Weeks have passed and yet the news about the beheaded marines and the government’s plans to avenge the brave soldiers still fill the Pinoys’ senses with grim and terror. Let’s face it: no one wants to acknowledge the harsh realities of war and no one wants to accept the truth that war in Mindanao is inevitable.
First of all, the burning question that everyone wants to be answered is this: HOW IN THE WORLD WERE THE MARINES AMBUSHED, GIVEN THAT THE GOVERNMENT FORCES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GREATER IN NUMBER AND BETTER EQUIPPED?
Answer:
The following boo-boos were committed by the AFP itself: (1) The ammunitions provided to the soldiers were defective and (2) the government troops were not able to receive assistance from air pilots because of the bad radio frequency. So far, this is what I know.
As what Isagani Cruz said today in his column for Inquirer:
“Perhaps the public doesn’t care why the soldiers died, and only, that they did – and that the rebels must pay. However, the public ought to care that the soldiers, who died bravely, also died senselessly: and that more soldiers’ lives will be squandered if the military doesn’t get a grip on the causes of the massacre in the first place.”
For years, the AFP (and the PNP) has tarnished its reputation by being corrupt, leashed dogs (to the bad elements including PGMA) and big liars. But let me clear that not all members or working for these (two) institution/s is/are bad doers: SOME BUT NOT ALL. It would be too much to say MAJORITY, right? It’ll take away what tiny speck of integrity and trust we have for it.
In the Constitution, the AFP is the “protector of the people and the State. Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory.” Clearly, this is a paradox to what is happening now because it has linked itself to great acts of mayhem, such as the walang kamatayang extrajudicial “unexplained” killings and lately, Jonas Burgos’ abduction. And let’s not forget the cheating event that transpired in 2004 with Garci and yours truly, the pseudo president of this country. This and a lot more evil plots would qualify them to be taken in as terrorists as defined by the new HSA of 2007. No one can deny that due to these incidents, the AFP has caused “a condition of widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace.” I took out the “in order to coerce the government to give in to an unlawful demand” because the AFP have or is coercing with the government.
In my head, if the AFP is our supposed protector against the malevolent, then the war in Mindanao is, again, between the LESS EVIL vs. EVIL. This is the reason, I think, why the war and our country can never be at peace.
1 Comment
August 5, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Thank you for your comment on my blog. This is a good article as well. Lines of communication are not open when it comes to getting answers.