The Catholic hierarchy in Basilan issued a statement yesterday supporting the government’s all-out war policy against Abu Sayyaf bandits who attacked two towns on the island province even as they held some 28 hostages, including three Americans.
"We subscribe to the go-vernment’s all-out war po-licy against lawless elements," said the Isabela City-based Roman Catholic prelature of Basilan.
To stress the point, Rev. Cirilo Lacorda, curé of La-mitan town, said that instead of spending money on home appliances, it would be better for residents to buy guns and bullets to protect themselves from the Abu Sayyaf.
Nacorda was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf last year for proselytizing on the island and was feared to have been recaptured when the bandits raided Lamitan on June 2.
Nacorda has been a vocal opponent of the Abu Sayyaf even before and especially after he was kidnapped by the bandits.
Residents said they see him riding around town armed with a rifle and accompanied by bodyguards. His bodyguards, however, were killed when the bandits attacked Lamitan.
The clerics lamented that while the Abu Sayyaf previously confined themselves to the remote towns of Tumahubong and Puno Mahadji, they now have the impudence to attack Lamitan, the second largest town on the island.
The priests deplored the fact that the Abu Sayyaf casually entered Lamitan and ransacked the Jose Ma. Torres Memorial Hospital, the convent of Dominican nuns and St. Peter’s Church.
"The Abu Sayyaf’s evil presence wrought colossal destruction to life and property," said the prelature, describing the Abu Sayyaf as "barbaric, bloodthirsty bandits and terrorists."
"In light of the humiliating fiasco, we strongly demand from the military to work for competence in all areas of military operations  from the war room to the field and vice-versa," the prelature added.
The prelature said it is very difficult to appease the anger and frustration of many victims on how the military and police leadership blundered in their operation and even caused a big number of casualties from demoralized subordinate soldiers.
They said most Basilan residents are puzzled at how easily the bandits entered and exited a clearly identified and enclosed target.
"We cannot comprehend that the superior military forces have become an embarrassment for its seemingly undirected, unstudied, uncoordinated and unstrategized operation that made people’s lives, including lower rank soldiers, expendable," the prelature said.
But the Basilan prelature’s call to arms is not the first in the history of the Catholic church in the Philippines.
According to the chronicles of 16th-century Spanish friars, priests stood at the forefront in defending towns from the raids of Sulu-based Tausug pirates who went on forays to as far as Luzon to seize residents to be sold as slaves in Borneo.
Even the Archbishop of Manila, on several occasions, used the title of "commander-in-chief" as Manila prepared to defend itself from Muslim, Chinese and British invaders.