Zambo residents hope Senate probe to shed light on standoff

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Business leaders and residents her eexpressed their  support  to the Senate inquiry on the bloody standoff in this city to ferret out the truth, an official said.

“We really want to get to know who really committed that blunder at the expense of the peace and security of Zamboangueños,” said Pocholo Rufus Soliven, Western Mindanao regional chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

Soliven said the investigation is important citing that the city, being a commercial hub in the region and despite the presence of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), the largest area command outside Manila, and regional police command, has become susceptible to security threats.

Westmincom was then headed by retired Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo when some 500 members of the Moro National National Liberation Front (MNLF) under the faction of Nur Misuari staged the September 9 siege and the standoff that lasted for three weeks.

The fighting left more than 200 killed, 195 civilians hostaged (who were subsequently rescued),  and displaced more than 120,000 residents from at least four barangays.

More than 10,000 houses and structures were also burned down and severely damaged by the conflict that shut down the local government operations and business activities  with estimated losses amounting to P7.6 billion.

“We failed to read the writing on the wall,” Soliven said, adding that weeks prior to the Sept. 9, 2013 siege by the rebels of the Moro there were already threats from the rebels to call for independence.

Soliven also blamed the government security for underestimating the threat of the Misuari group.

Some of the evacuees said the result of the senate inquiry will also ease their grievances as they continue to stay in evacuation centers.

“At least kahit paano masasagot din ang aming mga tanong bakit kami napunta dito sa evacuation center,” an internally displaced person (IDP) who declined to be named said after learning of the inquiry.

Many residents were glued to the live senate inquiry broadcast over the national television networks Thursday afternoon.

“We support this inquiry because we want to know the truth. After all we were among those who panicked and suffered with all the anxiety during the almost one month of crisis here,” said Chino Sayan.