This is only a hunch, but the foreign blogosphere seems far more interested in Philippine rebels behead 10 soldiers (see grim photos published by the Mindanao Examiner) than Filipino bloggers, particularly when it comes to commentary (simply reprinting entire news stories doesn’t cut it). What’s particularly interesting is this:
The government initially blamed Abu Sayyaf or renegade MILF militants for the kidnapping. However, the Roman Catholic news agency AsiaNews said criminal gangs were probably responsible for the abduction.
“The theory that Abu Sayyaf is behind the abduction of Fr Giancarlo Bossi does not hold water,” the news agency said. “Rather, from what we know, he is being held hostage by a gang of criminals.”
Among non-Filipino bloggers, the mood among the interested is grim unsurprise, as shown by Little Green Footballs. The Perpetual Malcontent, for one, seems exasperated by the AsiaNews story. WuzzaDem.com doesn’t think the American media is going to give the story the attention it deserves. as Minnesota Central puts it, there is a global war going on but media (including Bush-friendly media) doesn’t want to admit it. PrariePundit points out that while perhaps not very well known to Americans, the American-assisted campaign against the Abu Sayyaf represents “one of the most successful counterterrorism/counterinsurgency effort of the post-9/11period,” although the killing of the marines represents “a serious setback.” The blog relies heavily on Peter Brookes’ “The Forgotten Front,” which says,
The good news?
U.S.-Philippine operations have significantly weakened the terrorist group. Philippines forces have killed two senior ASG commanders since last December. One was sold out by an ASG member-turned-informant, motivated by the State Department’s rewards program.
Once 2,000 fighters strong, ASG’s been whittled down to around 200 to 300 today. As a result, its trademark bus and local market bombings have dropped off, as has its once-lucrative kidnapping practice. The threat has clearly receded.
But why has this operation shown success?
Indirect Approach: The United States isn’t doing the fighting. Philippine armed forces are – 15,000 of them, with 300 U.S. troops “advising and assisting.” Our forces are not only teaching counterinsurgency tactics and nighttime operations, they’re instructing the Filipinos to collect, analyze and fuse intelligence – even when it comes from a high-tech U.S. Predator drone.
This puts the local Philippine forces in the lead – and gives them the training and battlefield experience to provide a lasting capability that will endure long after the U.S. troops head home.
Hearts and Minds: A significant effort has been made to win local hearts and minds. U.S. and Philippine civil-affairs, humanitarian aid and exercises are helping separate the ASG from the general population. During regular joint “Balikatan” military exercises, Americans and Filipinos build roads, schools, water plants and piers that allow locals to build a better future for themselves – and instill trust and confidence in Manila.
Defense Reform: In 2002, the Pentagon undertook a bilateral program to help the Philippines identify much-needed defense reforms and boost our ally’s armed forces’ professionalization.
That extends to unsexy but vital areas such as maintenance and logistics. In 2001, Philippine military helicopters were mission-ready just 15 percent of the time. Today, those helos are ready for counterinsurgency 80 percent of the time.
Stick-to-itiveness: Despite up and downs in the bilateral relationship (especially when Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo withdrew forces from Iraq), Washington stuck to eliminating the ASG. Resolve makes a difference.
But the real question, it seems to me, is whether 10 Philippine Marines died at the hands of the Abu Sayyaf, or fell prey to a criminal gang. Philippine Commentary points to TV reporter sees empty houses before all hell breaks loose and gives a rundown of what happened; he’s particularly irked that the MILF issued a statement that the whole thing was in the nature of a command and control snafu, that they bore no responsibility but were quite gleefully willing to pick up weaponry from the battlefield.
if they were slain by the Abu Sayyaf, then did the terrorist group intercept the marines as they actually went after the bandits who have the Italian priest, or are the terrorists in league with the bandits, or trying to grab the bandits’ hostage? Whichever way you look at it, it seems a case of bad leadership on the part of the marines.
Let me say I am not a believer in the “see, people are dead! for their sake, abandon all your misgivings about current policy to fight terrorism!” way of arguing or thinking. I believe that this sort of argumentation strays very close to a terrorist mindset.
The President’s been making fire-breathing statements: 1st targets: Rogue AFP men, Reds, terrorists when it comes to the anti-terror law, which yesterday’s Inquirer editorial said should be reviewed now, rather than later. Study the law before making dire predictions, Palace tells critics of Human Security Act.
To help you figure out whether the opposition is valid or misguided, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of Geronimo L. Sy’s efforts to explain the anti-terror law’s provisions.
Meanwhile, AFP troops back in NCR.
In political news, on the evening of my last entry, the Comelec had already made a sudden volte-face: after Comelec flip-flops on Zubiri proclamation, it became COMELEC defers Zubiri proclamation. And just when the public was already set to cheer or jeer (see Winners make losers. Losers make excuses and starfish hands and Tinkie Fantasy for contrasting views) now Comelec in a bind over proclamation (I don’t buy Sarmiento’s logic). Anyway, for now, Koko Pimentel gears up for final stand.
Also,even as JDV: Secret ballot you want, secret ballot you get, there’s a twist: JdV supporters oppose secret vote proposal in choosing speaker while Garcia: JdV lost moral ascendancy for Speakership (on related matters, De Venecia son hit on broadband deal and GMA presses JdV to make Mikey energy committee chairman); in his column, Efren Danao says he think de Venecia still has the edge, but also goes into an educational description of an oft-used political word, “caucus”:
A caucus is held mainly to prevent a bloody or protracted confrontation on the floor. It is not true that only members of the same political party can hold a caucus. Members of different political parties belong to a coalition, whether administration or opposition, can hold a caucus. It can also involve both the majority and the minority, as in an all-Senate caucus which is held quite often.
Any one who says a caucus to settle the speakership issue is redundant because the official balloting will still take place on July 23 ignores the real nature of a caucus. It is a parliamentary tradition that any decision arrived at in a caucus will be binding on every one present. If Pabling wins at the caucus, JdV’s supporters will go for him on July 23. JdV is being true to parliamentary tradition when he said he would personally nominate Pabling on July 23 should Pabling win in the caucus. Those who do not want to be bound by any decision contrary to their own sentiments usually avoid caucuses like a plague.
Here is an addendum to the issue of secret balloting for the speakership as proposed by the Garcia camp. In my column last Monday, Rep. Raul del Mar of Cebu City said that secret balloting is contrary to House rules that prescribe roll call voting. Rep. Arthur Defensor explained why the rules called for roll call vote. Art, whom I also covered at the regular Batasan, stressed that a roll call vote is needed to determine who should belong to the majority and to the minority. Those who voted for the winner will constitute the majority and those for the loser, the minority. Definitely, the members of the majority and the minority could not be ascertained in a secret balloting.
Overseas: China executes former food safety chief over fake medicines. And Dr. Enzo von Pfeil gets interviewed on whether and how another Asian financial crisis could take place. Elizabeth Wilner suggests that in American politics, there aren’t any second chances anymore.
My column today is You get what you wish for; my Arab News column for this week is Nuclear Option Is Back on the Table in Philippines.
A brilliant passage from Manuel Buencamino’s blow-by-blow account of how the administration targeted Gringo Honasan and then, when Honasan became cooperative, suddenly pulled a rabbit out of its legal hat:
Susmaryosep! If a finding can be pulled out of a hat to let Honasan off the hook, why couldn’t the same be done for Trillanes?
Was it because rather than doing a Gringo, Senator Trillanes swore he would investigate extrajudicial killings, reopen the Garci case and continue to work for Mrs. Arroyo’s impeachment?
No, said government mouthpieces. Under the principle of equality before the law, Senator Trillanes deserved the same treatment as a pedophile who was twice elected to Congress while in detention and who, recently, received a commutation of sentence from a close family friend, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
There’s no need to detail the absurd Trillanes/Jalosjos parallel. Suffice it to say that mounting an 11-year-old girl to satisfy one’s perverted craving is not the same as mounting a mutiny against corrupt military leaders.
There is a difference between patriotism and pedophilia; between a man who stands for his beliefs no matter what and a trapo who stands principles on their head whenever it’s expedient. There is a difference between “de jure” and “de facto” ; between the rule of law and the rule of outlaws. But this regime wants you to believe “there ain’t no difference.”
Time and time again, this regime has used the law to mock the rule of law. And it has never hesitated to substitute a putative sovereign’s will for the sovereign will of the people. But this regime wants you to believe “it ain’t so.”
The same Justice Gonzalez who pulled that rabbit out of his hat, is the very same Gonzalez in this news story: Justice chief relieves Velasco from Burgos case. More in Burgos prosecutor sacked after tagging Isafp agents.
As Erap trial judges reach consensus, there’s the view of Billy Esposo that the ads, etc. are actually an Estrada supporters’ plot. He says something I believe to be true:
How many out there will be willing to risk life, limb and fortune to fight and die for Joseph “Erap” Estrada? It is one thing to sympathize with Estrada the jailbird or vote for the candidates he endorses. But to suggest that millions, or nay, even just thousands of people are willing to confront the State’s armed and police forces over a guilty verdict for Estrada is stretching the limits of the imagination too far.
Then he goes on to suggest that
Before the ad came out, no one had really challenged the fairness of the Sandiganbayan in handling the Estrada plunder case. Up to that day, the public had generally given the Sandiganbayan the benefit of the doubt that Estrada will get a fair trial and verdict.
But after the ad came out, the Estrada camp went to town to claim that a guilty verdict has been rigged. This tends to erode the public’s trust in the capability of the Sandiganbayan to render an impartial verdict. It leads the public to conclude that the Arroyo regime had already gone out of its way to force the court to render a guilty verdict.
In a way, the brand of justice that Secretary Raul Gonzalez had accustomed us to expect has conditioned the public to become cynical of court verdicts in the Arroyo era. Madame Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had cast the seeds of that kind of justice that Gonzalez sows, so she only deserves to reap that sort of public cynicism.
But think again – did you really believe that the Arroyo regime would be so stupid to place that kind of an ad? Common sense will tell you that ad creates an information environment that bolsters only the kind of thinking that the Estrada camp would want to promote.
A point to consider, though I’ve never been keen on the “they’d never be so dumb to do that!” argument. You really never know. For every act of brilliance, or at least breathtaking boldness, a political player’s capable off, there’s always the chance that a blunder can take place. Tony Abaya thinks the middle class has been permanently antagonized by the Estrada camp (I agree):
Given Erap’s past history of colluding with the comrades – not out of ideological commitment, but out of his personal desire to be freed from detention and cleared of the plunder charge – whatever violence is generated by a guilty verdict will not elicit support from the middle class, which avoided earlier efforts to entice them in 2003, 2005 and 2006, no matter how unpopular President Arroyo has become.
A not guilty verdict would embolden Erap and his entourage to try again, for the fourth time, to topple the Arroyo government, but such an enterprise is not likely to generate sympathy and support from the middle class, especially since the economy is doing fairly well and very few, if any, would want to do anything to muddy the economic waters, at least not for such undeserving persons as Erap and his communist allies.
Today’s Inquirer editorial says the trial’s been political from the start, but that the court’s handled things fairly well; see also the views of Marichu Lambino. Personally, I think people have made up their mind either way, but that one court people will end up respecting will be the Supreme Court -and the Sandiganbayan verdict will most likely be appealed, anyway.
An interesting column by Connie Veneracion on how she teaches.
In the blogosphere, even as columnists like Nestor Mata weigh in (pro Villar) bloggers ponder the Senate merry-go-round: big mango wonders which matters more, romance or practicality.
Placeholder on how giving up anonymity doesn’t necessarily mean one has to give up privacy.
Thanks to J. Dennis Torres and fmontserrat for the endorsements.
Technorati Tags: Blogging, elections, human rights, ideas, media, military, politics, president, Senate, society, war, Washington DC
CRIMINALIZATION of terrorist acts and terrorist conspiracies actually paves the way for a nonmilitary solution to both insurgencies.
It is a paradox some people cannot fit into their heads but must try to nonetheless.
You see, it is precisely because we uphold the right of people to believe in ideas, even strange ones like Marxism Leninism and theocracy, but cannot allow them to act on imposing these ideas on everyone else, that we seek to criminalize terrorism as a tactic to achieving those political or ideological ends.
What has happened over history is that these ideas have never had but a small base of support, yet they have survived by adopting guerilla war as a strategy not of victory but of avoiding political annihilation.
By criminalizing organized criminal activity that is being used to pursue larger ideological and political ends, we force the individuals in these movements to give up their violent and illegal means, without necessarily forcing them to give up their goals and ends.
It’s a tightrope act that the HSA must perform. And I will remind the Cassandras that GMA has only 3 years to go. Terrorism and terrorists will be a problem for a bit longer than than her, that’s for sure.
As I said, criminalization can lead to demilitarization of the solution path because now more than just the armed forces are involved. The intelligence and financial countermeasures are certainly the work of civilian professionals. Courts, lawyers, watchdogs, media and the Public are all engaged in the awesome tasks of self-defense.
Anti-terrorism is just common sense that way. The Military can’t handle it alone. You guys say that all the time. Now the HSA comes along and you complain.
I guess Liberals like having terrorism be purely the Military’s problem and not the public’s. Because then we’d have to think straight about what we really want to do to solve the problems for real.
I’m with MBW for a tougher, no-nonsense approach to the military aspect of things. But also the intelligence and nonmilitary operations.
MBW,
Here is something that will get you going. That report on Joma was just denied by the European Union on TV a few minutes ago. He is still on the EU’s terrorist list. Hahehihohu!
Oh is that so? Well, it’s not getting me going…try again.
cvj,
granting independence is not a solution.
it’ll only embolden the extremists more and ask for the whole Philippines. unless you have forgotten, Muslims consider any land which their ancestors have previously lived in, as theirs by right. and to remind you, Manila was once an Islamic city before the Spaniards came. come to think of it, so was most of the country.
and so is a mandatory draft. you would just be adding to the cycle of violence.
this war will never end unless you go directly to the source of the extremist’s/NPA’s/rebels’ strength. no ideology survives when the future generations refuses to adhere to it. (see my link above how that can be done)
i wish u could’ve watched a documentary i watched abt a tribe dying off. the young kids refuse to listen to their parent’s old ways, enticed by civilization, and by new wonders and possibilities offered by it. they left the jungle in search of a better life.
Oh, and Dean, re “The Military can’t handle it alone. You guys say that all the time. Now the HSA comes along and you complain.” I ain’t complaining. I’m indifferent to it. To me, that HSA is one simple crap of paper. It’s the backbone that’s needed to make things work to obliterate your dreaded MILF.
Devils,
Let’s set aside the ideology bit of the cause/causes of all these problems for a minute and for the sake of argument, and let’s talk of the operational bit that’s the cause of these problems, continuing existence of the parallel armies that’s making it difficult for the nation to settle down in relative peace.
1) it is primordial for any nation that’s been in rough and tumble war with its own citizens for generations to professionalize its armed forces; by professionalizing I mean, right salary, right training, respect of military traditions, right equipment, right commanders, right whatever
2) discontinue the peace talks and send those peacenik negotiators from Malaysia and Indonesia home (time to tell them you are useless, we’ll do it my way…)
3) disallow foreign troops fighting on its soil, or at least in public – don’t show them to the public – get our own troops to do the winning of hearts and minds bit of military propaganda
4) increase the size of the armed forces
5) and this is where justice must prevail – nope, I mean rule of law must prevail, punish erring military commanders and officials right away when a military operation or corruption is discovered. the military can do this on its own, no need to call on DoJ Gonzales to do it for them.
But truthfully, I don’t see those things happening today, not under Gloria or under Esperon not even if Dean’s HSA produced a dozen babies between today and tomorrow.
Key to dealing a serious blow to the MILF is rapid response fire – difficult to defeat the enemy by engaging in protracted warfire.
Your AFP isn’t a proud armed forces – give them something to be proud, treat the foot troops with decency. A regiment can survive without its officers but officers can’t without its regiment.
Ooops, but officers can’t without its regimental FOOT SOLDIERS (Msgts included!)
MBW,
i agree with what u said that the commanders are to blame for the marines’ deaths. that hit home, sending ten of them w/o back-up into extreme hostile territory…
just so u know, did they do it knowingly or unwittingly?
and here’s what’ll get your kibitzes, does the military really wanna erase these goons into oblivion or not?
remember that episode wherein trapped Abu Sayyaf were allowed to escape? i mean, they were surrounded, and yet they escaped?
if u were someone profiting heavily in all this war, would you want the carnage to stop? if u were someone whose sole existence and power comes from having this protracted war, would you wanna stop it? who would want their usefulness outlived?
why is the MILF still alive anyway? weren’t their camps overrun already? oh i forgot. those were MNLF camps! MILFs just had theirs spared by breaking away from MNLF and declaring peace w/d govt. why do they still have weapons?
gagnamit! Lord of War is so totally cool…
Devils,
Re just so u know, did they do it knowingly or unwittingly?
Know what? I think it’s the militics or intra-service politics or intra-service snaffu that could be partly responsible.
The back up support that the Marines (Phil Navy needed at that time or while the carnage was going on needs approval from central command: SOCOM or SOCOM is under an Army commander. If your Naval Task Force commander is the scared type, not wanting to bypass cencom, then he won’t send in or call for support or if he did and was asked:
Where are they? Roger! Don’t know… etc.
The guy at cencom post must have said, well, give me the bloody coordinates – can’t very well send in the only chopper i’ve got here that i need to return to manila without proper coordinates and left it at that then returned to manila.
your poor naval task force commander doesn’t have equipment and his air force equivalent wouldn’t send in anything without authorization from cencom so he’s left stranded.
what he should have done is asked HPN to intervene with higher hq – woken up the goddamn foic if necessary but heck, in your AFP today, few have the balls to do that.
Devils, i agree with you 100%. I’m sorry if i seemed to endorse those ideas. I just listed them for purposes of inventory.
DJB, your assertion that liberals consider terrorism a purely military problem is a red herring. For example, Manolo’s above link to my blog (thanks Manolo) is to a discussion on how we can eliminate anonymity (which is often taken advantaged of by would-be terrorists) without sacrificing privacy. Fellow [classical] liberal blogger Manila Baywatch has even volunteered concrete examples. Thinking of possible solutions to the terrorist threat is not the monopoly of neocons.
CVJ,
I bet most people who are against HSA have never read it! They rely on the opinions of others and feel no need to do so. Having convinced themselves of the herd’s firm decision to oppose it, they feel safe taking the usual moral cop out of not really thinking things through for themselves.
But in the case of the HSA I assert that passage of the law means terrorism becomes the concern of Civil Society and not just the Armed Forces.
It is a recognition that Terrorism is not just a military threat, but an inherently political and even cultural one.
As such it will involve the Public, the Media, academe, everybody else and not just the military. I think that is also why some people don’t want the law. Many people don’t want to be bothered by “police matters”, much less become involved in a “war on terror.” That is human nature. But perhaps it is unavoidable.
I claim the existence of the law expands the fight against terrorism beyond the purely military realm into areas like intel, finances, organization, even propaganda, public education and the whole thing about winning hearts and minds.
Just imagine that GMA is not the President. We would still need a Law such as HSA to conduct all these “non military aspects” of the fight against terrorism.
i went to bed last night before i saw this thread with the invitation “be the first one to comment”. i woke up this morning to see over 75 posts made overnight. i think you did strike a sensitive chord, mlq3.
i appreciate rom’s first comment. i thought the usual anti-gma cynics, which dominate this blog, couldn’t care less about atrocities when government forces are at the receiving end of depraved cruelty. our soldiers, who fight our battles and lay down their life, don’t become mere inanimate spare parts of a machinery just because they don military uniforms and carry arms to protect society from its enemies. they are still flesh and blood human beings, with parents, spouses, children and other loved ones, not to mention dreams that would never be fulfilled and hopes that are ended with finality. true, they get a few hundreds of pesos for what they do but do they deserve to be ignored when they die with their boots on?
where are those who, in this blog, hastily hailed the likes of dimasingsing (is that his name?) from maguindanao as a “hero”? what about those who beat their breasts in ostentatious display of outrage over so-called “extra-judicial” killings of activists cum communists, and alleged corrupt “envelopmental” journalists – without even being certain that the alleged killers were government agents?
yes, manolo, you hit a very soft spot in the conscience of many a commenter in this blog. some are obviously defensive, others are castigating the “stupidity” of the command (a la raul when he made a comment about julia campbell’s “carelessness”), while others, like rom and djb, are analyzing the reasons for the apparent lukewarm reaction. the big shame, however, is, we were engrossed in re-hashing the debate over the sins of estrada, and the brouhaha in the senate over selecting the new senate president, while the fiendish outrage was being inflicted upon our soldiers, some of whom were probably still alive at the moment.
cvj,
As a [classical] liberal, what in your opinion does “the terrorist threat” consist of, in practical and concrete terms? Would you classify what just happened in Basilan to be a terrorist incident if the beheadings turn out to be true? (I mean as opposed to the legitimate beheadings that happen in Jedda all the time, for example.)
The very neat lines some of us want to draw among the Abu Sayyaf, MILF and ordinary criminals are blurred in the hinterlands of Mindanao. What blurs these lines are money and family ties.
For instance, some pundits and political observers are sometimes surprised why the number of Abu Sayyaf fighters suddenly balloons when military intelligence estimates say that their number are decreasing. Some are quick to conclude that the military is sugarcoating its intelligence.
What we have in Mindanao are ordinary villagers who sideline as MILF Lost Command or Abu Sayyaf fighters if there is money to be made. We can readily see this with the abduction of Fr. Bossi. Suddenly, the ASG is not operating in small groups to avoid detection but in bigger groups because ransom money is almost at hand. It is Sipadan and Dos Palmas all over again. Once money is gained, they go back to being villagers.
Some military commanders have successfully prevented ambushes against their troops by gathering the village leaders and elders and telling them the howitzers will not spare their respective villages if soldiers get whacked within the vicinity of the villages. Ruthless but effective in the short term. However, it bites them in the end because it merely stokes the long-standing prejudices that have been the root cause of this little war.
Going back to the MILF, their claim to the ambush was merely to preempt charges that they do not have control over their supposed fighters. In fact, they really have no operational command over these fighters who are answerable to their respective warlords. These warlords, on the other hand, give lip service to the MILF leadership because they gain from the various concessions the government gives to the MILF. But if their is money to be made, they can can drop the MILF insignias and become instant ASG fighters. Clever, no?
As long as someone profits from war, peace cannot be attained. The siege of Lamitan showed how officers can manipulate a situation to the detriment of the entire operation. Lamitan hero Guinolbay is a living testimony that money really talks in the military. The AFP leadership is the last to wish for peace, mawawalan sila ng kickback.
Look at the big mansions retired generals own. The lowly foot soldier has to resort to squatting just to have a home.
ben,
of course there are those who are anti-gma, who are also anti-afp, and ultimately, anti the very idea of liberal, democratic political system such as we have. their objectives makes it difficult, at times, to stand up for a better republic. after all, if your enemy has an enemy, and your enemy, in your mind, is turning the country to the right, and the other enemy is turning the country to left, where does anyone in the middle stand? my view is,there are certain tools and policies that unwisely used, can turn a democracy into a rightist quasidictatorship; but pointing out those dangers leads you to snading side by side with left which, should they ever win, will eliminate the center with every much zeal and energy as they will the right.
i don’t think we should regret threshing out other problems. but the massacre serves as a reminder that there is a war going on, and that unless your ultimate objective is to destroy the republic and eliminate the afp, then this is a time whenpeople should come together to work through the problem.
to my mind it would:
1. an aggressive saturation drive in the area of conflict
2. a concurrent postmortem to figure out what went wrong
3. greater coordination and assitance from our allies as to what the next step should be
4. civilian leadership explaining to the public what went wrong, how it can be avoided, and a more cohesive and easy to understand set of briefings for the public and for provincial governments.
5. involving the muslim community who hold spiritual authority over muslim fighters, in coming up with teachings to remind the fighters that they are committing what is tantamount to war crimes.
6. local governments telling their officials what to watch out for; and briefings, through ads, etc. for the public to look for anything suspicious, and where to report it (this was how the london car bombings were foiled; no intelligence, just a vigilant public that noticed suspicious things).
You wonder why there was silence on the news about the Marines who were killed in action in Mindanao? This shows the insensitivity of a great segment of the population towards the military. It is sad that people do not show their concerns to the Filipino soldiers despite the great sacrifices they do.
So many of us including the media are quick to condemn when we see our soldiers’ mistakes, but did we give them praises when they do good, when they die fighting the insurgents for so many years (since 1970’s)?
Most of us play double standards, we only see what pleases us which in the end show our real colors.
Fear makes men do terrible things. And fear mongering is a terrible thing to do to man.
Dean said the attack could have been prevented if we had an anti-terror law because the military would have been able to bug cell phone messages etc.
Our side cannot gather intelligence without an anti-terror law?
A parallel army without the help of American and Australian technology could do it and was able to ambush our troops.
What is the anti-terror law, some kind of brain pill ?
Are those fucking idiot commanders playing golf in Camp Aguinaldo going to become tactical and strategic geniuses because of an anti-terror law?
Adopting the rationale for the anti-terror law serves to:
(1). legitimize Bush’s insane war; and (2). allow Gloria to stifle dissent. It won’t do anything more than that.
Let’s fight bandits the good old fashioned way. It worked against Kamlon, Nur Misuari, and against the MILF and Camp Abubakar.
Good intelligence on the ground, just like what those bandits used against the marine convoy, will go a lot further than the Deanie’s futile law.
As to solving the muslim insurgency…the problem is not in Manila. The problem is in Mindnao itself. It’s those warlord political dynasties in Mindanao who have stolen money meant for development and who have kept their constituents under their heel since time immemorial. Get rid of those warlords and you will democratize Mindanao and the MNLF/MILF/ASG won’t have a leg to stand on.
mlq3:with the exception of the saturation drive (which most of your commenters would no doubt object to), aren’t the rest of the items on your list being done?
as for civilian leadership explaining … i really don’t see how any headway can be gained by that. too many people refuse, nowadays, to listen (not that i blame them).
i really do hope people come together to resolve this whole gruesomeness. otherwise,those poor boys will really have died for nothing.
Anti-Terrorism Law or Human Security Act if implemented in accordance to its intentions, is just one tool to fight terrorism. Now again I will give my country as the basis, since I’ve been living here most of my life and very familiar with our own Anti-Terrorism Law, which was enacted and became in force in October of 2001 immediately following 9-11. It was hurriedly drafted and enacted that recent challenges by some of its victims found a few defects on it, but overall it was a good law.
To make everyone aware, next to the U.S.A., Canada has more Terrorist groups or potential for terrorists than any other country. The most important tool for fighting Terrorism is Intelligence Gathering. Where potentials and threats of terrorism are detected and disrupted before they materialized. Of course we have the absence of Insurgency and Rebellion that in most cases have resorted or switch to Terrorism as their new Techniques and Strategies for their ends.
I would for a moment suggest to examine the law, without considering who is in the administration or power.
*Will the law give more poser to the government in fighting terrorism?
*Will it complement good Intelligence, military and civilian to disrupt or prevent potential threats or stop the threat before they materialized?
*Are the safeguards in accordance with the Constitutions enough to guarantee the basic rights of individuals concerned as guaranteed?
Six years had passed since we have our Anti terrorism law in forced now. At first, critiques and opponents of the law, criticized the Liberal Government of PM Chretien of Dancing with the Neocons of George W, while the supporters where also complaining the Law didn’t go Far enough, but all agreed that it is indeed a very good law, since we didn’t experience the pains and sufferings that terrorists and terrorism had caused in some other countries. And we keep our fingers crossed that the men and women of our Civil and Military intelligence will be forever guided by their adherence to our Anti-Terrorists Act and good intelligence works..
And also hope that and when the Law comes into force in the Philippines that it will be used as Intended, To fight Terrorism and Terrorists and No other…
Mlq3,
I’ve just read pronouncement of Ed Ermita about not doing anything drastic that would jeopardize the peace process.
In my book, he is wrong to say that – it shows government’s hand, weak. He must admit that that the OIC-Malaysia led/chaired peace process with the MILF failed with the beheading of 10 marines and the death of 4 others.
If ever this government believes, no matter how minute this belief is, that the peace-process is not being served by the presence of our next door neighbour down south, our government must come forward and say it, must send the Malaysian peacenik panel back home, pure and simple.
Vic,
You’d be happy to know that UK govt peace process talks with the IRA (Irish Republican Army which counted only 800 members) moved forward with the help of Canada who sent a Canadian general oversee the surrender of weapons in 1996, America wasn’t called in because some American nationals and groups had been involved in the arms and money supply to the northern Irish terrorist IRA.
Malaysia is too involved down south including in our own territory to make them credible mediators in the so-called peace talks. They gotta be kicked out – time to stop yakitayakyaking.
Mlq3,
I go for the saturation drive! As I said, time to stop yakyakitayakiting.
UPn student asked me this question back in March and i told him that i think the defining feature that makes [for] an act of terrorism is disregard for collateral damage, i.e. the death of innocents.
The above definition has the advantage of covering both acts of rebel and bandit groups as well as the agents of State.
Also, a bit further back in Manolo’s November 5, 2005 blog entry (‘First Blood’), i acknowledged that the threat of terrorism (as a tactic) is real and that there is a clear need to eliminate the risk of a small group whatever their motivations to disrupt the lives of the general population. I said back then that , in this matter, there are practical issues that need to be sorted out. If i’m not mistaken, that’s also the first time i brought up the need to separate privacy from anonymity.
(Just a minor clarification, i believe MBW is the ‘classical’ (i.e. 19th century) liberal aka conservative, while i’m the liberal in the modern usage of the word. Anna, correct me if i’m wrong.)
If they were beheaded after death, i would classify it as an atrocity and a barbaric act which is probably part of their psy-war. If they were beheaded as prisoners of war, then it’s an act of terrorism as well as a war crime.
This is when I believe there should be a naval blockade – not the one they put up a few months ago around Sulu for no apparent reason save that there were ongoing balikatan exercises, etc.
The government watns to show it means business? Now is the time to show it – don’t allow the MILF to behead 10 more soldiers before doing it.
Cvj,
I think your definition is quite accurate! I could say I fall in the classical liberal category.
The Duke of Wellington was one!
The Duke of Wellington was a typical clasical liberal (never mind his century) – he would talk to his enemies through mediators while preparing for battle and if he couldn’t get them to sue for peace, he attacked but made sure unarmed civilian population were out of the way or as best as he could get them out of the way.
His motto was boy scout motto: BE PREPARED
Manila Bay Watch,
I also read somewhere, that our government offered to get involve in the MILF-Government Peace Process by helping In Organizing Good Governance, if ever the two sides come to term. I think we are in better position for we don’t have any baggage or chips on our shoulders. and also this morning the Defense Chief is Contemplating of changing the role of Forces in Afghanistan as Trainers to the Afghan Forces instead of Fighting role. That is a good first step for our complete withdrawal after our committment expires in 2009. And we will just stick to peacekeeping after that, which we are very good at…
Allow me to but in cvj and answer djb’s question as if he asked it of me:
Would you classify what just happened in Basilan to be a terrorist incident if the beheadings turn out to be true? – DJB
NO! I would consider it an act of war.
Vic,
I was gonna suggest the same thing – ask Canada to chair the peace talks if peace talks there should be – precisely for the same reason, Canada has no chip on its shoulders re Mindanao problem.
Vic,
I would welcome anything from Canada, I am a great supporter of their NATO initiatives in Afghanistan. Made friends among their delegation during a NATO-sponsored meet in Ankara that ended 1st July.
vic, not that there is anything wrong with it, but i’m having a little problem when you refer to “our”, “ours”, we, and us, in your comments. i think you are a canadian naturalized citizen, but with your seeming keen interest in philippine affairs, i kind of wonder sometimes if you are speaking from an outsider’s perspective or as a “former” filipino who just want to point out the superiority and wisdom of your adopted country’s ways and policies. in any event, if it’s beneficial, i think there’s nothing wrong in copying or utilizing it. i’m not sure about the others but i think we, filipinos, need all the help, we can get.
Ben,
I think it was unfair for you to criticize those who “castigated” the stupidity of those who were in command after what happened in the ambush and paint us in the corner with those who demonize the armed forces because of anti-gma sentiments. You’re painting in too broad a stroke. I thought you were better than that. And the comparison to “raul” took the cake.
I, for one, think that it is just one of the things that need to be objectively analyzed so that lives of our soldiers are not sacrificed needlessly. I don’t think I am devaluing the lives lost by trying to point out errors and lapses that could have been avoided and saved their lives. At least, future lives would be saved by more prudent and decisive command and control.
I don’t need to shout to the high heavens to damn the Abu Sayyaf or the MILF’s lost commands. They’re already demons in my book. Nor would I use the soldiers’ deaths to push for a law that couldn’t have saved them. And for the argument that they could have been saved if the communication lines were being monitored, the military has been using the technology a long time ago. They weren’t just using it against the right people (Yes, DJB. The military has been using everything that your precious HSA provides even before the law was crafted. And you better make up your mind whether to call the HSA a stupid law or the savior against terrorism. Consistency seems to be not one of your strongest suits).
“As long as someone profits from war, peace cannot be attained. The siege of Lamitan showed how officers can manipulate a situation to the detriment of the entire operation. Lamitan hero Guinolbay is a living testimony that money really talks in the military. The AFP leadership is the last to wish for peace, mawawalan sila ng kickback.”
Yes. Reminds you of the Bushes and Lockheed Martin huh? Whenever profit goes down bec the world is getting relatively peaceful, these guys instigate wars to up demand considerably to their side.
Anyone ever consider the idea that perhaps these events (Fr. Bossi’s abduction, the marines’ beheadings) were orchestrated by people agst the peace process currently going on?
jaxius, i tried to re-read my entire 10:51 pm post in search of anything that sounds like an opinionated criticism of the varied reactions of commenters here on the subject. i found none other than the use of the words “castigated” and the comparison to “raul” about which you are complaining about. what i stated as “reactions” are factual, not conjectures. if you disagree with that, show me why.
i did lament the fact that, as rom first observed, there was a seeming disinterest on the part of the “usual suspects” with regard to the atrocities apparently because the victims were men in uniform, and that while some were quick to anoint a suspicious character a “hero”, they were silent as to the truly heroic acts of the soldiers.
i do agree with you that this matter is deadly serious for our country and has to be “objectively analyzed” and see where we have gone wrong. after that, we have to employ real and effective solutions to address the problem. but first we have to get rid of the divisive, offensive and adversarial mindset, both in words and in deed, before we can even begin to do the right thing.
to save the abducted priest, into VERY HOSTILE and unfriendly territory, the military decides to send 10 marines to do the job. (im not sure if there were only ten)
to do community work and anti-left propaganda, the military decides to send battalions into metro manila and elsewhere.
this, kinda shows how AFP generals think. bec Gloria and her minions are busy diverting military personell in “other” crusades, the areas really in need of military presence, are left unattended until events like this happen. upon which GMA will agn LIP her way into magnanimity, as if her words still mean anything but just that…
i meant FROM a very hostile..not INTO
devilsadvc8:it’s really not that hard to understand. a small force, going into territory that, while traditionally hostile, holds no discernable or immediate threat, would be a better choice than a battalion. nothing in the reports seems to indicate that these boys or their commanders knew they were going into battle. on the other hand, community work means you have to cover a lot of territory. a large contingent would therefore be better able to do the work more efficiently since the work would be spread out.
and i hope, devil, that you are not demeaning or ridiculing the afp’s community work which, according to media accounts, is well-received and appreciated by its beneficiaries. anything to discredit government’s efforts, huh devil? you really deserves your name. what a fit!
bencard,
just for everyone information, Canada has only one Class of Citizenship, however it is acquired. that anyone, unlike in some other countries, U.S. for one that a naturalized citizen can not hold specific office like the Presidency and some others. and if you notice we don’t use hyphen like fil-can or chin-can.
and also we have a choice to have as many citizenship’s and as a natural Pilipino born, I still maintain the same assumption that once you are a citizen of a country, you remain a citizen, unless renounced, but technically I was stripped of the Philippines citizenzhip the day I pledged the oath of Canadian citizenship some thirty years ago.
also I have most of my family relatives
in the Philippines and it is always our wish that they will see the day that they will have a governance, that they can be proud of and by the way, quite a lot of our fellow Pilipinos asked me to impart some observation of our system here, especially the electoral process including one working with the Comelec hoping that it will somehow help him convince his bosses in the commission that transparency in electoral process also comes with sound quidelines and strict enforcements. but so far, i don’t see he has any effects….
Just read this in GMA news:
Arroyo defied on MILF hunt as Esperon holds punches
07/12/2007 | 05:49 PM
Contrary to the presidential directive to go after the Moro Islamic Liberation Front following Tuesday’s bloody clash, Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr opted Thursday to exercise restraint in its ongoing offensive against the separatist rebels.
Esperon said he is holding their punches because “we have peace process that is ongoing” and an investigation into the bloody encounter is underway.
“With the death of 14, 10 of whom are beheaded, there is a natural tendency to be angered by the dastardly act but our soldiers are keeping their cool, their senses, keeping in mind that this is not all about just getting back at the perpetrators,” said Esperon.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo earlier Thursday ordered the military to “hunt down” those who killed 14 Marines and beheaded 10 of them following an encounter in Tipo-Tipo town in the island-province of Basilan.
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Sanamagan! I would very much like to know what Esperon proposes to do; as the leader of the Surrender Gang, I suppose he will ask to sit down with the MILF spokesman himself and say “Bati na tayo!”
Djb,
I don’t know how your HSA is gonna work when even your own chief of staff, AFP seems to have surrendered.
Gobsmacking in the extreme!
And he’s lying!
Ask any marines if they’re keeping “…their cool, their senses and keeping in mind that this is not all about just getting back at the perpetrators.” He probably is keeping his cool, etc. etc yak yak but I don’t believe for one second that the foot marine troops is not rarin to go to avenge their comrades.
Esperon reminds me of Angie Reyes in 1998 who as SOCOM commander was lambasted by General Nazareno CSAFP during a command conference because he was wanted to solve the MILF problem via an AIM patterned presentation.
Nazareno asked: 1st Division, are you ready to fight? Reply: Yes sir, to the last man, Sir!
Second division, you ready to go? Reply: Right away, Sir!
And after having made the round of all the commanders in the conference turned to Angie Reyes and said: Well, it seems you are all prepared to fight except the Commanding General SOCOM!
thanks, vic, for the information. however, i am a u.s citizens, and like others here, we refer to ourselves as “filipino-americans” or “fil-ams”. the natives, and the government, don’t care how we call ourselves. it’s just our own preference, not a mandatory requirement. nor does it denote any kind of inferiority or lower class citizenship.
i guess its “to each his own”. i guess that, regardless of all legalities, once a filipino, always a filipino.
My heartfelt condolences to the families, relatives and friends of the dead troops.
Good night folks!
MWB,
don’t believe everything you read. What Esperon probably says is the official line. If something happens, there would be nothing to tie up to the AFP because the official policy is one of level-headedness. Plausible deniability.
AFP’s intelligence units are probably picking up the usual suspects now. Namimitas na ng hinog!!!
“it’s really not that hard to understand. a small force, going into territory that, while traditionally hostile, holds no discernable or immediate threat, would be a better choice than a battalion. nothing in the reports seems to indicate that these boys or their commanders knew they were going into battle.”
territory that is hostile yet holds no discernible or immediate threat? which is it?
“on the other hand, community work means you have to cover a lot of territory. a large contingent would therefore be better able to do the work more efficiently since the work would be spread out”
right. a city is A LOT of territory while a jungle is just A LIL playground.
“and i hope, devil, that you are not demeaning or ridiculing the afp’s community work which, according to media accounts, is well-received and appreciated by its beneficiaries. anything to discredit government’s efforts, huh devil? you really deserves your name. what a fit!”
no. if only that’s all that they do. and sad no? for people to feel safe only when soldiers are around. i guess we should abolish the useless PNP then.
and i would not expect you to understand the name which im going by here in Manolo’s blog and elsewhere. anything to disparage a govt critic huh ben? going so far as to ridicule one’s name… (does my name even matter in this discussion, no matter if i deserve it? and yes, i do deserve it :p)what’s next?
ay mali. MBW pala. sori.