Secure Maguindanao villagers, Palace asked

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao — Muslim religious leaders and Christian peace advocates urged President Arroyo to provide security to villagers who filed criminal charges last week against an Army brigade commander who led the demolition of their shanties on a disputed land in Datu Sangki, Maguindanao early this month.

Maguindanao prosecutor Ringcar Pinnote has asked the Army officer, Col. Jerry Jalandoni of the 604th Infantry Brigade, to answer the charges.

The STAR repeatedly tried to reach Jalandoni for his comment, but failed.

Eid Kabalu, spokesman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said the Malaysian-led international monitoring team, which is helping enforce the ceasefire between the MILF and the Armed Forces, has inspected the demolition site and convinced MILF rebels there not to take sides.

Kabalu said almost all of the owners of the demolished houses have relatives in the MILF.

"The MILF is hoping that the dispute will be resolved immediately… As far as the MILF is concerned, our central leadership has warned the guerrillas related to the displaced residents to stay neutral to prevent any hostilities there," he said.

Peace advocates in Central Mindanao, among them Catholic missionaries, said Malacañang, through the Department of Justice, should provide security to the witnesses and the complainants.

Even Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong is interested in finding out who authorized the soldiers to demolish the houses of his relatives in Barangay Kamasi.

One of Datumanong’s displaced relative, 85-year-old Bai Nawila Pananggilan, is an aunt of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Datu Zaldy Ampatuan.

In their complaint, the displaced residents said Jalandoni and his men, backed by Simba combat vehicles, arrived at their village and, without warning, began dismantling their houses.

Some of the soldiers, they alleged, threatened them with guns to prevent them from stopping the demolition.

Leaders in Datu Sangki said Jalandoni is a close friend of one of the claimants of the disputed land.

The Suara Bangsamoro, a non-government organization which undertakes peace and development programs in Moro communities, said it will conduct its own investigation into the incident.

Zainab Ampatuan, a key officer of the Suara Bangsamoro, said it is necessary that the complainants be provided with security.