A tale of two mothers: Losing sons to a ‘futile’ cause

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Blaming the New People’s Army (NPA)’s recruitment of minors, two mothers claimed to have lost their sons to a conflict they should have never been in in the first place.

Winia Sandig last saw Juveniel “Jun-Jun” Sandig, the eighth of her 10 children, some three years ago.

In the case of Eki Pedro, they heard nothing from her son Roger for almost two decades.

Juveniel and Roger were two of the alleged rebels killed in a clash with Army troopers in Alimodias village in Miagao, Iloilo last Dec 1, 2021.

Winia, 57, a resident of Barangay Langka, San Joaquin, Iloilo, and Eki, 62, of San Remigio, Antique, faced different circumstances that led to their sons going “missing.”

But the two mothers shared the same grief after learning that their sons were among the fatalities in the encounter.

Both confirmed that their sons were recruited into the rebel movement while they were still minors.

Winia confirmed that one of the recovered bodies belonged to her son, 20-year-old Juveniel.

On the other hand, Eki only knew what happened to her son, Roger, Friday evening – two days after the incident.

GOOD SON, BROTHER

Then a 17-year-old Grade 9 student, Juveniel, or Jun-Jun to his family, simply vanished three years ago and nothing was heard from him since then.

Juveniel’s 32-year-old sister, Paning, said she asked her father about her brother’s whereabouts. He told her that Jun-Jun may have been with friends.

They were also thinking that he may have left to find work although they were puzzled why he did not bring anything, even just a piece of clothing.

Since 2018, “waay nagparamdam ka namon. Wara gid nag contact kanamon,” Paning said.

(He did not reach out to us. He did not contact us.)

They later heard reports that Juveniel may have joined the NPA.

“Hulat kami nga marasmasan kag mauntat hay buligan namon kag dar-on sa Army. Ano mahimo namon? Alangan maadto tamon sa bukid kag sagapon lang tana,” she said.

(We were waiting for him to finally realize and stop because we would help him by bringing him to the Army. But what can we do? We could not just go to the mountains and look for him.)

Winia, on the other hand, said she did not bother looking for her son as she was and still works as a house help.

Her family could not just look for Juveniel, as traveling to the town proper costs a lot of money. They usually ride the habal-habal or passenger motorcycle which costs P300.

But still, she waited for Juveniel to visit or call them.

Winia later learned that he joined the NPA.

As a mother, Winia said she just wanted her son’s dreams to come true. But those dreams are gone with her son’s death.

She also called on her fellow parents to watch after their children to avoid her son’s fate.

And for Paning, she called on her brother’s fellow rebels to think about their families.

“Ang ma-advise ko kananda nga panumdumon nanda nga may nagalangga kana nga mga ginikanan da, mga bugto da. Indi na sanda pagpabay-an kara. Basta may nagapalangga kananda. Indi lang sanda pagtuntuhon parehas kanamon,” she said.

(I advise them to think about their parents and siblings who love them. Their family would not forsake them. I hope they won’t get duped like what happened to my brother.)

Paning said it is very painful to lose a brother.

“Nabatyagan namon kung magpirong mata namon, nakita namon itsura na. Tapos, indi kami kabatas nga napatay tana. Indi kami kabatas. Indi namon mabaton nga amo tana kara. Amo lang ran garing napabakod lang namon ang amon nga kaugalingon tungod sa Nanay namon kay basi ano matabo ka na,” she said.

(We could see his face when we close our eyes. We couldn’t bear that he died. We couldn’t accept what happened to him. But we have to be strong for the sake of our mother. We don’t want that something might happen to her.)

She also blamed the person who recruited and took away her brother from them.

“Daad mapatay dulang ran para matapos dun ang recruit nanda. Para waay dun ti mahalitan nga mga bata. Hay akon, may bata man ko basi bala. Indi man mapaktan hay bukid man kami. Daad mapatay da lang ran mo,” she said.

(I wish to see him dead so that they could no longer harm any children. I also have my own child. Who knows, because we also live in the mountains. I wish to see him dead.)

Paning also called on other NPA members to surrender as something better might happen to them, unlike her brother’s death.

“Napangayo ko sa Ginoo nga abugayan sanda nga makapaminsar man sanda ti mayad nga maka-surrender man sanda,” she said.

(I ask God that they be given a clear mind to surrender.)

TWO DECADES OF ABSENCE

Just like Winia, Eki woke up one day with Roger already nowhere to be found.

As a mother, Eki said she thought he went away to look for work.

Nothing was heard from her son until Friday night when Eki learned about Wednesday’s encounter that killed a certain Roger Pedro.

“Hambal ko lantawon namon basi tana to. Pero waay pa ko nagapati nga tana to, gaasa pa ko nga basi indi to tana,” she said.

(I said we would check if it’s really him. But I didn’t believe right away that it’s him.)

From San Remigio, Antique, they went to Miagao where their worst fear was confirmed.

“Grabe gid wawaw ko. Naglaom ako nga mabalik tana,” she said.

(I cried a lot. I was hoping that he would still go home.)

Up until his death, Eki said she was hoping that Roger would visit them one day.

She later learned that he joined the NPA after military authorities urged her to encourage her son to surrender.”

“Hay kung nakauli kanakon, maparapit amo kananda,” she said.

(Had he gone home, I would have asked the military for help.)

Just like Jun-Jun’s family, Eki also blamed the NPA for recruiting his son. “Basol ko gid sanda hay nagapakalinong bata ko.”

HELP

The Philippine Army, through the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC 6), said it would help the family of the killed NPA leaders get a decent burial.

Brigadier General Marion Sison, 301st Infantry Brigade commander, said he would also ask the respective local government units to extend help to their families.