Cordillera prepares closure ritual for slain SAF members

CORDILLERA policemen join a march honoring the fallen Special Action Force members from the region early this year when their remains arrived in La Trinidad, Benguet province, the base of the regional police command. RICHARD BALONGLONG/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON

TABUK CITY—Tribal families in the Cordillera believe that they can only appease and “bring home” the souls of their loved ones who died violently in other areas through a ritual for the dead called “karay-ab.”

It thus came as no surprise when

Dr. Amelia Miranda, whose family earlier performed the ritual for her son who was shot and killed in a traffic altercation more than 20 years ago, suggested the holding of the karay-ab for the 13 Special Action Force (SAF) members who lost their lives in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, in January.

They were among the 44 members of the SAF, an elite commando unit of the Philippine National Police, who died in a clash with Moro rebels in Mamasapano on Jan. 25, after a successful government operation that killed international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, or “Marwan.”

Their deaths drew national attention anew when President Aquino disclosed an “alternative version” of how Marwan was killed during an Inquirer multimedia forum early this month. He later affirmed that the terrorist was taken down by SAF men who raided his hut.

Next month, four native priests coming from the 13 SAF men’s home provinces—Mountain Province, Benguet, Kalinga and Ifugao—will take turns in performing the karay-ab in what could be the Cordillera tribes’ way of putting closure to the bloodbath.

Killed were Senior Insp. Gednat Tabdi, Senior Insp. Cyrus Anniban, PO3 Noel Golocan, PO3 Robert Allaga, PO2 Walner Danao, PO2 Nicky Nacino Jr., PO2 Peterson Carap, PO2 Jerry Kayob, PO2 Noble Kiangan, PO2 Franklin Danao, PO1 Russel Bilog, PO1 Gringo Cayang-o and PO1 Angel Kodiamat.

Aside from giving peace to the dead, the karay-ab could give grieving families “some measure of healing,” Miranda said.

“It’s the Cordillera way of finally giving rest to those who died violently in other places and to stop them from bothering their loved ones through dreams and other means,” said Andres Ngao-i, regional chair of the committee on elders of the Indigenous Peoples’ Education (Iped) under the Department of Education (DepEd).

Ngao-i said two representatives from each of the 13 families and some elders would also take part in the mission. According to tradition, the group performing the karay-ab will leave the site of the incident immediately after the ritual, which may take around an hour.

“The karay-ab involves butchering pigs, but in deference to Muslim culture, the ritual leaders will only offer native chickens. The killing of pigs will be done at the DepEd regional office in Wangal (La Trinidad, Benguet), where the final rituals will be performed immediately upon the return of the group,” Ngao-i said.

With the help of Iped offices in the Cordillera and Metro Manila, arrangements for security and transportation were being finalized with the Department of National Defense, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP.

“We are proud of the distinction that our young [Cordillera] men take their service in the PNP to a higher level by joining its elite striking force,” Ngao-i said.