Yesterday, March 18, the entire Bangsamoro people commemorated the infamous Jabidah Massacre of more than 60 young Moros at the rocky Corrigidor Island on March 18, 1968 by members of the military.
The victims of the massacre were part of the 180 trainees, mostly Moros, who were undergoing training on jungle warfare, sabotage and infiltration. The training was purportedly part of a wider clandestine operation code-named “Operation Merdeka” for the invasion of Sabah, to which the Philippines had a pending claim. The word Merdeka is an Indo-Malayan term meaning “to set free” or simply “freedom”.
The real story behind the cold-blooded massacre was never made public by the government. There were explanation but at most those were intended to mislead rather than to inform. The lone survivor, Jibin Arola, however made shocking and chilling revelations.
He said that they were ordered shot because they refused to follow orders to attack Sabah. He explained: “How could we attack the Malaysians when they are our brothers and we do not have any an quarrel with them?”
Arola who survived by swimming the shark-infested waters of Corregidor to Cavite was in itself a miracle. Other reasons given were the non-payment of their monthly allowances and the trainees’ desire to resign.
When the invasion story hit the international news headlines, Malaysia, expectedly reacted sharply to the point of going into a frenzy of war preparation. Then Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos vehemently denied the alleged plan of invasion. But no one took his words seriously. But such a project of formidable magnitude and full of diplomatic dangers could not have been undertaken without Marcos’ official go signal.
The man in charge of that top-level operation was Major Eduardo Martelino, and the project was under the direct supervisions of the Civil Affairs Office of the Office of the President of the Philippines.
Project Merdeka failed due the Moro trainees’ refusal to fight against their Muslim brothers in Malaysia. But had it succeeded and Sabah was invaded, the consequence would have been disastrous.
The victims of that infamous incident were never given justice until this day and the people responsible may have passed away without being meted out the appropriate punishment for their crimes.
Nevertheless, the massacre became the starting point of Moro youth awakening, and eventually, the Moro students in Cairo, Egypt and in Manila organized themselves and later own became the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). To this day, the Moros still grieve for the victims of that heinous crime committed 47 years ago, and like the other massacres of thousands more Moros in other parts of Mindanao of still, they demand for justice. (Source: Salah Jubair’s “Bangsamoro: A National under Endless Tyranny, 3rd Edition, 1999)
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/789-bangsamoro-people-commemorate-infamous-jabidah-massacre
The real story behind the cold-blooded massacre was never made public by the government. There were explanation but at most those were intended to mislead rather than to inform. The lone survivor, Jibin Arola, however made shocking and chilling revelations.
He said that they were ordered shot because they refused to follow orders to attack Sabah. He explained: “How could we attack the Malaysians when they are our brothers and we do not have any an quarrel with them?”
Arola who survived by swimming the shark-infested waters of Corregidor to Cavite was in itself a miracle. Other reasons given were the non-payment of their monthly allowances and the trainees’ desire to resign.
When the invasion story hit the international news headlines, Malaysia, expectedly reacted sharply to the point of going into a frenzy of war preparation. Then Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos vehemently denied the alleged plan of invasion. But no one took his words seriously. But such a project of formidable magnitude and full of diplomatic dangers could not have been undertaken without Marcos’ official go signal.
The man in charge of that top-level operation was Major Eduardo Martelino, and the project was under the direct supervisions of the Civil Affairs Office of the Office of the President of the Philippines.
Project Merdeka failed due the Moro trainees’ refusal to fight against their Muslim brothers in Malaysia. But had it succeeded and Sabah was invaded, the consequence would have been disastrous.
The victims of that infamous incident were never given justice until this day and the people responsible may have passed away without being meted out the appropriate punishment for their crimes.
Nevertheless, the massacre became the starting point of Moro youth awakening, and eventually, the Moro students in Cairo, Egypt and in Manila organized themselves and later own became the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). To this day, the Moros still grieve for the victims of that heinous crime committed 47 years ago, and like the other massacres of thousands more Moros in other parts of Mindanao of still, they demand for justice. (Source: Salah Jubair’s “Bangsamoro: A National under Endless Tyranny, 3rd Edition, 1999)
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/789-bangsamoro-people-commemorate-infamous-jabidah-massacre
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