Slain priest's dad: No to MILF truce

CASTILLEJOS, Zambales - The father of the Catholic priest killed and tortured by Muslim terrorists in Basilan urged President Estrada yesterday to push the military offensive against the Abu Sayyaf and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) until they are wiped out.

Dominador Gallardo, the 61-year-old father of Claretian priest Rhoel Gallardo, said the President should ignore the 48-hour unilateral ceasefire which the MILF declared last Friday.

"I don't see any reason why the government should stop its operations against the rebels," the elder Gallardo said. "I am personally appealing to the President for the government to continue the (military) operations."

Gallardo said the President could be right in suspecting that the ceasefire is only a ploy by the MILF to allow the rebels to regroup.

"The President should not grant the (MILF) rebels' request for a ceasefire," he said. "The military should annihilate the Abu Sayyaf for their barbaric actions."

Dominador issued the statement and made the appeal to Mr. Estrada while he was waiting for the arrival of Fr. Rhoel's remains at Subic International Airport yesterday.

In Quezon City, 106 students of Maryhill School of Theology in New Manila, where Fr. Rhoel had graduated, asked the President to stop the military assault against the MILF and the Abu Sayyaf to save the lives of the remaining hostages.

"Not war, Mr. President, but dialogue is needed to solve the very concrete problems of economic impoverishment and cultural suppression in Mindanao," the students said in a two-page letter. "Only when these problems are resolved there can be peace."

At the same time, the students deplored the killing and torture of Fr. Rhoel, saying they need to express to the Chief Executive how they mourn the death of Fr. Rhoel and teachers Ruben Democrito, Editha Lumome and Annabelle Mendoza.

Dominador said said he and his wife had a premonition of Fr. Rhoel's torture and suffering when he was still a captive of the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan.

"I imagined him (Fr. Rhoel) carrying a cross during the Holy Week," he said.

Fr. Rhoel's mother, Raquel, said she thought about her son on Maundy Thursday, the day when the Bible says Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.

"Later on, I learned that my son's toenails were pulled out by the Abu Sayyaf," she said.

Dominador said his family is still waiting for the report on the autopsy conducted by a Basilan medico-legal officer on the body of Fr. Rhoel.

"He was killed like an animal by barbarians," he said. "His (Fr. Rhoel's) left arm and some of his nails were missing and his left eye was damaged."

Raquel believes that Fr. Rhoel was "brutalized" and tortured during the final days before he was killed.

"We saw him wearing eyeglasses on TV while we know that in real life, he does not want to wear them at all," she said.

Fr. Rhoel's body arrived on a hearse here at about 4 p.m. yesterday and was immediately taken to St. Nicolas Church, where townsfolk were hearing Mass in his memory.

In this usually-sleepy town, thousands of people lined up the streets leading to the church to honor Fr. Rhoel whom people here consider a Christian martyr.

Fr. Rhoel's body was first taken to Olongapo City, where he was born, before being brought to this town where it will lie in state at the Gallardo residence in Barangay Del Pilar.

Townspeople hung violet and black ribbons on posts along the national highway and main thoroughfares, together with streamers proclaiming the slain priest a martyr of the Roman Catholic Church.

On the road leading to the Gallardo house, they also put up photographs of Fr. Rhoel, which were draped in violet and black ribbons.

Violet and black ribbons were also tied on tricycles plying the different routes in this city as the tricyle drivers and operators honored a man whom they consider a martyr.

Castillejos police chief Senior Inspector Mike Corpus said the local police has drawn up a contingency plan to prevent any problem on vehciular traffic and crowd control during Fr. Rhoel's wake.

Fr. Rhoel will be buried at the Himlayang Pilpino in Quezon City on Wednesday.- With reports from Cecille Suerte Felipe