DIGOS CITY, Davao del Sur (PIA) – It has been 30 years since heavily armed members of the New People's Army (NPA) broke into a chapel at Barangay Binaton in this city and launched a bloody attack that left 39 people dead.
To mark the anniversary of the 1989 Rano Massacre, the victims were remembered and given tribute in symbolic rites on Tuesday, June 25.
High ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, local government of Digos and members of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict gathered to commemorate with the survivors and relatives.
A memorial marker made by stone tablet etched the names of the 39 victims, mostly children and women. The victims were attending a Sunday morning fellowship on June 25, 1989 when they were attacked and killed by communist terrorists who owned up to the carnage.
Three decades after, survivors shared how they survived and moved on from the traumatic experience.
Arnulfo Endar, 43, recalled that he was the guitarist at the fellowship in their United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) chapel at Sitio Rano when the NPA suddenly arrived and fired at them.
Endar was hit on his right leg but was able to escape. He said five of his family members and relatives including his father, sister and cousins were among the dead. He was 13 years old at the time of the massacre.
Helen Dominguez shared that the incident was the most painful as she also lost five members of her family including her pastor husband whose head was severed.
She said she was able to hide from the bushes with her four-year old child and prayed hard to be spared from harm. “I’m thankful to God that I’m still alive, standing in front of you,” Dominguez said.
Barangay Kapatagan Captain Juanito Morales was emotional when he shared how painful it was for the Tagabawa tribal community to experience such gruesome killing.
“It was the victims who sacrificed for fighting for democracy, for fighting against the NPAs,” said Morales, who was then the vice-mayor of Digos when the bloodbath happened.
He said that despite the trauma and grief that they went through, the survivors were thankful for the government for taking care of their community.
“Back then, it was very hard for the community. There was no road, no electricity, no government,” Morales recalled, adding “But we are grateful now because of the developments that have been poured in the village.”
Eastmincom Commander Lt.Gen. Felimon T. Santos, Jr. commended the survivors for overcoming their fears and trauma. “You are the living witness. You are really fighters. You have survived.”
“For now, we have to focus on ways to send your children to school, and enhance your skills for livelihood,” Santos told the Tagabawa folks.
10th ID Commander MGen. Jose C. Faustino, Jr. and Lt. Gen. Santos led government officials and residents in signing a manifesto committing for cooperation to uphold peace and order in the community.
The other agency-members of the RTC-ELCAC present in the commemoration were the National Commission on Indigenous People, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Interior and Local Government, and Philippine Information Agency. (PIA-XI)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.