‘2 civilians beheaded by SAF’ / Cordillera reps urge justice for slain Cordillera officers

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

The “ambush” or “misencounter” (depending on which side you are on) of the 44 cops in Maguindanao allegedly by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters last week had ignited a lot of commentaries that has threatened peace thrusts between government and Muslim rebels in Mindanao.

Comes now this news from Northern Philippine Times correspondent Mar Supnad that the first chief of Salaam police, a retired Tausug general, urged Wednesday immediate dissolution of Special Action Force following “massacre” of cops and killing of seven rebels.

Retired Chief Supt. Sahiron Dulah Salim said the carnage was brought about by alleged beheading of two civilians by the SAF who mistook them for international terrorists in Maguindanao.

He said this earned the ire of the MILF and BIFF.The SAF reportedly mistook the two civilian Muslims as terrorists whom they captured and beheaded, quoting his sources from Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

According to Salim, he was not in the area but reliable sources there told him about “this real incident that took place there.”

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Salim said after the incident,  a woman in the area who allegedly saw the beheading of the two innocent civilians ran away and informed the MILF and BIFF about it, who in turn, set up an ambush along exit points of the SAF, resulting to killing of 44 SAF members and wounding of several others.

He added the SAF may not have been sure who they would arrest and may have been after reward money capturing or killing in Malaysian terror bomber Zulkifli Marwan and his Filipino Henchman Abdul BasitUsman.He said this may have been the reason the SAF went to Barangay TukanaLiapo, Masasapano.  

He said SAF members might have been interested in the $5 million bounty for the apprehension -- dead or alive -- of Usman and Marwan  who have been training extremist groups in Central Mindanao on bomb-making and urban terrorism. (See related story in page 10)

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A full-blooded Tausug and native of Parang, Sulu, Salim expressed surprise why such huge number of SAF went for the operation when usually they move only with few men and not by hundreds.

Considering he is Muslim, were the two civilians Salim was referring to Usman and Marwan?

Anyway, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas announced Wednesday the relief of SAF director Getulio Napenas pending conduct by a board of inquiry of the Philippine National Police, which will be headed by three police generals.

Napenas was replaced by his deputy Chief Supt. NoliTalino, a former police director of La Union and an intelligence expert. I met Talino in Dagupan City when he was chief of police there in 2002 when we were setting up circulation of the Northern Philippine Times in the city known for its bangus (milkfish).

He struck me as a man of few words and would rather have actions do the talking. I guess he will do a good job there.

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Reports have it SAF commandos came from various units, most of them from the 88th and 55th Companies which were effective in foiling the Zamboanga City siege in 2013.

Roxas said all SAF men who took part in the operation in Barangay TukanaLiapo in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, are now fully accounted, 336 of them unharmed.

Reports said initially, the PNP in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao claimed 49 SAF men were slain, while the MILF reported the death of 64 SAF men.

This, as Cordillera congressmen Ronald Cosalan of Benguet  and Teddy Brawner Baguilat of Ifugao urged swift justice for soldiers killed during the “misencounter” in Mindanao, but said legislators should take retain support for lasting peace in Mindanao through the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Both said mood among legislators had dramatically turned toward pessimism following the massacre, but added the peace process should continue despite considerable odds, and that means making those who made the mistake of miscoordination and inefficient intelligence gathering accountable.

Cosalan said in Baguio Thursday he commiserates with families of at least five slain soldiers who come from the Cordillera.

 This, as Baguilat said “if the MILF truly wants to have the BBL pass in Congress, then it should show its sincerity by policing its ranks and more importantly by helping hunt down the extremists.”

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Baguilat said it was emotionally difficult for him to stay true to the call for peace considering Cordillerans were among those who were mercilessly killed during the fierce battle.

“Cordillerans thousands of miles away died for the country. They are among the fiercest warriors of the country and were recruited as special forces and usually assigned in strife-torn areas because of their skills in jungle warfare. Cordillerans are really paying ultimate sacrifice to maintain peace and order in the country,” Baguilat said.

 Baguilat said among those from the Cordillera who died were loyal soldiers from his province of Ifugao.

He added he knows their names and their families and his first reaction upon hearing the news was to doubt the process and call for a strong military response.

“But then I remembered my brother, Capt. Winston Baguilat, who died in 1998 in the fields of Basilan, killed probably by a Muslim insurgent’s bullet. I felt grief. But I told myself if I could make a difference someday, I would rather take the tougher road to lasting peace than a knee jerk call for total war,” Baguilat said.

 He said this belief in peace was why he strongly supports the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, believing it is the way to help Muslim brothers and sisters in Mindanao achieve their development goals under an autonomous region.

“I believe the braver thing to do now is to pray and persevere and believe, still, in the vision of peace,” said Baguilat.