Kidnap for Ransom for the Second Quarter of 2012, Part II: Justina Parian and Rona Parian

As far as dangerous occupations go, working as a money lender in the ARMM, or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, has got to be one of the jobs topping the list. Usury, an antiquated term meaning "lending money and profitting off of the interest," is about as despised by Muslims as selling lottery tickets is. However, despite many Filipino Muslims fantasizing about it, the ARMM is NOT entirely Muslim. The region's Christian and Animist residents do utilize the services of people like Ms.Parian.

Owing to the safety profile of her job, Justina was provided with an armed bodyguard while making collections, courtesy of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines). Private First Class (Pfc) Regime "Rey" Jim Emerio, of the 6IB (Infantry Battalion) had no specialized training-just like all AFP security detail personnel-and was simply ordered to ride shotgun, in uniform, and carrying his 45 caliber service pistol. AFP security details are, like the rifle toting security guards outside all Philippine malls, a "feel good" measure designed to placate, not actually combat the very real dangers that are so overly abundant here on Mindanao.

On Friday, June 15th, 2012, Justina Parian asked her 22 year old daughter Rona to tag along to keep her company while she spent a long day in her Toyota Vios, driving along the entire length of the Lebak Cotabato City National Hiway. Bringing her infant daughter along, Rona joined her mother and Pfc.Emerio. After a long and uneventful day mother and daughter were returning to their home in the municipality of North Upi, in Maguindanao Province. As the group entered Barangay Kibucay in the adjacent town of Upi, Pfc.Emerio remarked that something just did not feel right. Reaching Kilometer #26 in Sitio Kibuncog, all hell broke loose as their vehicle was ambushed.

Twenty guerillas from the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, 105 Base Command pounded the vehicle with M16s and M14s but to their suprise Pfc.Emerio refused to fold, returning fire with his 45 caliber pistol. With Justina Parian cowering in the driver's seat, and Rona wailing in terror as she lay across her baby, Pfc.Emerio held on as long as he could until, finally, he ran out of ammunution.

Rushing the now defenseless vehicle one of the attackers used the butt of his rifle to smash open the front paasenger door, pointed the barrel of his M14 in Pfc.Emerio's face and squeezed off a three round burst, blowing most of Emerio's head off. On the opposite side another BIAF guerilla used his rifle to smash the Toyota's driver side window. Opening the door, he dragged Justina out of the vehicle. During the firefight Justina had taken a round directly in her foot and aside from her precarious emotional state, Justina's foot severely limited her mobility.

Leaving the hiway the guerillas moved one kilometer on an easterly vector, moving back towards the municipality of Guindulungan when a firefight with the 40IB (Infantry Battalion) killed one guerilla, Impaw Musa Datuayon, of Barangay Muti in Guindulungan. A second column from that same battalion entered the sector and after receiving word about it, the guerillas quickly abandoned Justina, and then withdrew after seperating into smal groups.

Justina, and Rona who was herself wounded in the head and foot, were both transported to a nearby hospital before being debriefed. Luckily, Rona's infant daughter emerged from the ordeal none the worse.