U.S. troops are suspected of having been involved in the April 30 bombings of Barangays Buansa and Cagay in Indanan, Sulu. The suspicion stems from the use of so-called smart bombs in the attack, which has forced some 360 families to evacuate to nearby barangays.
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
Bulatlat
Vol. VIII, No. 13, May 4-10, 2008
U.S. troops are suspected of having been involved in the April 30 bombings of Barangays (vilages) Buansa and Cagay in Indanan, Sulu. The suspicion stems from the use of so-called smart bombs in the attack, which has forced some 360 families to evacuate to nearby barangays.
Brgy. Buansa is where the camp of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) state chairman Khaid Ajibun is located.
The bombing took place at around 1 a.m. and lasted until about 6 p.m. on April 30. After sunrise, ground troops stepped in and were engaged by MNLF fighters. The soldiers withdrew from the ground but continued the bombing until dusk.
The bombing has caused some 360 families from Brgy. Cagay to evacuate to Sitios (sub-villages) Talatak and Jariya in Brgy. Andihi, Indanan.
Concerned Citizens of Sulu convener and former Jolo Councilor Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie, citing reports from civilians interviewed by his group said that the attacking troops used an OV-10 bomber, which may have dropped the bombs, and an 81mm mortar.
“Based on reports we have received from civilians who were in the area at the time of the bombing, the bombs used appear to be smart bombs, since they produce light before exploding,” Tulawie told Bulatlat in an interview.
“The AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) does not use that kind of explosive,” Tulawie added.
Also reports reaching Bulatlat from a Kodao Productions team covering the incident revealed that aside from the bombings, the area was also shelled, using howitzer cannons, prior to attack of ground troops.
U. S. troops
Tulawie said the use of smart bombs in the attack suggests the involvement of U.S. troops.
This is not the first time that U.S. troops have been suspected of involvement in military operations in Sulu.
U.S. troops were present during a Feb. 4 attack in Brgy. Ipil, Maimbung which killed eight non-combatants – including a soldier on vacation. Soldiers from the Army’s Light Reaction Company (LRC) – a unit composed of Philippine soldiers who had received training from U.S. troops during the RP-U.S. joint military exercises –and the Navy’s Special Weapons Group (Swag) attacked Brgy. Ipil during early morning on that day.
Killed in the attack were Marisa Payian, 4; Wedme Lahim, 9; Alnalyn Lahim, 15; Sulayman Hakob, 17; Kirah Lahim, 45; Eldisim Lahim, 43; Narcia Abon, 24 – all civilians. Also killed was Pfc. Ibnul Wahid of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, who was then on vacation.
One of the witnesses, Wahid’s wife Sandrawina, was taken into a Navy boat – where she saw four U.S. soldiers.
When an encounter between the AFP and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) broke out in Brgy. Buansa in early 2007, U.S. troops who were a few kilometers away were seen running toward the direction of the gunfire. They were carrying their guns.
Military spokespersons said the attack in early 2007 was brought about by reports that members of the ASG were in the MNLF camp. The MNLF – with which the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) signed a Final Peace Agreement in 1996 – has repeatedly denied that it coddles ASG members.
During that same period, U.S. troops were busy with a road construction project in Brgy. Bato-Bato, Indanan. At that time, the area was the center of Philippine military operations in Sulu.
The presence of U.S. troops in Sulu started in 2004 and has been continuous since then.
U.S. troops would have entered Sulu as early as February 2003. The AFP and the U.S. Armed Forces had both announced that the Balikatan military exercises for that year would be held in Sulu.
This provoked a wave of protest from the people of Sulu, who had not yet forgotten what has come to be known as the Bud Dajo Massacre.
The Bud Dajo massacre, which took place in 1906, is described in some history texts as the “First Battle of Bud Dajo.” It was an operation against Moro fighters resisting the American occupation.
The description of the incident as a “battle,” however, is disputed considering the sheer mismatch in firepower between U.S. forces and the Moro resistance fighters. The 790 U.S. troops who assaulted Bud Dajo used naval cannons against the 800-1,000 Moro resistance fighters who were mostly armed only with melee weapons.
In the end, only six of the hundreds of Moro resistance fighters holding Bud Dajo as a stronghold survived, while there were 15-20 casualties among the U.S. troops.
The announcement in February 2003 that the year’s Balikatan military exercises would be held in Sulu summoned bitter memories of the Bud Dajo Massacre and led to protest actions where thousands of Sulu residents participated.
