Displaced Zambo folk at risk of diseases, arrests

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The risk of contracting diseases and of being arrested continue to stalk people displaced by the monthlong violence that involved the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels in September, officials say.

Lawyer Yasser Apion, legal officer of National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), said those being arrested were charged on suspicion of participating in  or supporting the MNLF rampage, in which more than 100 people were killed.

Apion said among those arrested were a five-month pregnant woman and an IDP, whose only crime was that he wore a fatigue uniform.

He said the woman, Jubirna Akdam, was arrested while fleeing the violence when soldiers intercepted her with an MNLF ID issued to her husband. Her husband was eventually taken into custody as well.

“They were fleeing IDPs from Santa Catalina, held and arrested by our law enforcers and charged with rebellion and crimes against humanity,” Apion said.

He said  NCMF, which has been assisting those who might have been wrongfully charged, found out about Akdam’s case late last month.

She was among 287 arrested men and women, who were then being transferred to Bicutan, Apion said.

He said that so far,  NCMF had  documented 30 IDPs, who had been arrested on mere suspicion of being MNLF members or supporters.

“The rights of the IDPs are repeatedly violated by our state forces, and they use excessive force against innocent civilians,” Apion said without elaborating.

He said  NCMF was now working with other government agencies so those wrongly arrested could be released.

Ricardo Cabaron, city prosecutor, said  NCMF’s claim might be valid because “at the height of the war in some parts of Zamboanga City, it was chaotic.”

He said that at the height of the confusion, it was not easy to verify identities.

In a related development, the city health office (CHO) said at least 71 people, including children, had died in evacuation centers since September due to diseases.

Among the most common killer was dehydration, the CHO said.

Filomena Abdurahman, a

31-year-old mother who lost a child to a disease in November, said the filthy condition and overcrowding in some evacuation centers were among the reasons people were getting sick.

Rodelin Agbulos, city health officer, confirmed that death has been stalking IDPs but added that officials were not remiss and continued to provide health services. Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao