In a rare instance of praising government officials, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) this time has extended congratulation to Lawyer Jose Manuel Mamauag, Commission on Human Rights director for Western Mindanao, for showing great impartiality in the investigation of the massacre of eight civilians in Ipil, Maimbung, Sulu on February 4, 2008. Muhammad Ameen, chairperson of the MILF Secretariat, told Luwaran today that conscience-guided men, like Mamuag, deserved to be commended by everyone, despite differences of loyalties and orientations.


He said only men of conscience and commitment to the rule of law could decide on the side of truth and justice, especially if the victims were only lowly seeweed workers.

Government soldiers were brandishing poor records as far the protection of the human rights of people especially those in Sulu, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi, who are usually branded as “Abu Sayyaf supporters”.
        
Mamauag released their findings the other day, recommending that charges be filed against the officers and men of the Philippine Navy Special Warfare Group and the Army’s special Light Reaction Company involved directly or indirectly in the mission, planning, operation, intelligence gathering, command and control of the incident, that led to the deaths of eight residents of Barangay Ipil under the principles of direct participation and command responsibility.

The CHR report detailed how the troops attacked the village from sea and land positions and plundered the victims’ houses.

Mamauag lamented that the Maimbung incident happened on the same day a year ago when Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. issued a directive on “strict adherence to the doctrine of command responsibility.”

Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael, chief of Joint Task Force Comet, said they are still awaiting the results of the Armed Forces Inspector General’s investigation.

“We have to follow the military justice system,” Rafael said, adding though that they respect the CHR’s findings.

“The February 4, 2008 Barangay Ipil incident is a clear case of grave breaches of human rights of the victims – a violation of human rights,” stated the six-page report which Mamauag transmitted to the CHR’s national office.

Mamauag said their report also called on concerned national government agencies and local government units to extend all possible assistance,including compensation, rehabilitation, psychological and traumatic therapy, stress-debriefing, counseling or any form of assistance, to the families of those killed and those who survived the alleged attack.

The report also disclosed that the deaths of the two soldiers could be the result of self-defense by vacationing Army Cpl. Ibnon Wahib to the first salvo of gunfire.

“By self-preservation, it was the strategy of the victim (Wahib) because in the first burst of fire he might not have recognized the marauders, until such time that he came to know that they were government troops, (which explains) why he was shouting ‘Papa Alpha!’(Philippine Army),” Mamauag said.

Wahid’s wife testified that his husband was hogtied although he had introduced himself as an Army soldier and was shot from behind while kneeling.
 

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