Jolo, Philippines, February 1974

"Tulay Mosque in Sulu province" | Credit: Al Jacinto, licensed under CC BY 2.0

Interview with Teodulo Romo, Jr.

On the morning of February 7, 1974, Jolo is burned to the ground.

Fighting between the Philippine Armed Forces and Tausūg soldiers of the Moro National

Liberation Front (MNLF) descends on the city, a forceful insurgency against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos.

"We can hear the sounds of war that early morning, it lasted for several days. Jolo was raised by fire."

Teodulo Romo Jr., 73, is a Tausūg, living in police Camp Asturias when war breaks out. 40,000 residents are displaced.

"According to the military it was the MNLF who set fire to the town," Teodulo is not convinced. ‘I tend to believe the version of the MNLF, [the military] burned intentionally to drive the MNLF out."

On February 13, after the fire, MNLF soldiers return, coming straight through Camp Asturias. "I brought my two brothers, four years old, our youngest, and seven."

Led by his father, they found somewhere to camp. "A drizzle started, so I opened the folding dining table, I told my brothers, “you stay under the table since its about to rain, we’ll go back to the house.” Just near, walking distance."

Before they reached home the explosions began. "“Mortar! Mortar!” You can feel the ground shaking. We were running." They reached the house and waited – "silence."

30 minutes passed.

"My sister arrived," Rosalinda, a nurse in the nearby hospital, "she was bringing our youngest. Rickson."

"I saw the wound here." Teodulo motions across his neck, "it was white pale, no more blood."