Bayu Sacrifices Himself

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Workers clean up debris left after the bombing attack on Sunday (13/5/2018) at Saint Mary Immaculate (SMTB) Catholic Church of Surabaya on Jl. Ngagel Madya in Surabaya.

Surabaya’s spirit of struggle has been reignited. The city is famed for its resistance against the Allied forces in 1945. Today, its people stand united in the face of terror. The spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance fills the air.

The sunny morning turned ugly all of a sudden. Bombs exploded at the Saint Mary Immaculate (SMTB) Catholic Church of Surabaya on Jl. Ngagel Madya in Surabaya, East Java, at around 7 a.m. on Sunday (13/5/2018). Cruelty and savagery was evident.

Minutes before the bomb exploded, volunteer security unit coordinator Aloysius Bayu Rendra Wardhana was standing guard at the church’s south gate. Police personnel were around him and people were entering the church to join the morning’s second mass scheduled for 7:30 a.m. At around 7 a.m., two people were seen attempting to drive their motorcycle into the churchyard. Bayu blocked their way.

Immediately afterwards, an explosion rattled the house of worship. Bayu and the two alleged terrorists were in very close proximity to the exploding bomb. A number of the church’s congregants at the south gate were also hit by the blast. “The explosion occurred in front of me as I was about to park my car. It was as if my car was lifted from the ground,” said eyewitness Andy Pranoto.

The loud explosion shocked the church’s security guard, Hermanto Dwi, who was at the back of the church. Dwi ran to the front of the church and found people running everywhere. At the spot where the bomb had exploded, he saw bodies lying around, and screams of help filled the air. “It was a really dark moment,” he said.

Church official Robertus Dita was helping people park their cars before the mass. “Suddenly, a motorcycle barged in and the bomb exploded. Some of the splinters went into my body,” he said, following surgery on his arm, leg and neck at the Surabaya Premier Hospital.

SMTB church parochial vicar RD Alexius Kurdo Irianto said that he was at the Tropodo Holy Cross Church in Sidoarjo for a memorial when the bombing occurred. The moment he heard the news, Kurdo headed home. “A number of our congregants, including Bayu, our Volunteer Security Coordinator, died,” he said.

Kurdo said that Bayu’s courage in preventing the motorcycle from entering the church grounds was a great sacrifice. If the vehicle had gotten inside the church, there might have been even more victims.

Bayu, an alumnus of St Hendrikus Catholic High School in Surabaya, was known among the congregation for his photography skills. He is now a martyr in a terror attack. Bayu leaves behind his wife Monique Dewi Andini, who teaches at the Santa Clara Catholic kindergarten next to the church, and two young children. “His son is only four years old while his daughter is less than a year old,” said Kurdo.

“Bayu was a parochial official and he was active in helping with the church’s security every Sunday,” Kurdo added. Despite the deep scars left behind by the bombings, Kurdo said that he urged his congregants to stay strong. “Have mercy on the terrorists. Continue to do good, and never fear. Terrorism will never have a place,” he said.

Bombs also exploded at the Diponegoro Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) on Jl. Diponegoro and the Surabaya Pentecostal Church (GPPS) on Jl. Arjuno, both also in Surabaya.

At the GPPS, eyewitness Antonius said that a car had crashed through the motorbikes parked in front of the church and then into the church’s front door before the bomb exploded. At the time, around 200 people were gathered in the church to listen to announcements.

The explosion created mass panic. Antonius ran outside the church and helped a security guard who had suffered serious burns. “The security guard was taken to the hospital by ambulance. We helped each other,” said Antonius, adding that he remained at the church until the afternoon.

As the bomb exploded at the GPPS, Surabaya city official Arif Sunandar was at a gas station around 700 meters to the church’s east. Hearing the loud explosion, Arif approached the church and saw chaos. He called an ambulance immediately and helped victims evacuate.

“They had to be rescued immediately,” said Arif, who heads the city’s emergency and civilian security sub-department.

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

People from all walks of life donate blood at the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) in Surabaya on Sunday (13/5/2018) for victims of the church bombings. The spontaneous act of solidarity ensured the supply of blood for victims.

Blood donations

The fighting spirit of arek Suroboyo (“the children of Surabaya”) against terror soon filled the news. Civilians, the police and military personnel arrived at the local Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) office to donate blood. PMI Surabaya spokesperson Triksi Hendria said that more than 600 blood donors came to the office on Sunday. This was a 50 percent increase from the daily average of around 400 donors.

Triksi said many of the blood donors told him that they wished to reduce the suffering of the bombing victims who were being treated at several hospitals in the city. The PMI office is usually crowded on Sunday. “However, today, it’s more crowded than usual,” said Triksi.

PMI Surabaya has enough stock of A, B, AB and O blood types. It currently has 3,139 bags of blood and 925 bags of red blood cells. As the number of blood donors increased on Sunday, PMI’s stock of blood was continually replenished.

The solidarity and show of support for the Surabaya bombing victims was also visible in other cities across the country. This reminds us of the heroic tale of the Battle of Surabaya on Nov. 10, 1945. The battle was not just between Surabayans and the Allied forces, and was a symbol of the nation’s struggle to defend their independence. Today, Indonesia is fighting another war to defend the nation against the threat of terrorism.

(BRO/ETA/ACI/NIT/WER)