounded in the conflict, according
to the military. Ian
Cruz
During the first day of fighting in the Zamboanga city crisis, a soldier
went up to a young resident in Barangay Zone 4 to ask for food, a city resident
said.
All the soldier is asking for is left-over rice, to go with the dried fish
around thirty soldiers were having for breakfast, according to 20-year-old
Eyrhil Tom Bulahan of Barangay Zone 4.
This is the story behind a photo that has gone viral on Facebook -
garnering over 14,000 shares and 8,000 likes as of posting time.
The photo showed a soldier - small in built and rather thin
- walking his way to the resident with a long face.
Bulahan 4 said he took the
picture not to get attention, but to show the supposedly dire situation of
soldiers deployed in the city.
"Awang awa na kami sa mga sundalo rito," Bulahan told GMA News Online in a
phone interview.
"Sabi sa akin 'Sir, may pagkain ba kayo d'yan? Kahit tira tira lang na
kanin.' Wala pa raw sila nakain since nung umalis sila ng madaling araw," he
added.
Bulahan said he went back to their house and brought their rice they had
for breakfast. He also brought for them water.
"'Yung mga kapitbahay rin namin naglatag ng mga tubig para sa kanila,"
Bulahan said.
Bulahan said he has a personal touch on the matter - after all, his uncle
is one of the soldiers fighting in the war.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Domingo
Tutaan Jr. denied that their soldiers were not fed.
"That's not true. The photo can speak a thousand words. The soldiers are
appropriately supplied by our respective units," Tutaan told GMA News Online in
a phone interview.
He added that resolving the crisis, not the photo, should be a more
pressing issue.
"It's not helping... The issue here is the situation and that there are no
casualties from civilian sides," Tutaan said.
Meanwhile, as war reporters could be seen heavily clothed in bullet-proof
vests and helmets, state troops would have to make do with frayed
combat boots, a "24 Oras" report by Ian Cruz on Thursday showed.
Some soldiers had even stitched the holes in their boots
themselves, the report said.
But for the AFP public affairs chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, it is the
soldiers' "responsibility" to take care of their equipment.
"It's the individual soldier's responsibility to maintain the condition of
the supplies were giving to them," Zagala said in the report.
Since Monday, state troops have clashed with armed followers of the Moro
National Liberation Front, who entered the city supposedly to plant their flag
in the city hall.
The MNLF has denied this, saying they were just having a peaceful caravan
around Mindanao.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.