just a flashback

I condemned what had happened to Maguindanao Massacre, and it reminds me of this one critical, almost suicidal trip from Davao City to Cotabato City, September 2009. We’ve been hearing anomalies and killing incidents in the area of Maguindanao, specifically the area in the south. Though I haven’t seen any concrete evidence but I’ve heard enough about the place, I know those are not just gossips, not hearsay, the issue won’t come out without bases.

 

With my parents and my brother whose our driver that time, and my uncle who rode with us, we had a trip home. It’s past 3 pm when we left Davao City, our route is Davao City passing north Cotabato to Cotabato City proper, the usual and nearer path. When we were about to reach Makilala, we received a text from home informing us that flash flood again hit the part of the highway of our original route, so we wont be able to cross. There’s no turning back, we need to get back home that day, so without hesitation, Ayah declared to pass the other way, we took the unfamiliar road from Makilala. The first place we passed by was so peaceful, but the silence gave me strange feeling, no electricity in the area, it’s seems that we were the only traveler at that moment.

 

 After almost an hour, we saw lights in the other side of the road, there were finally vehicles from afar, and we met in the cross road of Datu Paglas. Then we get through Buluan and see a lil crowd and establishments in Tacurong City, we stopped in a Gasoline Station, that’s past 6pm..

 

then here we ago again, back to the trip… it’s again total darkness when we reached the other places in Maguindanao, very few street lights, some part none at all.. Surely we passed the controversial junction going to the area of the massacre. Between 7 and 8pm, I resemble the place into a ghost town, no human beings roam around, no other traveler, but a tractor-- reminds me of the backhoe. We also encounter checkpoints, luckily they didn’t stop us, oh, yes, we were stopped once, if I were not mistaken, those were CAFGU's  detachment. The inspector didn’t say a word, just watched us with his flashlight… then we move on…

 

Thank God... We reached home safe at 9pm… well, just a flashback!