September 21st has been christened the "International Day of Peace" by everybody's favourite hypocritical windbag, the UN. Yes, the United Nations, the organisation that when it finds itself not busy playing games with Iraqi oil vouchers or running child sex rings in Sub-Sahara Africa sees fit to clog calendars with more ignorantly declared "holidays." I am ALL for "peace' and were it at all up to me I would make every day a "Day of Peace" but alas, I am nowhere as lofty and noble an entity as the holy UN and therefore poor, pitiful me is relegated with reporting just how that beautifuly named day was commemorated on our fair isle of Mindanao.
The AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines, loftily declared that it would take part in the spirit of the declaration and issued a SOMA slash SOMO, or Stop of Military Action and Stop of Military Operations. In other words, the AFP declared a uni-lateral one day cease fire.
How did the CPP/NPA/NDFP reciprocate?
On September 20th, 2011, Private First Class Ronel Mansiwagan asked his superior for a One Day Leave for himself and a fellow Ata-Manobo Lumad, CAA Ortega Carian, having just found out that his cousin was getting married the following morning in the nearby suburb of Panabo City in the neighbouring province of Davao del Norte. Private First Class Mansiwagan served in the 72IB (Infantry Battalion) and was deployed as the Executive Cadre of the Bagani Long Range Platoon CAFGU. CAFGU, or Civilian Auxiliary Force Geographical Unit is a geographically fixed atmed reserve unit that serves as the cornerstone of the AFP's COIN (Counterinsurgency) programme. Although technically labeled as CAfGU the Bagani Long Range Platoon is a breed apart. Part of the AFP's little known protocol, OPlan Alsa Lumad (Operational Plan Hilltribes Arise), under the last ISP, or Internal Security Plan, OPlan Bantay Laya II (Operational Plan Protecting the Land II). Like all CAFGU detachments the Bagani are commanded by an AFP cadre, always an NCO, or Non-Commisioned Officer (a Corporal or a Sergeant). Rarely an AFP Cadre will be assigned an Enlisted Man (Private) to serve as his EXO, or Executive Officer, or in this case, Ezecutive Cadre (Assistant Commander). In this particular detachment, the Bagani Long Range Platoon, its garrison consists of twenty "nipas" (bamboo framed palm leaf thatched huts) so that one can easily appreciate just why this detachment had been given an EXO (most CAFGU detachments have less than 20 men on post at any given time).
The next morning, September 21st, 2011, the UN's "International Day of Peace," Private First Class Mansiwagan and CAA Ortega Carian climbed aboard Carian's motorcycle and left their garrison in Paquibato District's Sitio Damilag at 6AM and made their way in plain clothes to rendevouz with family and friends for the short drive out to Panabo City. By all accounts the wedding went well and the two men enjoyed their one day's leave and made the most of the time at hand . At 3PM the two left heading straigt back into Davao City.
At 740PM the Commanding Officer received a phone call from a civilian asset living in Barangay Upper Mapula. Still distraught the caller explained that he was passing through an NPA checkpoint when he witnessed Private First Class Mansiwagan and CAA Carian pulling up to it on Carian's motorcycle. Almost immediately the NPA guerillas manning the checkpoint, from Front 52, the Amoran Saripada Command, the Operational Command of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee, recognised both men despite their having worn civilian clothes. Even with the men going out of uniform both carried their sidearms, 45 caliber pistols. The guerillas very brusquely demanded any weapons the men might be carrying. As other guerillas proceeded to search the two CAA Carian stupidly tried to run through the checkpoint and escape. That impetuous decision ended up costing both men their lives.
The caller informed the AFP Cadre that both mens' bodies had been left where they fell in Barangay Upper Mapula's Purok #5. Thanking him the Cadre hung up and immediately notified his superior at the 72IB's headquarters. The Commanding instructed the Cadre to wait until daybreak before retrieving the bodies so as to avoid the highly probable NPA ambush. At 4AM a column from the garrison retrieved both mens' bodies.
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