Weeks prior to my trip to Mindanao, a small town in Lanao del Norte was under siege by MILF rebels in retaliation to the Army's attack on an MILF camp. The whole craziness started when a suspect of an Ozamis City ferryboat bombing was suspected of hiding in an MILF camp in Lanao del Norte. Many died in the bombing , Muslims and Christians alike (The ferry which I rode on my previous trip to Ozamis). The police waited long enough for the suspect to surrender and so together with the Army they attacked the MILF camp. They bombed the camp but still no suspect And this was extensively covered by a TV news crew (the first time we Manilans experienced an ongoing war right in the comfort of our living rooms). The MILF group naturally retaliated by attacking the town of Kauswagan, laying siege on the municipal hall for a day or two , holding the towns people as hostages and making them shield from counter attacks by the soldiers. And thus, the poor town was effectively isolated from the rest of Mindanao.

Kausawagan is a third class municipality (meaning very poor town) where in 1999 I was also a witness to its other misery when it ravaged by flashfloods. A bridge was washed away halting traffic for hours and numerous houses made of light materials were destroyed (poor people). I always pass this town coming from Cagayan de Oro going to Ozamis City (my usual route for about a year) and it was a simple rural community for me. I always pictured this town as a very peaceful but boring place.

I was in Ozamis City a few kilometers and a ferry ride away from Kauswagan when the MILF staged their attack (afternoon of March 16,2000 if I am not mistaken). Rumor was already circulating of the MILF attack just as we finished our meeting in the afternoon. In fact I was planning to go to Cagayan de Oro and take my flight to Manila from there. My plan would mean that I will be passing through Kauswagan, the "hotspot". Luckily I was prevailed to proceed with the original plan of returning to Manila via Dipolog. Then I saw on the TV late news the siege, the soldiers using high powered arms, residents frantically fleeing the town including the mayor who ran away first. I began to think of the possibility of what might have happened it I pushed through with my earlier plan to go to Cagayan de Oro and how grateful was I to my companions for their timely advice. On the way to Dipolog the next day, we saw a convoy of "Simba" and Army trucks filled with battle ready soldiers going the other direction to Kauswagan (thank God!!). Kauswagan was recaptured that day as the soldiers chase the rebels up to the mountains. The poor mayor who was the first to flee his town was later suspended by the president and was very much humiliated by his people. Kauswagan's day of national prominence was now over.

I flew to Cotabato City on April 25,2000 to attend a meeting and stayed overnight. The place was very peaceful despite of the ongoing turmoil in Mindanao.

The next day Wednesday, I had to go to Ozamis City for another meeting but land trip is definitely out of the question since I will be passing through risky territories. There was still a war going on along the route. So I had to do a crazy thing of flying to Manila and then try catch the 3 pm flight back to Mindanao in Dipolog after which it will still be another 3 hour drive to Ozamis City. I was only praying that my Cotabato-Manila plane is on schedule or else I will forced to execute contingency plans (which was to fly to Cebu and catch the 7 pm ferry to Ozamis). In this situations you really have to be prepared. I was also worried of my transfer from the domestic airport to the PAL airport (NAIA 2) in Manila which could be messed up by the usual traffic in the airport vicinity. Luckily, all the flights were on schedule, I encountered no heavy traffic in Manila and I had plenty of time to spare. Me and my companions arrived in Ozamis at around 7 in the evening. All in all , the trip was OK.

With my meetings and official business finished in Ozamis City, I was again thinking of going to Cagayan de Oro for my return flight to Manila the next day. First, I asked around for the peace and order situation in Kauswagan and particularly along the bus route. Luckily, a friend who just arrived from Cagayan de Oro told me that everything is back to normal (which I hoped meant everything was peaceful). And since he was going back to Cagayan de Oro, I became more convinced to pursue my plan of going to Cagayan de Oro despite the contradictory advice by my companions. Truth was, I was really eager to witness the aftermath of the siege.

After lunch, we proceeded to the bus terminal. My friend and I decided to board the Iligan bound bus which meant we will have one transfer of bus along the way. The bus going direct to Cagayan de Oro will be leaving at 3 pm but we wanted to leave as early as possible so that we will reach our destination during daylight. It would be more risky and probably "exciting" if we traveled at night (and faster too I was told). But my friend was proceeding to Davao so he would like to leave early also to catch the express bus to Davao in Cagayan de Oro.

Ozamis City access to Lanao del Norte was a 30 minute ferry crossing. A ferry boat carried the bus that I rode (plus a couple of heavily laden trucks, assorted cars and motorcycles). In February, a ferry boat plying this route was bombed and as I said earlier, this triggered the siege of Kauswagan. I rode on the sister ship of the bombed ferry. The bus firm that I was riding was also a victim of bus bombing many times in the past....Daring!?! ...I had no other choice. The security measures during the ferry crossing were stricter this time. All of the bus passengers were listed down as well as their destination. We also had to disembark from the bus during the ferry crossing and stay at the passenger deck unlike before when we can stay at the bus and enjoy the comfort of its air conditioning. Many people died inside the bus during the February bombing so this is probably why they had to let the passengers vacate the bus during the trip. It seemed that this whole procedure was the only sign left of the incident as I had observed that life aboard the ferry was back to normal. In fact, there was nary a sight of armed soldiers to guard the ferry. Just as we reached the other side, KOLAMBUGAN, Lanao del Norte, we were hampered from docking at the port by a stricken ferry. Our ferry had to maneuver around it to find a safe docking point to no avail. Finally we had to tow it out of the way and this took awhile but all the passengers were entertained enough since it took a couple of attempts before we got the out of the way successfully. But this took almost an hour. My friend and I decided to transfer to another bus that disembarked ahead of the our bus to save time (our first bus was way back in the line of disembarking vehicles).

And so, after an hour's delay we were on our way. Before reaching Kauswagan town proper, the scene of the attack, we had to endure a traffic jam as road repair as well as the reconstruction of the damaged bridge in Kauswagan (the bridge that I told you earlier which was damaged in 1999). Also we arrived at the first in a series of army checkpoints wherein all the male bus passengers were told to go down as soldiers search for suspicious cargoes (such as bombs). The females were luckier since they stayed inside the bus. I must say that the soldiers were very polite and courteous at the checkpoint I felt no cause for alarm. In fact, I was told that most of my copassengers who regularly ply the route preferred the checkpoint since this reduces the possibility of bus bombings and other unwanted incidents. I also noticed that a convoy of trucks full of soldiers were driving out of Kauswagan which I presumed that the place was already safe and secured.

As we reached the town center of Kauswagan, many people were out on the road. I tried to understand what was going on but I don't speak their dialect. My friend then translated to me what was happening. It turned out that in front of the town hall, the Army displayed 2 bodies of MILF soldiers, which they encountered in the mountains. The two bodies with half of their faces blown off where shown to the people for possible identification and most important to stress a point that this is what you get if you join the rebels. The dead rebels I was told were of two young Muslim lads (teenagers). People lingered around the bodies causing traffic on the main highway. It seemed to me that the whole populace of the town was out on that day. But despite of this, I was more relieved to see that life is back to normal in this town, meaning peace has returned.

The scenery of Kauswagan has changed indeed. Bunkers are all around, in every corner, school grounds, bridges ....manned by battle ready soldiers. Some of these soldiers are in fact former Muslim rebels who have been integrated into the government's army. Local residents have probably mixed feelings about this but majority I was told prefers this sight of soldiers all around since it meant their protection. So in a span of one year that I have traveled to this place, the situations and scenery have changed tremendously, from peace to war and now back to peace....

Where before I used to see farmers in the field and fishermen too, but now it was soldiers armed to the teeth aboard their mini-tanks. I was particularly saddened to notice the barracks in front of the schools, which was previously a peaceful area for young children to study and learn. Now it is a dark remnant of the reality, that they are in a war zone. As our bus continue its travel onwards to its destination, I can not help but feel pity the poor people who were affected by all of these conflicts. I simply hope they can rebuild their lives again. (as of today August 2001, peace has remained in this poor coastal town)

After a couple of more checkpoints along the way and a change of bus in Iligan City, we arrived in Cagayan de Oro in the evening. Meanwhile this city too was not spared from the turmoil in the region. Weeks earlier, bombs exploded in strategic crowded areas in the city. Security became very strict at the malls, where each bags were subjected to rigid inspection upon entry. I have become accustomed to the routine security inspections, whether on the road or in the mall. Back at the hotel, I was extremely satisfied with my decision to travel this way. I considered myself lucky as I felt that I survived my travels through these places considering the incidents that have occurred. The bombings and the siege could have happened on the dates of my travel. So in a sense I was a "survivor". By Friday, I was safely back in Manila, bringing with me unforgettable memories of my travel.

So in a span of one year that I have traveled to this place (especially the are around Kauswagan), the situations and scenery have changed tremendously, from peace to war and now back to peace....Where before I used to see farmers in the field and fishermen too, but now it was soldiers armed to the teeth aboard their mini-tanks. I was particularly saddened to notice the barracks in front of the schools which was previously a peaceful area for young children to study and learn. Now it is a dark remnant of the reality, that they are in a war zone. As our bus continue its travel onwards to its destination, I can not help but feel pity the poor people who were affected by all of these conflicts. I simply hope they can rebuild their lives again. (as of August 2001, as I write this, peace has remained in this poor coastal town of KAUSWAGAN )

*************************************************************************************************

This is my "escape" story

So on May 2, just barely 4 days after arriving in Manila I was again enroute to Cotabato City for a final inspection of a building scheduled for inauguration on May 9. Me and my companions were sent primarily to see if the building is ready for the blessing rites and most important, to assess the peace and order situation in the area if it was safe to proceed with the inauguration ceremonies. Fighting between the army and the MILF rebels as well as the ABU SAYYAF gang of bandits was ongoing in different parts of Mindanao for the past weeks so the building owners are worried about the situation.

Just as we landed in Cotabato City airport we heard news over our taxi's radio about the army versus the MILF (Muslim rebels) fighting in the towns of Aleonsa and Kabakan. We were not worried since the towns were quite far from our destination and is out of our way. I asked our cab driver about his assessment of the situation and he responded that we need not worry since it was very far and he was sure it will be over in a day. We went about our business and was planning to report to Manila that they can proceed with the inauguration rites since the city was peaceful. Our hosts in Cotabato also showed little concern and assured us that this will be over in a day or two. I've heard people compare the whole situation to the coup events in Manila, you're safe as long as you are not in the middle of the fighting.

Wednesday, as we prepare for our flight back to Manila, we heard over the radio news that the MILF fired a mortar at a military camp at dawn. No one was hurt but it hit a portion of the Cotabato airport runway (the airport was located inside a military camp). So all commercial flights to and from Manila were suspended as the authorities closed the airport tentatively for 3 days. As we were taking out breakfast, we also heard over the radio that fighting in nearby towns of Kabacan and Aleonsa have intensified making all roads leading going out of Cotabato City closed to traffic. Buses were commandeered and converted to barricades along the highway while some buses were bombed or shot at. The passengers, some of whom were hurt, were initially held hostage but subsequently released. At Gen. Santos City. 3 bombs exploded and killed 15 persons in this generally peaceful city in South Cotabato.

We did try to get to the airport that morning but no taxi would dare take us there since people where in fact evacuating the place, in anticipation of more fighting. And so we find ourselves stuck in Cotabato since our other option of land travel to Davao or to Gen. Santos was out of the question since the roads were closed. We tried to analyze our situation and with the advice our Manila office, we thought it best to stay put for awhile until the situation normalizes. We went back to the hotel and checked into the only available rooms left, the suite rooms (as the news teams from Manila started to arrive as well as the other stranded passengers).

That morning, a parade composed of city residents, students and the clergy advocating peace passed in front of the hotel. Hotel Castro was also located in front of the Central High School compound which was the evacuation center for refugees or those poor people affected by the fighting. So for the next few days, I witnessed from my balcony the inflow of these poor people.

By the third day, my companion and I were now a little bit apprehensive not because of our safety but because we found ourselves forced to stay longer in Cotabato city. This after finding out that the airport might not be opened on Friday and the road to Davao (where we hope to catch a plane to Manila) was still closed. We have ruled out the plan of going to Gen. Santos City since there were incidents of bombing the previous day. Moreso, our movement in the city was limited (hotel and jobsite) since there were bomb scares floating around. And we were also new faces in the city so people looked at us with suspicion. Later in the evening, an explosion rocked the front of a local bank, just a block away from our hotel but authorities said it was only a firecracker. Luckily, no one was hurt. Strangely all business establishments closed early that day. The Jolibee restaurant near the hotel was already closed by 6 pm (a decision we learned later to have the employees get home early and safely).

We monitored the news over the radio and TV and we phoned home and the office daily to report of our safe condition. I emphasize though that we never felt threatened by this as we still find the place peaceful so far (being far away from the hostilities). In fact we were starting to get bored despite the nice accommodation at the hotel and all the food we can eat for free. We were told by the cityfolks that city was spared from the skirmishes since Mayor Sema of Cotabato City was a former MNLF chief of staff and a datu. The MILF respects the good mayor and so I was informed of an existing unwritten agreement that no attack on Cotabato City will be done by the MILF while Sema is the mayor.

On Thursday, I also saw the air force planes dropping bombs (on what I later learned as a big MILF camp) from the roof deck of the building we were constructing. From my hotel balcony, I also witnessed the steady flow of evacuees into the Central High School compound. A top official (Defense Sec. Orly Mercado, I think) arrived at the evacuation center together with a convoy of vehicles and simba tanks. I watched the commotion from the balcony. In the evening, I noticed the news crew huddling together, probably exchanging notes about the day's events.

On Friday we were informed that the Air Transport Office extended the closure of the airport for another 3 days, meaning the next available flight will be on Tuesday, May 9 (in fact the airport was closed for months). We then decided to take advantage of a declared ceasefire by the MILF the next day and boarded the first bus to DAVAO, where we plan to catch a flight to Manila. We were told that we were lucky since it was only on that day that buses were allowed to proceed directly to Davao (previously buses got only up to Midsayap since there was a road blockade).

We left Cotabato at 8 am on a regular bus (there was no aircon bus available yet). The bus was fully loaded and the first leg of the trip was uneventful. Then we were held up for an hour in Aleonsa and Pikit as the military held 'clearing operations' at the highway. As we continued our journey, our bus were part of a convoy of trucks and other vehicles with military escorts. The driver was driving at hell neck speed and I was beginning to worry that I might become a victim of a vehicular accident rather than a casualty of a war.

Along the way we saw the foxholes, bunkers, army detachments, refugees. We passed by the highway that was closed due to the fighting and saw the empty houses. I particularly noticed the white flags on bamboo poles at some of the houses probably indicating their neutrality in the conflict. I also saw the damaged houses probably brought about by mortar fire. It seemed that the army is now in control of the highway.

Of all my 'adventures' in Mindanao, this was the most exciting as we passed by the frontlines just hours after the ceasefire took effect (6 am of May 6 and we passed by the war zone at around 10 am). At the Kabakan bus terminal we transferred to an aircon bus bound for Davao so that we can be more comfortable. The rest of the trip is was normal except for the checkpoint in Digos. As usual we male had to go down the bus for inspection. And so after reaching Davao bus terminal, we went straight to the airport and despite our confirmed booking of 5:30 pm, we decided to board the 3:30 pm flight as we were very eager to go home. And so I was safely home by Saturday night, watched the news at the TV and fell asleep, dead tired.

Meanwhile, reported bomb explosions in Butuan, Surigao (peaceful cities I have been to in Mindanao), Davao, Zamboanga, Mati and even in Luneta were reported for the last 3 days.

The people here are tired of war...too many victims .... too many dead...And my heart bleeds at the sight of the evacuees being unloaded from dump trucks at the public schools...they looked tired and worried..........what a waste....

The people of Mindanao are tired of war...there are just too many victims .... too many dead...And my heart weep at the sight of the evacuees being unloaded from dump trucks at the public schools and evacuation centers...They all looked tired and worried..........what a waste....

**********************************************