Friday, June 15, 2007

Terror in Maigo town: “I saw people running so we ran, too”

Written by Violeta M. Gloria / MindaNews
Tuesday, 15 May 2007 20 18 19

ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews/May 15)-- "I saw people running so we ran, too." This is how Adona Orquillas, a member of provincial monitoring team of the government peace panel described the situation in Maigo town in Lanao del Norte when a number of armed men entered the polling precincts at the poblacion on Monday to "pour the bottles of indelible ink on official ballots and snatch the ballot boxes."Orquillas related that a hundred armed men in barangay Mentering had been reported to authorities since April 20 "but why was this not acted upon despite the election gun ban?""Why are they doing this to Maigo town but not in other towns?" she asked as she recalled how residents are still recovering from the trauma when a rebel group attacked this town in 2003.Orquillas went to Maigo on election day to document and investigate what happened."I have reported this to the Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and have communicated to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for certainty. But this wasn't acted until today...the problem has escalated," she said."A number of residents from the remote villages evacuated though there are still many of them who stayed home with the thought that they will be protected with their Moro friends who shared similar political party affiliation with them," Orquillas said.Orquillas said former mayor and opposition gubernatorial candidate Rafael Rizalda had sought help from authorities and friends about these armed groups but the problem remained unacted upon.Rizalda went to the frontlines of war in 2003 and was one of those wounded to secure the municipality and his town's people. These days "feels helpless""Municipal authorities and priests have requested the intervention of police forces from Region XI and Lanao del Norte but the provincial policemen refused to help," she added.On election day, villagers thought they were under attack when the soldiers and regional mobile police forces were deployed there.The Comelec has declared failure of election in four precincts there, including that of barangay Mentering."We only maintain communication with them and hope that PPCRV (Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting) in Maigo town will continue to monitor the situation," Orquillas said.

(with thanks to MindaNews)

http://www.mindanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2410&Itemid=50

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