UNDER P-NOY WATCH:
PEACE CALL TURNS TO 'ALL-OUT WAR' AND 'ALL-OUT JUSTICE'
By Abdullah Osman, BMNews Correspondent
|
 |
|
An OV-10 bomber plane used by the Armed Forces of
the Philippines in bombing MNLF & MILF Forces in Jolo,
Basilan & Zamboanga Sibugay. |
BMNews, Zamboanga City- "It is really strange that
the civilian Philippine government now is beholden to
its military branch," said Prof. Daim Abadi, head of the
Bangsamoro Strategic Research Center (BSRC). "It is like
the Philippines and today's civilian leaders have not
taken off from the ugly vestiges of Martial Law declared
by President/Dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1972 that
ultimately ended when he was bolted out from power in
1996," he further explained.
Does this mean that the newly-created Armed Forces
of 'Pabaon' (AFP) officials can declare an "All-Out War"
anytime of the day even under a popularly-elected
Philippine president? This is apparently the case now
when suddenly All-Out War break loose in Sulu, Basilan
and Zamboanga Sibugay orchestrated by some AFP officials
to prove that they're in control of the situation and
need money fast to sustain any declared war. Also, any
time too, they can always claim and declare "victory."
It is observed that after the wake of the
Philippine Senate hearing that revealed the shenanigans
in both the AFP and PNP agencies, unmasking the 'pabaon'
(take away home pay) generals, ghost soldiers by
thousand fold, kidnap for ransom share by AFP officials,
human rights violations, etc., the military leadership
had to scheme diversionary tactics. This followed the
startling reports of unusual and expected happenings in
war-torn Mindanao by the Philippine media to create high
tension atmosphere.
As recalled sometime in early September, this year,
the Philippine military and public media reported the
expected kidnappings in Zamboanga peninsula and Sulu,
including the foiled bombings in Zamboanga and Cotabato
City. In the midst of the peace process between the
Philippine government and Bangsamoro freedom fighters
and strict observation of the agreement of cessation of
hostilities or ceasefire, the colonial AFP Army Scout
Rangers mysteriously attacked the MNLF camp in Sumisip,
Basilan, in September 11, killing 3 and seriously
wounding 1 MNLF National Security Command (NASCOM)
forces. The AFP raiders also burned both the flag of the
MNLF and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). The
MNLF Secretary General Ustaj Mushi Ibrahim described the
incident as a "barbaric act aimed to sabotage the
MNLF-OIC-GPH's relentless and arduous effort to resolve
the already century-old political conflict between the
Muslim people and Imperial Manila." MNLF Chairman Prof.
Nur Misuari filed a formal complaint on the treacherous
event to the OPPAP and the Office of the OIC Secretary
General.
Few days after the provocative AFP attack on the
MNLF Basilan camp, fighting suddenly erupted in Jolo,
where AFP Marine camp in Talipao was strangely attacked
by unknown armed men belonging to a "parrang sabil" (martydom)
group, resulting in the killing of 13 attackers.
AFP ASSAULT ON BASILAN MILF CAMP
The unusual AFP aggression was followed up in
October by another sudden attack on the MILF camp in
Basilan that resulted in the killing of 19 colonial
occupation soldiers and 6 Bangsamoro freedom fighters.
Furthermore, the violent incident was strangely followed
by sudden ambush and fighting in Sibugay Zamboanga that
involved MILF forces and AFP/ PNP troops, resulting in
the death of 3 soldiers and 3 policemen.
While the MILF leadership expressed surprise and
bewilderment on the sporadic series of unexpected
hostilities between their forces and the AFP soldiers,
the ersthwhile collaborators of Marcos Martial Law
regime turned political opportunists, like Senators Juan
Ponce Enrile and Panfilo Lacson, Congressman Rodolfo
Biazon and convicted plunderer ex-President Joseph
Estrada, called for immediate suspension of peace talks
and clamored for "All-Out War". The emotional demand of
the rabid Christian Filipino colonzers for vengeance and
hatred against the colonized Muslims of Mindanao was
sensationalized by the Philippine major Print-TV media
networks, especially ABS-CBN.
Nonetheless, the cry to All-Out War also
encountered caution and protest from conscious peaceful
society groups and personalities, like former President
Fidel V. Ramos, who reminded the Filipino and Bangsamoro
communities of the humanitarian disaster experienced by
a close to a million innocent Muslim, Christian and
Highlander refugees needing global assistance during the
All-Out War in the year 2000.
It was clearly noted that the All-Out War to "wipe
out" the Muslim freedom fighters and to drive them out
from their camps, particularly Camp Abubakar as-Siddique
in Cotabato, was declared by former President Estrada
only to salvage his scandal-ridden presidency. As
reported by the Philippine media, the Estrada post
All-Out War strategy was celebrated by "holding a lunch
of beer and lechon (roast pig)" right in the former MILF
Camp Abubakar. On one hand, the arrogant display of
human pride and disrespect for cultural-religious
sensitivity angered and insulted the Muslims of Mindanao
and the Islamic Ummah worldwide. President Estrada was
later impeached and booted out from Malacanang six
months after the incident. He was rejected by the people
and later convicted, arrested and jailed for plunder.
In today's All-Out War scenario under the Aquino
watch, it is seemingly seen that the president himself
is committed to his loud call for "just and lasting
peace" in war-torn Mindanao. Thus, his version of war
footing is selective targeting only the so-called
lawless elements, who have no respect for the peace
process. He has also earlier called for thorough
investigation of the MILF-AFP Basilan encounter,
reprimanding some AFP officials not totally conscious of
the peace process.
Lately, after the conduct of the AFP offensive
operations in Zamboanga Sibugay that has resulted to
looming humanitarian disaster with over 20,000 families
fleeing from their homes to seek refuge in peaceful
areas, the AFP leadership have declared "victory". The
colonial AFP occupation soldiers conducting the military
operation in the area found the MILF forces decimated
and not resisting at all, meaning the Bangsamoro freedom
fighters are more conscious of the on-going peace
process.
From a loud call to All-Out Peace, to selective
All-out War, the present Aquino government has now
adopted "all-out justice" to oversee the Filipino-Moro
war in Mindanao in pursuing the peace process?
-abo, BMNews Correspondent
