YEARENDER: Zambo residents spending bleak Christmas

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines – More than three months after the bloody siege in this city, displaced residents are spending a bleak Christmas.

They still have nothing, not even houses that they could decorate with Christmas lights and lanterns for the Yuletide season. 

Survivors peer into ripped houses and razed grounds, symbols of the continuous humanitarian crisis caused by the standoff between the Misuari-faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and government troops three months ago.

“We don’t know where to start. We don’t even have houses, how can we install Christmas lights or put decorations to lighten up the spirit of Christmas?” said Wilfredo Balbon, one of the hundreds of residents affected by the siege.

Some survivors pick scraps to sell to make ends meet, while they are still uncertain of the rehabilitation plan of the government. Others have started some businesses.

Prior to the siege, MNLF leader Nur Misuari spoke about “unavoidable” hostilities in their pursuit of the independence of Mindanao and the establishment of a Bangsamoro Republic that will include Mindanao and Palawan in southwestern Philippines and Sabah in Malaysia.

The present government, they said, neglected the 1996 peace accord between the MNLF and the Ramos government while pursuing the peace plan with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the rival and breakaway group of the MNLF.

Misuari’s warning, however, was downplayed by a senior military official until the erstwhile leader declared independence in Sulu in the last week of August before thousands of his supporters. 

On Sept. 9, the siege erupted.

Around 500 MNLF rebels invaded the coastal villages of Mampang, Talon-Talon and Mariki and held dozens of civilians hostage. They converged with their comrades who had  pre-positioned in barangays Sta. Barbara and Sta. Catalina.

The rebels claimed the raid was part of what they described as a peace march to hoist their banner for independence in front of the city hall.

The City Public Safety Company led by Police Supt. William Gadayan and the 32nd Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Johnson Aseron stopped the rebels from breaching the city hall and the commercial district.

But the fighting continued in many villages for three weeks, resulting in the exodus of thousands of residents. Government troops and police forces fought the rebels while rescuing civilian hostages.

In many instances, the firefight turned into a game of snipers as rebels turned many high-rise structures, including the minaret of a mosque in Barangay Sta. Barbara, as their sniper’s nest.

The standoff left 200 rebels, 24 government troops and 12 civilians dead and dozens wounded. Nearly 300 rebels were captured.

The court has charged Misuari and his detained followers with rebellion and violation of international humanitarian law. Misuari, however, remains at large.

The hostilities severely damaged the villages of Sta. Catalina, Sta. Barbara, Rio Hondo and Mariki.

The streets of Lustre and Martha in Sta. Catalina, which used to be decorated with Christmas lights and lanterns, are now dark and silent as electricity there has not been restored.

Elmer Cañete Esperancilla said residents like him also hear the haunting cry of the dead echoing from the walls of ruined houses at night.

“That only emphasized how sad our Yuletide will be here,” Esperancilla added.

Currently, at least 5,143 families or 23,794 people continue to camp at the sports complex, while more than 509 families have been relocated to different bunkhouses while awaiting permanent relocation. A number of other evacuees have chosen to stay at their ruined properties.

Local leaders from the neighboring provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi have stepped in to help displaced civilians.

Archdiocesan administrator Monsignor Crisologo Manongas said there has been no rehabilitation yet for displaced people as many are still staying in tents and camped in evacuation centers.

“Spiritually we are gaining. We are nursing our wounds. But we have to work for the reconciliation because that’s the only way that we will achieve normalcy,” Manongas said.

The business community is suffering as there have been no outsiders coming in for fresh investment.

Pocholo Soliven, president of the Zamboanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said it could be the direct effect of the security atmosphere in this city due to the siege.

“As far as new money coming in, nothing. And since there is no new inflows there is no pump priming of new business,” Soliven said.

He also said the absence of a rehabilitation project contributes to the dismal business climate.

“I think we’re not the priority since because the focus now is in the Typhoon Yolanda-affected areas…The lack of confidence in the business community is growing,” he added.

Local officials, however, have refused to concede that the P3.9-billion rehabilitation fund promised by President Aquino has been overtaken by the focus of the national government on areas struck by Super Typhoon Yolanda in Central Visayas.

Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the local government has submitted to the President the rehabilitation plan dubbed “Build Back Better Zamboanga” for approval.

The local government also declared a closure to the siege and lifted the curfew to assure people that it is now focusing on the rehabilitation of the city.

The government even honored senior military and police officials for thwarting the rebels. But the move was highly criticized since the military and police failed to prevent rebels from attacking the city.

On the other hand, the siege made the military change its internal security plan to avert similar threats.

Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said the military has to enhance their security posture to protect the city. He also assured people that the military has enough security forces to deal with any threat.

“We have appropriate forces to secure the city, plus they have augmentation in terms of providing them information outside the areas, we closely monitored the movement of the threat groups,” Guerrero added. – With Jose Rodel Clapano