| Subject: Filipino priest
continues the work of "martyrs" in E Timorese town SUAI, East Timor, Nov 15 (AFP) - A Filipino priest has moved to this
destroyed town to continue the work of three colleagues murdered in the bloody rampage by
pro-Indonesia militias after East Timor's referendum.
Father Rene Manubag, 38, took up his post on Sunday, more
than two months after the priests and an unknown number of refugees were massacred at the
church compound where they had sought shelter from the Indonesia army-backed miltias.
"Three priests were killed and a lot of people died,
so this is the place of martyrs," Manubag said, explaining his desire to work in
Suai.
Manubag knew all three priests, particularly Romo Hilario.
"Every time I went to East Timor, I used to visit
him," said Manubag. Based in the West Timor capital of Kupang, Manubag travelled to
then-Indonesian ruled East Timor periodically to check on the missionaries who were
working there.
He said he last spoke with Hilario on September 4, the day
the United Nations announced East Timorese had voted overwhelmingly for independence from
Indonesia.
Manubag was making one of his routine visits and stopped at
Hilario's home in the church compound where Hilario had been caring for hundreds of
refugees for much of the year.
Hilario spoke of his joy that the independence supporters
had won, Manubag said.
"When pro-independence was proclaimed, he said:'Even
if we are poor, it's not important. What is important is that we are free.'"
Manubag went into the hills around Suai to visit
missionaries, stopped briefly in Suai the next day, where he saw Hilario conducting a
mass.
Manubag wasn't able to speak with the priest and headed
back out of town to continue his own work meeting with missionaries.
Two days later, on September 7, Manubag had just finished
conducting mass in the village of Lolotoe when four unarmed Falintil pro-independence
guerrillas arrived and told him three priests were dead.
"At first I couldn't believe it," he said.
When AFP visited Hilario at his home in late July the
priest said militias and the Indonesian miltiary were preparing to continue their fight if
they lost the late-August ballot on East Timor's future.
"They will fight again," he said.
After he learned of Hilario's death Manubag had his own
brushes with the militias and the miltiary, but he escaped unharmed.
He said pro-Indonesian forces arrived in Lolotoe and told
the people to leave for Atambua in West Timor.
"Many people said, 'No, no, no father. We want to stay
here," he recalled.
Manubag stayed with them until a nun arrived on September
12, and "convinced" him to leave, he said.
Now he is back in East Timor.
From the air, the damaged roofs of the buildings in his
church compound looked like a pile of toothpicks.
The population of the town is still small because few of
the refugees who have been forced out have been able to return, although Interfet
(International Force in East Timor) troops are now posted around the town.
But this is where Manubag wants to be.
"I volunteered to be assigned in East Timor. When Romo
Hilario died I volunteered to be assigned in Suai."
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