Assistant Senior Minister Abdullah Cusain, who is also the Manager of Project Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailanan (Project TABANG), one of the flagship programs of Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim that extends immediate support graces the 53rd anniversary of the Manili Massacre on June 19,2024 in Manili, Carmen, Cotabato. (Photo courtesy of MPOS)
SPECIAL GEOGRAPHIC AREA— The Bangsamoro Government once again remembers one of the tragic events in the Bangsamoro struggle, the Manili massacre, which left over 70 people dead inside a mosque in Barangay Manili, Carmen, Cotabato Province, on June 19, 1971.
Yesterday, exactly 53 years after the atrocious attack by the defunct Philippine Constabulary and Ilaga against helpless civilians composed of men, women, and children in the said barangay, the Ministry of Public Order and Safety (MPOS) along with Project Tabang of the Office of the Chief Minister commemorated the tragedy by providing vital services to the people in the community.
Assistant Senior Minister Abdullah Cusain, who is also the Manager of Project Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailanan (Project TABANG), one of the flagship programs of Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim that extends immediate support, led the distribution of 500 sacks of 25 kg of rice along with other services.
In an exclusive interview, Cusain said that commemorating the event doesn’t mean instilling remorse in the present generation. Still, rather, it’s a way to honor those who perished and a reminder to the younger generation so the same horrors won’t happen again.
“It’s a way to remind ourselves of what happened in the past so that the younger generation will understand our cause,” Cusain explained.
He added that while Manili is not part of the core territory of the region, they are still part of the constituency, and that the Chief Minister’s marching order is “no Bangsamoro shall be left behind”.
Thirty-three-year-old Akmad Lagasan expressed his gratitude to the Bangsamoro government for remembering the tragic event and for all the services they get from different ministries and offices in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“Masla benal a sukol ka so mga kaunutan sa BARMM an di kami nilan kalipatanan,” said Lagasan.
[Our greatest appreciation to the leadership of BARMM for remembering us.]
(Abdullah Matucan/BIO with reports from Project TABANG)
