HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

As RP-U.S. military exercises draw near
Rights Violations on the Rise in Jolo

In just a week, six residents were killed in a massacre, another two in a shooting, a mosque was strafed and a community hit by mortar shell. Cause-oriented groups point to government soldiers as perpetrators whom they say are “more ruthless now” with the impending arrival ― and assistance ― of U.S. troops.

BY CHERYLL FIEL

Bulatlat

DAVAO CITY – At least four separate incidents of alleged military attacks on civilians were reported in Jolo, Sulu as RP-U.S. Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) exercises slated in the province draw near. The massacre, killing of a father and his son, mosque strafing, and mortar shelling of a community all happened in a week's time.

The Feb. 3 massacre killed six persons including an eight-month-old baby in Patikul, Sulu. A father and his four-year-old son were reported killed in Patikul last Jan. 29. The strafing last Jan. 28 of a mosque was in Busbos, Jolo. Three days later, a community in Indanan was hit by a mortar shell.

These are the things that are "usually happening especially when U.S. troops are coming," said Suara Bangsamoro Vice President Temogen Tulawie, in a telephone interview with Bulatlat. Tulawie is also a municipal councilor of Jolo.

The RP-U.S. Balikatan exercises are scheduled from February 19 to March 5 where a total of 250 U.S. troops are set to be deployed in Jolo.

"Ang tingin kasi nila, may kakampi sila," (In their view, they have allies) Tulawie said, referring to the Filipino soldiers deployed in Sulu. "The presence of U.S. troops in the area seems to boost the morale of the military," he said.

Tulawie said that in November last year, there were Jolo residents who testified they saw U.S. troops participating in actual military operations with Filipino soldiers.

In these recent incidents of strafing, shelling and massacre, the residents have pointed to the military as the perpetrators, Tulawie said. "Malalim ang sugat na ginawa ng mga military. Matindi ang kanilang track record ng human rights violations dito, kaya galit sa kanila ang mga tao." (The military have inflicted deep wounds. They have a terrible track record in human rights violations here, which is why the people are angry with them.)

Mosque strafing

Last Jan. 28, two masked men on a motorcycle fired at a mosque in Busbos, Jolo as residents who attended the evening sambayang (prayer) were coming out. According to residents there, the incident could be the result of the killing of a 104th Brigade marine element which occurred in the area two weeks before.

No one died in the strafing incident but at least 11 residents were rushed to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, the Moro human rights organization KAWAGIB documented. The said men in masks were said to have also fired at the houses next to the mosque.

"The suspect in the killing of the soldier was believed to have remained in the area. But if their intention is vengeance, why were they attacking the civilians?" Tulawie asked.

Community hit by a mortar

Three days after the strafing, another community in Poblacion Indanan was reportedly hit by a mortar shell at around 10 p.m. Based on a statement released by Suara Bangsamoro, two children were hit in the head by shrapnel while 10 houses were destroyed. The incident also left a hole in the middle of the road.

Consequently, residents demanded indemnification from the 53rd Infantry Battalion which is believed to be responsible for the mortar attack.

Tulawie cited that the parents of the wounded children brought the victims to the military hospital but were allegedly told by military officials not to report the incident to the authorities.

Massacre

Meanwhile the massacre that happened in Patikul, Sulu reportedly killed six. According to newspaper accounts, the attack occurred at around 1 a.m. last Feb. 3 when assailants strafed the house of the Patenga, Fontanilla and Casipong families in Barangay Liang.

The casualties were eight-month-old baby Melanie Patenga, her mother, Sulma, 35, her father Leonardo, 40; Aurelio Fontanilla, 50; Pedro Casipong, 56, and his daughter Emma, 16. Five others were reportedly wounded, including children aged, 4, 11 and 3 years old.

Tulawie said that the area where the February 3 massacre happened was near the detachment of the 104^th Brigade. "Malabo nang taong labas ang gumagawa nun. Napapaligiran ang erya ng mga kampo ng sundalo.” (It is unlikely that outsiders did this. The area is surrounded by the camps of soldiers.)

These incidents, Tulawie said, show that Filipino troops stationed in Sulu "have become more daring in committing human rights violations especially whenever there is news of U.S. troops’ arrival.”

He also stressed that the military did these “to scare the people who are now calling for their pull-out and protesting the upcoming Balikatan exercises.”

Last Feb. 3, around 300 Tausugs (an indigenous people’s group in Mindanao) marched to the marketplace in downtown Jolo, burned a U.S. flag and called the U.S. troops "liars." The protesters also marched to Busbos area where the mosque strafing took place earlier.

Tulawie said Tausugs in the area perceive U.S. troops in Sulu as harbingers of war into their shores. “They say that they would be training Filipino troops in military exercises to curb international terrorism. But when they come here, they participate in the military operations conducted by the Filipino troops. They do not know the enemy. So who they are hunting down are actually civilians. This is one reason why we denounce their coming.”

Tulawie said that in November last year, U.S. troops participated in military offensives in the area against the Moro National Liberation Front Forces (MNLF).

The House Committee on Peace, Unity and Reconciliation recently visited the area and held an inquiry on the alleged involvement of U.S. troops in the military operations. Sulu Rep. Hussin Amin, the committee chair, led the inquiry and Bayan Muna Reps. Satur Ocampo and Joel Virador, who are committee members, participated. Bulatlat

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