Seeking closure for families of conflict victims

On May 24, 2019, Herodin Salinugen, a resident of Datu Saudi Ampatuan Maguindanao, was on his way to the masjid for morning prayers. He brought with him his son, Hammodi, who was only 3 years old.

The two had just left the masjid when an explosion rocked the front of the mosque near where both were staying. Shrapnel flew from the site, injuring the father and son. What at first seemed like a regular day would change the family’s life.

Nor-Aih, Herodin’s wife was at home when sounds from the blast and her neighbors woke her up. Although pregnant at the time, she rushed the two to a nearby clinic. Herodin bore wounds on his back, knee, and foot while Hammodi back and shoulder. Herodin was discharged from the clinic but died hours later, before noon. Nor-Ain says a fragment lodged in his stomach had moved, killing her husband.

Hammodi would survive the blast, but the splinter remained in his back more than 6 months after. Sometimes, Nor-Ain said, the toddler’s injury still hurts.

In the decades-long struggle for peace in Mindanao, Nor-Ain is just one of many civilians with relatives who have died or gone missing due to conflict and disasters.

A report by International Alert reveals that from 2011 to 2018, Maguindanao was first in conflict deaths in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) except for in 2012 and 2017. It recorded a total of 2,568 deaths in the eight-year period that the study tracked.

This death toll includes civilian casualties like Herodin, who try to live normal lives despite the shadow of conflict that disrupts their community. While bombings are not common in their area, Nor-Ain says there are times they have to evacuate due to fighting between government and rebel groups.

“It’s been like this since before I was born… It’s normal to us, we’ve grown used to it,” she said.

Still, there is little mainstream awareness of the impact of armed conflict and disaster on communities in Mindanao outside of the region. Despite decades of armed conflict, implementation of proper management of the dead and missing (MDM) protocols, pertaining to proper observance of the rights of dead and missing disaster victims, remains weak.

Civilian deaths due to conflict in the area are also rarely reported or receive assistance from the government. When her husband died, Nor-Ain processed his death certificate but no longer reported it to authorities to avoid trouble. Like many other victims of conflict, she received no compensation for his death.

As the transition from ARMM to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) begins, it is crucial that the experiences of victims and their families are recognized and given justice by the government.

Stories like that of Nor-Ain, Herodin and Hamodi are only a few of decades of struggle and conflict that the people of Maguindanao have endured.

IDEALS works with community volunteers in Maguindanao to promote awareness of MDM in communities. In December, IDEALS helped volunteers in Datu Saudi Ampatuan and Shariff Aguak file draft ordinances to extend P10,000 financial assistance to families of disaster victims and establish a burial site for victims of disaster in their municipalities.

If passed, the ordinance is also a chance to affirm that the government values the lives of civilians affected by disaster and is active in engaging them to rectify past incidents in the region’s history of conflict. If we are to have lasting peace, bringing closure to civilians and relatives of disaster victims is an important step.