Bloody Friday the 26th

                        May their souls rest in peace.  It seems like it was twice the thrill and nightmare of the blockbuster Friday the 13^th movie. The fact is, it’s real and it did happen few days ago.

But what makes the incident doubly outrageous is the collateral damage it spilled over among concerned families, friends and relatives. That practically explains the futility of waging war  between the military and perceived enemies. Worst, given this reality of having that orgy of  killing, the vicious cycle of civil strife continues on and on. Tragedy as there will be no end of war. And who suffers most? Not what we are personally seeing but those added to long list of statistics of innocent casualties their lives sacrificed against their will. Statistics are vital indicator of reality that excluding those not counted and registered.

And speaking of numbers without going into hard figures, history is there validating for us that the 85% casualty involving the civilians far outweigh the  statistics of those who are directly involved in the hostilities. That not only includes the vast but very prohibitive resources of war chest going down the drain that otherwise would have been used in many development projects that would have done good  in facilitating noteworthy projects for the people. But the country is still in civil strife and this is not the time to debate on how much resources is spent, you might beg the question. .

Maybe valid ground in engaging into war against the enemies. But when would we ever learn? While there is still time or when we ourselves is blown to bits and pieces? Many of the casualties on the first place did not see daylight because of how they were drag on the issue  by those who love to kill to stop the killing not out of their own making. Paid mercenaries in other words that is the military arm of the government and  their enemies, whoever they are .  Have we forgot that truth always becomes the first casualty in any hostility. In war there are no victors, only victims,  Ninoy  even wrote  in his Testament from Prison Cell emphasizing categorically that as much as possible we should love peace live and breath it. He knows for he was there seeing and experiencing  the intricacies of war. He himself was once a  witness being a young  journalist covering  Korean War back then. (A car he bought from the proceeds from such venture was a solace for  him, he would reminisced.)

Why all this division and war among and between people? Ironically, the path towards war is relatively peanuts than peace. It is easier to wage war  than forging  peace, then PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat wailed the sad reality of division as he fought for the restoration of Palestine from Israel back to his people.  But do we have any  other better way out than to live at peace with everyone? None! In fact, it’s what God enjoined us to do.: As much as possible as it depends on you, live peaceably with everyone (Romans 12:18) – yourself, friends, enemies, nature, country, environment and with God, I may add.

Except for the first experience I had, the two other incidents just defy description hitting me real hard beyond human comprehension. No problem with the first one as the time spent was merely for the  vigil of   late retired 2^nd Lt.  Jim Jimenez who passed away because  of long lingering Big C illness on his lungs and pancreas. He was  flown in from Bacolod to be interred in Greenhills  as his death wish to be with his soulmate who also passed away not too long ago. He was buried anyway the following day.

Across   the chapel where  I spent vigil was another chapel with two military personnel their casket draped with Philippine flag.  Personally, it was the first  time I observed a chapel with two caskets.  Incidentally, there were only three people spending  vigil. Along the road was their service vehicle parked with holes all over, an indication that they were peppered with bullets thus, killing instantly four of  them while on their way home after negotiation with the rebels in Veruela, one of the rivertown in Agusan del Sur.

But what caught my curiosity was the declaration of the woman, a sister of one of the casualty that the incident happened right after the negotiation. Who else who could have done it if not those of the other party engaging in double-cross. 

There were many similar  images playing on mind down the memory lane  from this incident. Vereula of course was my first assignment as Mun. Agrarian Reform Officer. I wrote too and compose my song Magsasaka which won to me 3^rd price in National CARP Songwriting  contest which prompted me to add twelve others and packaged them into Himig Mindanao, a CD now on sale  in market.

That’s more personal and the lighter side of it. For incident-wise, the experience  buried dark spot in my sub-conscious.  First, Salome a registered nurse and first cousin in Mindoro became  one of  the casualty on an ambush of military jeep carrying military officers on their way home to Roxas, Oriental Mindoro. The rebels asked forgiveness later and even offered financial help to atone for their miscalculation brutally killing my cousin in broad daylight who was and never a party of the military she being a registered nurse except that of hitching them for a ride which turned out very costly. But again the incident simply overtake faster before  they could even think. What could be done when she now became an added statistics to continuing struggle we don’t know how many more innocent lives would be charged as  excesses.  What is there to  remedy when damage was already done and committed? Too many question to ask but meet with equally elusive answer.

 Then there’s Renerio Cagang, my bossom friend back then in Xavier University in early eighties whom I have not seen since we parted our ways in 1981. He actually went to the hills and  became top commander in Bukidnon with P500,000.00 reward for his capture. The last time I heard him straight from his men in San Luis, Agusan del Sur was when he too became victim of double-cross, his body looks like Ninoy Aquino in a casket indicating the damage experienced when the other party in the negotiating table went back and fired against him and companions with hail of bullets sealing the fate of their negotiation in 1986. What a waste of life.

I know there were many other incidents like that very promising beautiful, talented and naïve so called Mam Nars by those whom she served in Bukidnon,  MSU-IIT student whose body was found among the dead in one encounter in Bukidnon.

 When could we truly go to the negotiating table and push true peace to reign supreme in our land? While there is still time or we ourselves became part of the statistics of  excesses  enmity brings, a war not of our own making.

I didn’t stay long as it was already past 1 clock’ in the morning in Greenhills.. Besides,  I couldn’t stand seeing in stitches the damage on the forehead and face and probably other parts of the body of the casualty  most likely hit by bullets indicating how the shooting overtook fast the incident.

But what another turn of incident when a motorcycle mishap happen on the road just right  along the cemetery of IFI across Greenhills treating me to another weird spectacle what with the lady companion lying on the road dead, her head severely damaged blood still profusely spilling over the concrete pavement. I was told that he girl was a nurse in Northern Mindanao, separated and have three children. The motorcycle driver of Orion in Terryhills, confided that they were negotiating blind curve when an approaching vehicle with highlight  blinded his eyesight forcing him to turn sideways not knowing the stockpile of sand ahead. That’s the last he remembered as his back ride without helmet was thrown out somersaulting on the concrete pavement killing her instantly.

 I’m writing this piece to exorcize  the devil that might have caused the misfortunes of innocent people that week May she and others featured in this peace rest in peace. So be it.