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By Inday Espina-Varona Dorian Zumel Sicat
Second of 3 parts
ISABELA CITY—As late as a few months ago, Abu
Sabaya was calling friends on their cell phones. Not all were
Muslim, hardly any fit into the “terrorist” mold. Some were his
classmates, some his siblings’ pals. Few agreed with the goals and
methods of the Abu Sayyaf. Most complied with his requests. All
ended conversations with either Christian or Muslim blessings to
stay well and safe.
Convoluted social and economic ties confound
even the best-laid intelligence plans in Basilan, home to the
extremist Abu Sayyaf and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The Abu Sayyaf, which holds American hostages
Martin and Gracia Burnham, and Filipino nurse Deborah Yap, has
eluded 6,000 government troops and 5,000 paramilitary forces for
eight months.
Sympathizers
The island-province plays host to the joint
RP-US Balikatan war games, which start tomorrow. Government
officials claim Balikatan is a pure training exercise to boost AFP
skills against terrorists. However, US preparations indicate
Americans may actually engage in combat against the ASG.
Residents of this city and Basilan’s six towns
welcome the American presence. Gov. Wahab Akbar says he won’t mind
US troops getting into the fray.
Top Armed Forces officials claim the Abu Sayyaf
is down to its last hundred members here. Critics of Balikatan want
to know why a horde of pursuers can’t hunt down the ASG.
“One hundred is the actual Abu Sayyaf
fighters,” explains Basilan Provincial Police Director Benzali
Jabarani. “But you have to deal with sympathizers and that could
bloat the figure to a couple of thousands.”
Unknown enemy
As in any guerrilla war, soldiers in Basilan are
fighting a largely unknown enemy.
Businessman Louie Alano says this city’s
tiangge used to be an Abu Sayyaf den.
“If you embrace just months back, three people
in the marketplace, chances were, two of them would be Abu Sayyaf,”
he recalls.
On an island that revels in a culture of arms,
fighting is bound to get messy. Already, Marine troops have killed
two CAFGU members during a mis-encounter.
Jabarani says 3,000 is a conservative estimate
for the number of loose firearms in the province. Akbar’s aides
believe the actual figure could be triple the police claim. They may
be right. Even seemingly mousy-looking white-collar workers admit to
owning high-powered firearms.
Teacher Francis Democrito says he bought his
M-16 rifle two years ago. That was after Abu Sayyaf rebels killed
his brother during the Tuburan hostage crisis that also saw the
death of Claretian priest Fr. Roel Gallardo.
Armand, a businessman, admits owning at least 10
rifles. His wife, Dina, can shoot, as can her sisters and cousins,
and assorted female in-laws.
Gerry, an engineer by profession, is guardian of
a family fishpond. He is 38, very thin, shy and serious. He also
owns an M2 carbine, handed down from his pa, and a couple of
automatic handguns.
Mission impossible
Very few firearms outside of police and AFP
armories are legal. Authorities say a crackdown is impossible
because every target, Christian or Muslim, would fight for the right
to bear arms.
“The military and police can hardly protect
us,” notes Armand. “I cannot allow my family to be stripped of
protection.”
Basilan Crisis Management Committee spokesman,
Chris Puno, says it’s useless to pin the blame on any party.
“Look at it as ‘the chicken or the egg’
situation,” he quips. People claim they need guns because of the
dangerous times. The times are dangerous because of the sheer number
of guns scattered across six towns and this city.
“If we take their arms, they will fight
back,” says Jabarani of the situation in the hills. “And you
can’t really blame them because these are tough times.”
Supporters
But the countryside folk, most of them Muslims,
are the Abu Sayyaf’s most loyal intelligence agents.
“They tip off the rebels,” acknowledges
Jabarani. “They do that, because if there’s a firefight, they
can get new firearms from the dead or wounded.”
Since 1991 the ASG has kidnapped more than 300
people and killed more than 100. Their kidnap-for-ransom (KFR)
activities have earned more than $20 million.
ASG weapons can put the military to shame. Their
fast craft have also made it very difficult to establish a naval
blockade against them.
The rebels, Jabarani admits, have distributed
cash to locals. At the least, they patronize small businesses,
shoring up a fragile economy.
Religious woes
Malacañang insists Mindanao’s woes are not
born of religion. That, according to Basileños, is wishful
thinking.
Alano, whose family has lived in Basilan since
1915, says the conflict stems from religion.
Alano is not a bigot. Some of his closest
friends are Muslims, among them men who tried to ambush him in 1989.
Friendship does not make one blind, he says.
“Islam is different. It is a way of life,”
he points out. Alano refers to the nightly broadcasts of Akbar. “I
listen. He talks about the virtues of Islam. In and out of
government, the Islamic way remains the same.”
In contrast, he notes, even the Christian Bible
delineates roles. “Render unto Caesar,” he paraphrases. That
doesn’t make the Christian better or worse. Only different.
Vast divide
He complains about Muslim zealotry, saying in
some areas the only way to peace is through conversion via Balik
Islam.
“That’s hypocrisy,” he barks. “I’m
having a hard enough time being a good Christian.”
Ismael, an aide for a Muslim mayor, says it is
every believer’s duty to spread the faith.
And, the college graduate from a prestigious
Manila school adds: “We should not be forced to follow laws that
contradict our faith.”
Alano and many Christian businessmen agree with
Ismael. The differences are just too vast, they admit, to even think
of a system of compromise.
Balikatan, with its American presence, could
give Basilan some respite from more than a decade of war.
But the governor believes military might could
only do so much. Alano, too, believes Balikatan, at most, could give
a couple of years peace. After that, he warns, conflict could erupt
once more, until Muslims are given a genuine jab at autonomy.
Bishop Martin Jumaoad likens Basilan to the
Tower of Babel.
The island-province, just two-thirds the size of
Cebu, has as many as four major dialects: Chavacano, Ilonggo, Yakan
and Tausug.
Peace, he says, stems from an understanding and
acceptance of cultures. That, in turn, flows from shared language.
Both Bishops and Ulamas, he says, try their best
to convince separate flocks of the other side’s greatness.
“Language is a big barrier,” he admits.
“Perhaps, we should have our schools here teach Yakan and Tausug.”
Ruffled feathers
Sometimes, however, it is central government
attitude, not just language that fuels unrest in Basilan.
Basilan mayors early this week threatened
yesterday to boycott “Gentle Wind,” the social development
component of the joint RP-US Balikatan war games here. They claim
Malacañang had failed to consult them on the subject of development
aid.
Manila has promised Basilan’s 400,000
residents P130 million in development aid, with the United States
underwriting the projects. However, the national government failed
to follow the first rule in the “hearts and minds” game. The
results include funding for already completed projects, too many
low-impact and low-priority programs, and a dearth in aid for the
most threatened communities.
Akbar is busy trying to douse tempers but is
himself outraged by Manila’s tendency to run roughshod over local
sensibility.
The Times ran the story and yesterday, the
government agency tasked to enforce Gentle Wind expressed readiness
to revise the action plan.
Department of Social Welfare and Development
Secretary Corazon Soliman will today confer with Akbar and Basilan
mayors.
“I have talked to Gov. Akbar and I decided to
meet with them to clarify matters. We believe there had been a
misunderstanding. We are ready to expand if they want to
include other barangays. I’m very confident that we will
settle the issue,” said Soliman in response to The Manila Times
story detailing the grievances of the LGUs in Basilan.
Dialogues
The DSWD secretary denied allegations that
there was no consultation among local officials in connection with
the development projects that would be undertaken in Basilan.
“May I remind them that prior to the Gentle
Wind, we have been conducting anti-poverty programs in Basilan. What
they saw was the list of projects initially discussed among
inter-agency units in Zamboanga. The list was taken from the Basilan
Accelerated Program and the NEDA. The list was based on the
Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan and the mayors were there. The
list is not yet complete,” Soliman said.
But she explained that some priority programs
the mayors may have in mind may not really be funded by the Gentle
Wind. Most of the priority projects, according to Soliman, are
those concerning infrastructure, agriculture and health.
“There are some big-ticket items which may not
be completed within the six-month period. These are the
circumferential road and the roads leading to the towns. They
cannot be realized in six months. Some of these projects will
be and have been funded by the national government and the ARMM.
But as for those which can be completed within the period, we will
implement them,” said Soliman.
--Marian Trinidad
To be continued
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