Sulu has been witness to recent bloody incidents involving the Abu Sayyaf, but the ambush shocked government officials and security forces especially since it happened while Muslims all over the world were observing Eid al-Fitr
SURVIVOR: A government health worker attends to a survivor of the July 28 ambush that killed at least 23 in Talipao, Sulu. Photo by Ben Hajan/EPA
The Sulu provincial government tagged an unnamed barangay official as a possible suspect in the Sulu ambush that killed 23 on Monday, July 28, an incident that now appears to be the result of rido or clan war.
The barangay
official supposedly worked with the Abu Sayyaf, which the military said is
behind the ambush.
Among the victims
are women, children as young as 2, and the elderly, with one as old as 85.
"We condemn
the barbaric act of the perpetrators, the suspects of which are some followers
or supporters of a certain barangay official in cooperation with suspected Abu
Sayyaf members, who ambushed and massacred and killed at least 23 passengers,
mostly women and children," Governor Abdusakur "Totoh" Tan II
and his father Vice Governor Abdusakur Tan said in a joint statement issued by
the provincial Public Information Office.
Sulu has been
witness to recent bloody incidents involving the Abu Sayyaf, but the ambush
shocked government officials and security forces especially because it happened
while Muslims all over the world were observing Eid al-Fitr. It also coincided
with the State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III.
The victims were
aboard a Tamaraw vehicle when they were ambushed in Barangay Lower Talipao in
Sulu's Talipao town. They were supposed to join festivities in neighboring
Maimbong town.
"This is
very un-Islamic and very satanic, after going through the holy month of
Ramadan, even animals could hardly inflict damage of such magnitude," Tan
added.
'Difficult
to comprehend'
The military
earlier tagged Abu Sayyaf leaders Indang Susukan and Sibih Pisih as behind the
ambush. The assumption was they were after the Barangay Peacekeeping Action
Team (BPAT) that was with the convoy.
On the ground,
however, there have been talks of rido or a clan war.
Governor Mujiv
Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao also hinted of a rido. He
said it's the first time it happened on Eid al-Fitr. "Kung meron kang
kaaway, halimbawa lang, granting lang kaaway mo, hindi mo na maiwasan ang araw
na yan? Kapag may bata, may babae? Ang point ko, talagang wala sa
lugar at beyond sa comprehension ng normal na tao itong pangyayaring ito,"
Hataman said in an interview in Basilan.
"Napaka-signipikante
ng araw. Tapos inosenteng babae. Kaya mahirap mo nang unawain na mayroon silang
pinaglalaban dahil ang ganitong situwasyon ay mahirap mong i-comprehend.
(It is a very significant day and they killed innocent children. It's difficult
to understand that they are fighting for a cause. It's difficult to
comprehend)," he added.
Pursuit
operations against the identified Abu Sayyaf members are now a priority,
according to the miltiary. The police also augmented its personnel in Talipao.
Victims
The victims
include children as young as 2 and people as old as 85. The police identified
21 of the 23 fatalities as the following:
Padzma Hasan, 32
Misyaar Hassan,
14
Maida Hasan, 35
Jirmalyn Hasa, 15
Dadah Palahuddin,
85
Mura Ahadan, 60
Jainab Ajid, 50
Milina Ahadan, 15
Miriam Binhur, 19
Nurfaisa Gappar,
14
Dayang Ahadan, 19
Tata Isahac, 40
Risalyn Isahac, 7
Saik Ajid, 45
Said Palahuddin,
35
Abdul Julhari, 83
Baris Julhair, 19
Abdukahal Ahadan,
19
Abdulrahim Isahac
Omar, 2
Termiji Tambrin,
3
Tambrin Ahadani,
45
Sulu has been
witness to recent bloody incidents involving the Abu Sayyaf and government
troops. Only last May, at least 11 were killed, including 7
Marines, in an encounter between the Abu Sayyaf and the Marines.
Previous to this,
14 members of the Abu Sayyaf were
killed in an encounter with the military.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/64703-sulu-ambush-barangay-official
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