Zamboanga City residents remain fearful 1 year after MNLF attack

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 7): Zamboanga City residents remain fearful 1 year after MNLF attack

A year after Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) forces attacked several villages of this city, Junior Santander Morte is still trying to put his life back to normal.

Morte was one of the 198 residents taken hostage by the MNLF members on day one of the siege — Sept. 9, 2013. He was able to escape from his captors seven days later.

Morte, a former soldier-turned-businessman, said he, his wife Quirina and five children have been living in constant fear.  The sight of men in camouflaged uniforms terrify them, according to Morte.

The Mortes find little comfort in the assurance made by Senior Superintendent Angelito Casimiro, city police chief, that the city’s 98 villages are now safe following the setting up of a comprehensive defense plan, the Guardian Shield.

The Guardian Shield, Casimiro said, has been set up to protect Zamboangueños from possible attacks. He, however, refused to give details about the defense plan.

But Morte said “good intelligence work,” not the number of uniformed personnel patrolling the streets, would thwart any possible attack.

“I remember last year, the city had enough security forces but the rebels managed to penetrate the city and everyone was caught flat-footed,” he said referring to the deployment of soldiers in vital installations following the declaration of independence by MNLF leader Nur Misuari in his own home in the village of San Roque here a less than a month before the attack.

Barely a month after Misuari’s “declaration of independence,” residents woke up to a firefight and reports of armed men taking hostages in the villages of Santa Catalina, Mampang and Talon-Talon.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said a total of 198 persons were held hostage and used as human shields by the MNLF.

Senior Superintendent Chiquito Malayo, former acting city police chief, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 2013 that about 200 to 300 MNLF rebels attacked the city occupying some areas near the shorelines of Talon-Talon, Mampang, Rio Hondo, Mariki, Kasanyangan and the mainland areas of Santa Barbara and Santa Catalina.

Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said 20 soldiers and five policemen were killed and 194 government troops were wounded.

Zagala said 208 MNLF members were killed, including their leader Habier Malik, while 294 others were captured.

Twelve civilians killed, including four hostages, while 79 residents were wounded, Zagala said.

Jimmy Villaflores, village chairman of Santa Catalina, said they have been preparing for “September to Remember,” an event commemorating the siege and would like to use the occasion to push for the “healing of the minds and hearts” of those who went through the experience “so our people can start to move on.”

“Every time our people hear about talks of an attack or reported movement of armed men or suspected MNLF forces, they panic and become so afraid,” Villaflores said.

Santa Catalina and its neighboring Santa Barbara village were the hardest hit during the weeks-long standoff.

“It was not just burning. Houses were destroyed by bombs, bullets and looting,” Villaflores said.  “We want to remember how it was and how we can stand up, rise again and restore normalcy in our day to day living,” he added.

Villaflores said the “September to Remember” event would be capped by sharing, prayers, vigil, mass and candle lighting.

Habib Mudjahab Hashim, commander of the MNLF Islamic Command Council, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone that there would be no more attack such as the one seen in September 2013.

“We have learned our lessons. It was not a siege. It was supposed to be a peaceful caravan to manifest displeasure over the Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro (that the government signed with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front). Unfortunately, it resulted in the stand-off and firefights,” Hashim said.

The MNLF claimed they were supposed to march to city hall to hold a rally. They were, however, armed when they arrived in the city from the province of Sulu, Basilan and Zamboanga Sibugay.

Meanwhile, all the captured MNLF members are still awaiting court proceeding for charges of rebellion and violation of international humanitarian law, particularly the use of civilians as human shields, according to Peter Medalle, the assistant regional state prosecutor.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/635926/zamboanga-city-residents-remain-fearful-1-year-after-mnlf-attack