ZAMBOANGA CITY IN MY MIND

It has been seven days now since the start of the armed conflict between the Moro National Liberation Front and government forces in Zamboanga City. I arrived in Zamboanga City on the evening of September 8, 2013, the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. AG Saño (a volunteer), and myself were scheduled to fly to Jolo the following morning, Monday, upon the invitation of Sr. Fatima Gomez, OP, a member of the Congregation of Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena in Notre Dame of Jolo School. Another volunteer, Mon Corpuz, had gone ahead of us to Jolo on Sunday. I was supposed to facilitate a retreat for the students of Notre Dame, and the two volunteers were supposed to give workshops on art and photography. They have been to Jolo on several occasions on outreach projects with “Klasrums ng Pag-asa” in cooperation with the Marines. But due to the ensuing gun battle between the MNLF and the government forces which started on the early morning of Monday, September 9, 2013, our flight to Jolo was cancelled a few minutes just before our scheduled time of departure. We took refuge at the convent of the Missionary Dominican Sisters of the Rosary in Barangay Baliwasan, a few minutes drive from the airport.

Now, as I wait for my flight back to Gensan, here at NAIA Terminal 3, I recall the days that I was stranded in Zamboanga City because of the armed conflict there. On Tuesday, the second day of the fighting, we decided to abort our mission to Jolo, since we felt that the situation will not get better anytime soon. I sent a text message to the Dominican Sisters that we have decided not to proceed to Jolo because airplane and boat trips to and from Zamboanga City have been cancelled. We also entertained the idea of getting out of Zamboanga City by land and take a chance to get to Manila by way of Pagadian or Dipolog. But the sisters in Zamboanga told us that it is also dangerous. In the afternoon of Tuesday, AG, a mural artist, went out with some Marines escorts, to paint a wall at the Edwin Andrews Airbase. They painted the wall with the words “#We Want Peace – Stand Fast Mi Ciudad de Zamboanga”. I stayed at the sisters’ convent and joined them for evening prayers and holy hour. We offered prayers for peace and lighted candles at the roadside.

In the morning of Wednesday, the third day of the crisis situation, Mon Corpus was able to get on a military plane from Jolo to Zamboanga. Mon was united with me and AG at the sisters’ convent in Baliwasan. He told us that there is a C130 plane leaving for Manila at 4:00 pm. By mid afternoon, on our way to Edwin Andrews Airbase, to catch the flight to Manila, we almost got caught in the middle of a cross fire, when fierce gun battle erupted, as soon as we crossed an intersection near the airbase. Together with Marine escorts on board their vehicle, we made it safely inside the airbase. But because of the gun battle that erupted, the plane immediately took off, to avoid the risk of being hit.

We took shelter at the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Chapel inside the airbase. There was news that the rebels might try to attack the base. We can hear the heavy exchange of gunfire about a kilometer away across the air strip, as two helicopters hovered above the area. It was like New Year’s Eve. After two hours of taking shelter inside the chapel, the exchange of gunfire subsided. We then met Fr. Melchor Torayno by chance, the Chaplain of the Philippine Air Force in Mindanao. He later advised us that another C130 Hercules military plane is scheduled to arrive that evening. By 8:20 pm, the C130 aircraft arrived in Zamboanga City, carrying supplies and troops whose number filled about ten military trucks. Shortly before 9:30 pm, the three of us, together with about twenty other civilians and a handful of air force personnel on board, we were able to fly out of Zamboanga City bound for Manila. We were relieved to be out of the crisis situation, but we left with a heavy heart, knowing that countless innocent civilians, including children, women and the elderly will continue to suffer because of this war. We continue to pray for peace in Zamboanga.