JULY 23, 2021 – BRGY. BANGKAL, PATIKUL, SULU | The Ministry of Public Order and Safety – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MPOS-BARMM), joined the 11th Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in its Civic Action (CIVAC) Program in Barangay Bangcal, Patikul, Sulu, last July 23, 2021.
The CIVAC is a regular activity of the AFP that usually includes community service, such as, dental and medical service, free haircut, and other services. However, this event has become more significant, and at the same time emotional, as it was made in tribute of the 11th ID of the AFP for its died soldiers and civilian casualties of the crashed Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft of the Philippine Air Force in Jolo Airport in Sulu on July 4, 2021. The accident claimed the lives of fifty-three (53) individuals – fifty (50) of them were on the aircraft while three (3) were civilians on the ground. Moreover, some civilian properties including two (2) houses were also damaged as a result. For this reason, part of the program was a ground-breaking ceremony for the reconstruction of those houses, turn-over of the needed construction materials, and distribution of relief, hygiene, and other assistance for the affected families. The MPOS-BARMM donated the said construction materials while the DSWD R9 provided those relief assistance.
In behalf of Minister Hussein P. Muñoz, Atty. Al-Rashid L. Balt, Director-General of the MPOS-BARMM, expressed their sincere condolences to the families of the dead soldiers and civilian casualties. He remarked that the incident was a force majeure or fortuitous event. Thus, no one desired it to happen. He also added that although the incident was very unfortunate and disheartening, it could serve as proof that Muslims and Christians in the province could co-exist peacefully as manifested by the first responders of the incident who are Muslims.
The event was also graced by MGen William N. Gonzales PA, Commander of the 11th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Sulu; BGen Benjamin G. Batara Jr. PA, Commander of the 1102Bde; Hja Jamila A. Arasid, Chief of the DSWD- Disaster Response Management Division; Hon. Kabir E. Hayudini, Municipal Mayor of Patikul, Sulu, Hon. Tanda S. Hailid, Chairman of the Brgy. Bangka, Patikul, Sulu. BGen Gonzales deeply expressed his gratitude to the people of Brgy. Bangkal for bravely responding and saving the lives of the soldiers. He stressed how ‘Bayanihan’ prevailed and manifested during that faithful incident. “Napaka lagim ng kaganapan. Ngunit dahil sa pagtutulungan ng AFP, Airforce, CAFGO, PNP at ng mga mamayan ng Brgy. Bangkal, na metigate ang epikto ng trahedya”.
