By Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY ,
Basilan – The Basilan Peace and Development Coordinating
Committee, also known as Team Basilan, visited the wife and children of MNLF-Misuari
faction in Parangbasak, whose men were involved in the Zamboanga City standoff.
Bringing with them relief goods and other
assistance, the members of the Team Basilan met with the women last Dec. 5 in
small groups for a dialogue and debriefing session with the Nagdilaab
Foundation Inc. (NFI), the Basilan Women’s Initiative Foundation, and other
groups while their children engaged in play activities with the Child Fund
Philippines.
Miriam Suacito, Executive Director of NFI
said that Team Basilan was concerned with the plight of the women and children
affected by the conflict in Zamboanga City last September. She said that the
observance of the Mindanao Week of Peace is an opportunity for Team Basilan to
reach out to the MNLF families affected, as the head of these families were
arrested or have surrendered to authorities for their alleged involvement in
the Zamboanga siege.
For her part, Provincial Administrator Tahira
Ismael appealed to the families not to be afraid of the presence of the police
and the military in the area.
Speaking in local dialect, she stressed that
“we are here to check on your condition and situation as we know that you have
also fallen victims of the situation, despite the fact that your husbands and
men of your family were implicated in the crisis in Zamboanga City.”
Likewise, military officials also appealed
and expressed their sincerity and commitment to work for peace and protect the
civilians.
Col. Carlito G. Galvez, 104th
Infantry Brigade Commander PA said that the visit hopes to appease the families
hoping that the next generation will understand what happened.
“The Zamboanga stand-off is an unfortunate
event and nobody wants it to happen. We hope that we stop blaming one another,”
he said.
In an interview, LTC Fernando M. Reyeg of the
Special Forces Scout Ranger in Basilan disclosed that “the Parangbasak
community was uncomfortable with our presence especially after the conflict in
Colonia barangay following the attack in Zamboanga.”
“But we have assured them of our commitment
to peace, especially with the IPSP Bayanihan. We were told that some of them
were deceived to join the Zamboanga siege in exchange for money, salary, and
livelihood from the higher ranks of MNLF-Misuari Group,” he said.
During the dialogue, some 78 women dependents
sought the help of Team Basilan in the case of their men. Most of them
expressed concern over their livelihood and education of their children, as
most of them rely chiefly on their heads of families.
The dependents were also worried about the
condition of their husbands and men at the detention centers in Zamboanga City,
as they received reports of maltreatment and harassment of fellow inmates
inside jails.
The visit was part of the observance of the
Mindanao Week of Peace 2013 with its theme, “Dialogue and Hope: Our Key to
Peace, Heal our Land.”