Reports from Correspondents: Sowing terror in Basilan
Taking after its imperialist master, the Macapagal-Arroyo government is sowing terror in Basilan in the name of the "war against terrorism" targeting and victimizing thousands of ordinary people. The military�s "crackdown" against the Abu Sayyaf is being conducted in a brutal and barbarous manner. It is characterized by widespread bombings,killings, torture, saturation drives, forced evacuation and robbery.
As early as June 2, the Macapagal-Arroyo regime had launched its own terrorist campaign, mobilizing eight battalions in a large-scale "military offensive" against the Abu Sayyaf in Lamitan, Basilan. The bandit group was then holding hostages abducted from a resort in Palawan.
Twenty-three American "advisers" based themselves in Basilan last month to train Filipino troops in the war against "terrorism" and direct operations to rescue two Americans being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf. During his stopover in Mindanao this November, Adm. Dennis Blair inspected the operations of the AFP in Basilan.
On July 13, the situation in Isabela City, Basilan had all the makings of the Japanese occupation period, with elements of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, along with masked men identifying supposed Abu Sayyaf supporters or criminals, conducting saturation drives in communities, mosques and places of work.
The military men did not have arrest warrants and instead invoked a Department of Justice memorandum ordering the arrest of all Abu Sayyaf elements and supporters. Those identified were brought to the brigade�s headquarters and were made to sign statements that they were treated well. They were thereafter blindfolded and tortured. They were brought to court three days later and, to their surprise, were charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention. This was just the beginning of the continuing arrests and torture of people in Basilan.
Basilan is virtually under martial law. There are soldiers everywhere. The only road linking the province�s six towns and one city is teeming with checkpoints. The inspection of belongings to produce identification papers are commonplace. Even boats bound for Zamboanga are required to have military escorts. Classes had to be halted because schools were converted to AFP barracks. Those that managed to escape destruction from the shellings served as evacuation centers. By declaring a "state of lawlessness" in the province, Macapagal-Arroyo has made official the de facto martial rule.
The 103rd Brigade is the AFP unit assigned to Basilan. The brigade�s Task Force Comet, which has been assigned to pursue the Abu Sayyaf, has been divided into three task groups, namely, Task Group Thunder under Col. Hermogenes Esperon; Task Group Lightning under Col. Pedro Ramboanga; and Task Group Tornado under Col. Renato Miranda.
The AFP is closely supported by the CAFGU and the Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO) which they had organized and armed in the barrios of Basilan. The CAFGU and the CVO are being used to fan the flames of religious and tribal conflicts. They sow mistrust among the people, especially as rewards are being offered to whoever identifies Abu Sayyaf supporters.
The AFP recently deployed three more battalions to supposedly pursue the Abu Sayyaf. But despite the very large number of military troops conducting relentless operations in the island, Macapagal-Arroyo�s braggadocio that government forces would crush the supposedly dwindling bandit group has fallen flat. Collusion between the bandit group and the highest-ranking military officials tasked to pursue the Abu Sayyaf has recently been exposed. In exchange for part of the ransom paid the Abu Sayyaf, the officials order their troops to divert their operations away from the bandit group�s retreat route. Thus, instead of being crushed, the bandit group continues to operate and has kidnapped and killed even more victims.
But it is really the civilian Moros who bear the brunt of the military operations in Basilan.
According to DSWD records, by September 23, up to 13,421 families (78,736 individuals) had already been forced to evacuate due to the intense military operations in Basilan. Evacuations are taking place in almost every town of the island province. Lamitan, Sumisip and Tuburan towns have the most number of evacuees.
According to a fact-finding mission conducted by Karapatan along with 25 other organizations, thousands of people were forced to evacuate when the shelling of Lamitan, Sumisip, Tuburan, Maluso, Tipo-Tipo and Lantawan commenced. There were likewise many cases of looting in the houses deserted by the evacuees. Suspected Abu Sayyaf supporters are being jailed and tortured. Ten civilians were summarily executed by frenzied troopers. Two managed to survive but were wounded. Almost all of those murdered bore marks of torture such as burns. Worse, most of them had previously been victims of the Abu Sayyaf.
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