Sagada elders perform rituals for safe journey, justice for fallen SAF hero

By: Arthur L. Allad-iw, Northern Dispatch (special to InterAksyon.com)
February 3, 2015 3:53 PM http://www.interaksyon.com/article/104302/sagada-elders-perform-rituals-for-safe-journey-justice-for-fallen-saf-hero
 

Special Action Force personnel attend the wake for PO1 Russel Bilog in Baguio City. (photo by Arthur Allad-iw, Northern Dispatch)

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BAGUIO CITY, Philippines -- For elders of the eastern villages of Sagada, Mountain Province, respect for a fallen hero is manifested in the rituals tradition obliges them to perform, accompanied by prayers that none of his kin meet the same fate and that he have justice in hand as he joins his ancestors in the outer world.

Thus it was for Police Officer 1 Russel Bawaan Bilog, 28, one of the 44 Special Action Force commandos who died in battle in faraway Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25 as the elders of his village offered animals and read the sacrificed creatures’ bile to ensure his safe journey and welcome by his ancestors and Creator.

Residents of PO1 Bilog's native Sagada village attend his wake in Baguio City. (photo by Arthur L. Allad-iw)

Aside from Bilog, 12 more of the SAF 44 trace their ancestry to the Cordilleras, including two others from Sagada -- PO3 Noel Onangey Golucan and PO2 Jerry Cayob.

The other Cordillerans were PO2 Nobel Kiangan of Mankayan, Benguet; PO1 Angel Kodiamat of Bontoc, Mountain Province; PO2 Walter Danao of Irisan, Baguio City; PO1 Gringo Cayang-o of Bontoc, Mountain Province; PO2 Peterson Carap of Kabayan, Benguet; PO2 Joel Dulnuan of Kiangan, Ifugao; PO3 Robert Allaga of Banaue, Ifugao; PO2 Franklin Danao of Tinoc, Ifugao; Senior Inspector Gednat Tabde of La Trinidad, Benguet; and Senior Inspector Cyrus Anniban of Balbalan, Kalinga.


A SAF honor guard stands by PO1 Bilog's coffin

The series of rituals for Bilog began Saturday morning when his body, in a sealed coffin, was taken home to Puliwes in this city and a pig was offered in a ritual called “senga” to signal the start of the overnight wake for the fallen policeman.

Two more pigs would be sacrificed that evening, one in a ritual called “linabi,” and another called the “alolosan” at 3 a.m. Sunday.

A pig is butchered in the ritual called 'linabi,' performed at the wake of PO1 Bilog. 

In between these, Lakay Eduardo Latawan, offered a chicken in the “pamutbutan” ritual, reciting prayers in Sagada Kankanaey.

Harking to the martial tradition of the northern tribes, the prayers for Bilog not only asked that he be the last of his kin to fall in battle but that he be allowed to take vengeance on his killers with the help of his ancestor.

A chicken is sacrificed in the 'pamutbutan' ritual by a Kankanaey elder from Sagada

As tradition requires for those who fall in battle, Bilog was buried at the Baguio cemetery as the sun rose Sunday.

Another ritual, the “daw-es,” or cleansing, was performed for Bilog’s family after the funeral “to end this kind of nightmare and to overcome the incident and to move on,” an elder explained.

But as he was laid to rest, the recriminations began, with condemnation for President Benigno Aquino III, who is widely perceived to be responsible for sending Bilog and his comrades to their deaths.

“There should be a full-blown investigation into the incident and appropriate charges should be filed against all those who are involved in the incident,” said Baguio City Councilor Faustino Olowan, who also traces his roots to the same eastern Sagada village as Bilog.

Maguindanao PNP carnage and PNoy weak leadership

Advocate’s Overview:

February 1, 2015 

By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW
www.nordis.net 

Cordillera folk, from various walks of life, condemn the carnage of 44 elite forces of the Philippine National Police in Maguindanao on Saturday, January 24. At least 13 from the victims came from the Cordillera region while two were reportedly injured as per news report.

The Magunidanao carnage of the PNP Special Action Force manifested the weak leadership of Pres. Noynoy Aquino. And it fueled the call from various sectors for an impartial investigation of the incident and to work for the attainment of justice for the carnage victims, who despite doing their legitimate job, were actually used for the interests of Pnoy and his top officials.

PO1 Russel B. Bilog /Photo by: Ana Mae Sabelo

Young, brave and obediently following orders from their higher ups, they were in Maguindanao with a mission to arrest two top ranking members of the terrorists Jemayah Islamiyah: Zulhifil Bin Hir alias Marwa and Basit Usma, who carried a bounty of US$ 5 million and $2 million respectively.

The reasons why we should condemn PNoy and his administration for the Maguindanao carnage are:
First, it showed that Pnoy and the state securities under his command as Commander in Chief failed to lend support to the PNP SAF at the time they needed it most. The claims for no coordination and mis-encounter further showed his weakness at decision making. It must be remembered that the “battle” between the PNP SAF and the MILF/BIFF happened on the night of Saturday until the morning of Sunday. Yet there was no reinforcement move from the state security agencies, despite Pnoy’s knowledge that there was the move to arrest the said targets in Maguindanao. These young members of the PNP elite forces died without concern of support for reinforcement from their Commander in Chief.

Second, I wonder why the information on their mission was not known by DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and the AFP Chief of Staff. Even for the sake of security, is it not proper for the other security agencies to have the knowledge on the said mission? But it seems that the bounty of 6 million US dollars was more important. Those who were directly knowledgeable and in command of the said elite forces were only concerned and after that million dollar bounty; they wanted to keep the bounty for themselves, hence they did not like anybody to be aware of their mission, even for reinforcement if they were put in a dangerous situation. While they sacrificed their lives in their noble service, that sacrifice was tainted by the whims and caprices of the higher ups – greed. And, there is already confirmation through DNA at Marwa was already dead (courtesy of the US troops who intervened in that operation as the seen presence of their helicopter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao). Maybe they will be happy with the bounty but look at the number of victims.

Third, there arises a question as to the delineation of roles of the PNP and the AFP. While it seems true that the state security agencies are also concerned with protecting the public against terrorism, Mindanao is an area where there is a conflict (regardless of the peace talks) between the MILF and its “allies” with the Philippine government. In this kind of situation, it is the AFP who should be responsible for the security tasks in the area. The police force is not intended for war against those engaged with armed conflict with the government, which is more of an AFP task. We wonder why these policemen were sacrificed then.

Lastly, I tried to understand that just war is waged for just aspirations. But I cannot stomach the after effect of the PNP SAF and MILF/BIFF “armed encounter.” I believed there were violations in the conduct of war committed by the MILF/BIFF forces against the PNP SAF. The videos and stories proved that the dead PNP SAF were desecrated. And their personal belongings were robbed, compounded by the statements of the ambushers (and their wives) which rubbed salt on the injury inflicted upon the victims’ families. It is a challenge to the MILF to prove that they upheld international humanitarian law by conducting investigations on its own ranks and punished those who committed breaches of these international laws. No armed group (a revolutionary for that matter) could be exempted from the rules of war. The MILF should respect this process.

But the PNoy administration must have more to prove and explain on the situation. Else, his acts – in relation with the Maguindanao carnage – as the highest officer of the land and commander in chief are impeachable offenses.

While we urge for an impartial investigation and justice for the victims of the Maguindanao carnage, I join the Cordillerans and Filipinos in extending condolences to these 44 brave warriors, specifically to the following Cordillerans who perished in the carnage:

1. PO1 Russel Bilog of Sagada, Mountain Province and Tabuk City, Kalinga
2. PO3 Noel Golocan of Sagada, Mountain Province and Mankayan, Benguet
3. PO2 Nobel Kiangan of Mankayan, Benguet
4. PO1 Angel Kodiamat of Bontoc, Mountain Province
5. PO2 Jerry Kayob of Balili, La Trinidad
6. PO2 Walter Danao of Irisan, Baguio City
7. PO1 Gringo Cayang-o of Bontoc, Mountain Province
8. PO2 Peterson Carap of Kabayan, Benguet
9. PO2 Joel Dulnuan of Kiangan, Ifugao
10. PO3 Robert Allaga of Banaue, Ifugao
11. PO2 Franklin Danao of Tinoc, Ifugao
12. PSI Gednat Tabde of La Trinidad, Benguet
13. PSI Cyrus Anniban of Balbalan, Kalinga.

I also hope for the immediate recovery from injury by Cordillerans police officers Christopher Lalan and Clifford Agayyong. # nordis.net