City places marker in Abad Santos death site
May 12, 2011
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The City Government, led by City Administrator Ferdinand Caylao, placed Thursday a marker at a small monument of martyred Supreme Court justice Jose Abad Santos in Malabang, Lanao del Sur.
“It is actually a prelude to the 70th death anniversary of Jose Abad Santos. We will soon forge an agreement with the Philippine Army and local officials in Malabang for the construction of a monument for our hero there,” said Caylao.
The city administrator, together with a team from the City Government composed of tourism officers Jeffrey Yutuc, Debbie Rivera, Emmalyn Tuazon, Rico Bunao of Public Affairs and Media Production Unit and Muslim Community officials Macaslang Bitiarra and Kaiser Manranda, went to the exact spot in Malabang, where Abad Santos was assassinated by the Japanese during World War II when the Kapampangan hero refused to give in to the wishes of the invaders.
The group described the three-day voyage and mission to put a marker in the “no man’s land” as successful.
“Mission accomplished,” Caylao said, adding the mission was a result of information received by Mayor Oscar Rodriguez from the Muslim community.
“During the celebration of Abad Santos’ 69th death anniversary at Heroes Park, our friends from the Muslim community showed us a picture of the exact spot where he was killed by the Japanese. Thereafter, the mayor approved our proposal to visit the site and place our own marker in the monument there,” he said.
Caylao lamented, however, how decrepit the spot has become, unlike the well-maintained Heroes Park, which is home to memorabilia of local and national heroes.
“Nakakalungkot kasi talagang napabayaan ang lugar. Maputik at madumi. It was disrespectful for a martyr who sacrificed his life even if he was offered the presidency then by the Japanese. These are the kind of heroes we would like to emulate and look up to as role models,” he added.
But Caylao described the mission as unusual as it saw them through the area’s danger zones and “no man’s lands.”
“It took us three hours to get to Malabang from Pagadian City. We were accompanied by a Muslim friend who took their entire families along to shield us from elements and warring factions. Checkpoints were everywhere, about 500 meters apart. We were always engulfed with fear in the trips. At the very start, people there did not want us to proceed,” he said.
Thinking though that it was for the service of the city and the country, Caylao and the team proceeded amid the danger and risks.
“It was a rare opportunity. Besides, mapapahiya tayo dahil naka-schedule na iyon. But the place, hindi basta mapapasok ninuman. We slept at Mindanao State in Marawi City where at late afternoon, the place was desolate. A brother of Ching Pangilinan, who is with the Army, called us and asked what we were doing there. Sabi niya delikado diyan. It started to sink in to us then the real danger. A day before kasi may kinidnap na tricycle driver and even a student just for P30,000. So we kept ourselves together for safety,” Caylao told Sun.Star Pampanga.
Passing through the “no man’s land” in Narciso Ramos Highway, he said even military officials were surprised.
“Ang sabi nila, no man’s land iyan, ah, for both the military and other forces. Nakadaan kayo doon? Iyung kapatid ni Ching, 17 years daw siya sa Lanao but never passed there. That was a part our ordeal there and we are so happy we made it back safely to San Fernando,” he recounted.
He said they will go back to the area next year for the blessing of the monument, which they would ask the Philippine Army to build.
“The mayor will be with us hopefully to place the marker and unveil the monument,” he said.
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2011/05/11/city-places-marker-abad-santos-death-site-154899
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