An Interview With The Warrior

JOLO ISLAND (Darwin Wee) It was almost six in the afternoon and the sun was just reaching its twilight as our group arrived in Jolo via fastcraft from Zamboanga.

We were greeted by the melodious call to Islamic prayer, which bestirs the soul of devout Muslims everywhere in the province. Whether broadcast from loudspeakers over the teeming capital streets of Jolo town or lifted as the murmured song of bicycle drivers kneeling inside and outside the mosque near the port -- it begins with the same Arabic phrase Muslims have used for nearly 1,400 years, Islam's melodic paean to the Creator -- "Allah...u Akbar," the faithful sing out. "Allahhhhh...u Akbar! God is great!"

A half-million native Tausug, the tribe that inhabits the island, live in Jolo (locals call it Sulu province, an archipelago in the Celebes Sea in the southern Philippines) and answer to Islam. For these people, Islam is an intimate personal connection to the same God worshiped by Jews and Christians, a source of strength and hope in a troubled world.

"Peace is the essence of Islam," says the driver of the van, as we headed our way to De Mazenod Formation Center inside the Notre Dame College compound, where we were to stay for the next two days.

The local convenor held a special session for the group composed of 20 people, including a pair from South Korea and 3 from East Timor. The team leader, Atty. MaryAnn Arnado, of the Initiative for International Dialogue (IID), decided to break the mission into 3 groups, each of which would carry out a special mission.

Groups 1 and 2 will cover the situation and conditions of the war evacuees, or euphemistically also called the internally displaced persons (IDP), in the four major towns that were heavily affected by the recent fighting.

While Group 3 will conduct an interview with the Army's 104th Infantry Brigade chief Brig. Gen. Nehemias Pajarito, and also representatives from the 3rd Marine Brigade, and the anti-terror Joint Task Force Comet.

FIRST DAY

It began with a breakfast inside the brigade headquarters in Asturias in Jolo town, courtesy of the island's Gov.Benjamin Loong. While eating, we were briefed by military commanders about their plans on how to safeguard us in our movement around Jolo.

Although the group was glad to hear how the military planned to give us escorts, we declined the offer and assured them that we will be just fine without escorts.

But Gen. Pajarito insisted, and so instead of arguing with the military, lawyer Arnado pretended to merge Groups 1 and 2 for easier movement in going to Indanan and in Maimbong towns, while Group 3 was to stay in Jolo town to interview the military officials.

But what they did not know was that we had a second plan, and that was to get away from our military escorts.

"It is more risky when the military is with us when conducting interviews with the affected people, who will shy away from us if soldiers are around," said Lyndee Prieto, leader of Group 1.

Group 1, which is composed mostly of foreign nationals, decided to go back at the De Mazenod, and there set into motion our plans. While there, the women, especially the foreigners, donned the traditional veils not only to observe and respect local cultures, but as well to cover their faces from the military.

After 3 hours, we were able to slipped away from our military escorts and soon we were on our way to Indanan and Maimbong. We passed two military checkpoints on our way, but when we reached the town of Maimbong, we were stopped by soldiers. We couldn't go any farther and so conducted the interviews in that place.

In one of the communities, I had the chance to espy a grandfather, I think the patriarch of his clan, sitting in a beautiful garden with his granddaughter on his lap. He was reciting verses from the Koran while bathed in early morning sunlight playing around the plants. It was a very peaceful and beautiful moment. I had a rare glimpse of one of the calmer moments in these peoples' lives.

While trekking around the villages and talking to people, we came across a young woman, who offered us a drink of native brewed coffee. When we declined the offer, she persisted with growing insistence. "No, you're guests in our place. You must come for coffee," she said. Then she began screaming to her husband: "These guests are here, and we have to invite them in for coffee."

This was the first time we had encountered a rural Tausug woman who was too aggressively polite.

As we went on, we met Vilma Sadjani, one of about a hundred villagers in Maimbong, who was displaced by the armed conflict. She told us that she and her fellow evacuees have not received any relief goods or assistance from the government.

"Wala pa kame tinatangap na kahit ano sa pamahalaan at gusto na naming bumalik sa aming lugar, pero nandoon pa mga sundalo" (We have not received anything from the government and all we wanted now is to return to our village, but the soldiers are still there),she lamented.

It just surprised us that the villagers were more afraid of the soldiers than of the rebels.

As our notebooks were filled with data and audio-tapes were used up, we decided to go back and gave our goodbyes.

Fr. Jose de Araujo Goncalves, an East Timorese and a member of the group, described his feeling as a "superb one". "I will never forget this mission. I've toured around Asia and its only here I feel the essence of life", he said.

The Muslims we met and spoke showed us great hospitality. Even though they are poor, they took us in their homes and gave us fresh coconuts to drink, and little food to eat. There was something wonderful about staying in farmhouses in the midst of forbidding and spectacular mountains and finding people with such open hearts.

SECOND DAY

This was not just a special mission, we were going to interview Ustadz Habier Malik, the head of the so-called MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) Misuari Breakaway Group.

It was Malik, according to the military, who planned and carried out the attacks against government targets that killed 30 soldiers on the island.

Our local host, Octavio Dinampo of the Concerned Citizens of Sulu, assured us of our safety.

"There is no reason for you guys to worry", he said, as he shouted a command to the driver as we headed out of Jolo. We passed through thw towns of Indanan, Talipao, Panglima Estino and finally arrived in Panamao, the lair of Malik.

Throughout our three hours ride, we passed only one military checkpoint. According to Dinampo, he chose a route that had less military visibility and presence. As we went deeper into MNLF country, we could see the devastation brought by the war -- burned houses, classrooms filled with bullet holes and ghost communities whose only inhabitants were cows and goats wandering about the streets.

As we reached our destination, Dinampo and his men led us to Malik's camp. According to Dinampo, this was the exact place were the military said they overran the Misuari Break Away camp last February and raised the Philippine flag as a sign of victory, even naming it after the late Army Col. Dennis Villanueva, who was killed by mortar fire at the height of the clashes.

But it surprised us that afterwards the military did not maintain presence in the camp. Instead, Malik and his ragtag army were back. With a 45-caliber pistol slung from his shoulder, Ustadz Habier Malik and his deputy, Ustadz Yacub Mohammad, emerged from his half–burned house.

MNLF forces were in the vicinity, I noted, and many of them were relaxed, but ready to spring into action in case troops suddenly attack.

As we finally settled down and started our interview, Ustadz Malik paused for a prayer. It was strange, I said to myself, that until now I only knew this guy from what I read in the newspapers, and now here he is in flesh and blood.

Ustadz Malik was relaxed and listened keenly as Atty. Soliman Santos, of the Manila-based Gaston Ortigas Peace Institute, introduced each of the group members.

Ustadz Malik thanked us for visiting him. "Kayo pa lang ang pumunta dito. Salamat at hindi kayo natakot (You are the only ones who came here. I thank you for not being afraid)," he said.

Asked about their grievances, he said the fighting was triggered by the military's human rights violation. Soldiers had massacred an innocent Muslim family in Indanan town on February 1.

"This hostility shouuld served as a warning to the military", he said. "We do not want war, but they are insisting it on us."

"Ang problema sa MNLF ay hindi pa hinahanapan ng gamot. Ang stand naming ngayon ay defensive kaya medyo mailap", he said.

Malik said his group is ready to face death as they have already surrendered their souls to Allah, yet they are also ready to talk peace. "Willing kami makipag-usap, hindi kami mahirap kausapin (We are willing to talk. We are not difficult to negotiate with)," he said.

President Gloria Arroyo rejected any cease-fire, but Malik said his group is still optimistic that the fighting will stop so civilians can live peacefully.

Around 4 in the afternoon, we decided to go back, but before we departed, Ustadz Malik offered us coconut juice and we thanked him and left.

Back in Jolo town proper, for our last night on the island, the Mindanao Peaceweavers and Kadtuntaya Foundation Inc. chair Guimel Alim summed up our experience and said: "If the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, I believe what we have done is not only the first step but the right step as well." (Darween Wee interviewed Ustadz Habier Malik in April. Wee also writes for PeaceWorks, the monthly publication of the group called the Peace Advocates Zamboanga. The fighting eventually stopped several weeks later, but sporadic clashes still continue between security and MNLF forces, ed.)