But it seems to me questionable whether any government has the right to demand loyalty from its citizens beyond its willingness or ability to render actual protection.
-Quezon To MacArthur, January 28, 1942
For once, I agree absolutely with Bong Montesa: never play the game of chicken. If this recent Inquirer editorial pointed out the administration has so botched up the peace process and is zigzagging so clumsily today, as to make the restoration of peace so much more difficult, the subsequent Inquirer editorial,suggests the MILF finds itself in a bind, because of the hostilities that have erupted and for which it took credit. Pointing to August 22 news item MILF Chair Al Haj Murad raise points in meeting IMT and the from Luawaran.com,’ the editorial suggested that the MILF (or the faction of its leadership that wanted to achieve its political aims through negotiations) was trying to invoke the assistance of its Malaysian sponsors. See –MILF asks Malaysia to convene peace panel – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
Davao City councilor Peter Lavina in his bog, suggests that the Malaysian government officially speaking, is supportive. But the political reality in Malaysia is that the government is in its own version of survival mode. Lip service and a little diplomatic nudging here and there is all very good, but in determining the cost-effectiveness of using a nation’s resources (diplomacy, economics, military, etc.) there is little going for Malaysia if it publicly supports armed rebellion on the part of the MILF.
Militarily, even, the dilemma is there. If you assume, as some do, that the MILF possesses SAM’s in its inventory, it cannot use them now, or even later. For to do so would provide proof of foreign funding or at least facilitation/support; and regionally speaking, Malaysia as the likely culprit would trigger unease in Indonesia and alarm countries like Thailand (both being firm U.S. allies) which is fighting its own Muslim secessionists.
And so it seems the last-ditch appeal, perhaps by the more moderate among the MILF’s leadership, is for the Malaysians to give a sign that they continue to enjoy that country’s confidence and backing, in an effort to convince the other foreign powers to head off full-blown hostilities. Again, here is a confluence of interests: the Americans wouldn’t be too keen on hostilities because as the primary funder of our armed forces it would have to foot the bill and this includes what the Americans know all too well includes lining generals’ pockets (see Who Profits From The War in Mindanao? | Filipino Voices). It wouldn’t even really help the American arms industry. Not much money to be gained with out Korea and Vietnam War-era weaponry.Add to this the possibility that SouthEast Asia, including the Philippines, exists in a kind of policy limbo vis-a-vis Washington: In Asia » Blog Archive » Asian Policy Challenges for the Next President.
But that doesn’t mean that these nations could prevent a shooting war, either.
So when the MILF announced, on August 21, it would hold a press conference on August 23, I had deep misgivings. What would they say? After their former brio, they’d been complaining that AFP uses excessive force in attack pulverizing Muslim communities, which ignores who started the fighting or the absurdity of expecting the AFP not to send in the PAF.
Though they did have a point in saying MILF: CAFGUs, CVOs, plus Pinol, et al=Ilagas which the PNP, for one, validated by the tactic of arming civilian militias (see PNP sending shotguns to Mindanao auxiliaries – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos). The news of state-armed militias is indeed troubling; it is a sign of weakness and does not address the sort of insecurities that led to this: see Iligan City Hall Sights « preMEDitated.
Where did this insecurity come from? On one part, the public being unsure of what, really, the administration’s game plan was concerning Mindanao (in a nutshell: An irresponsible response « Mon Casiple’s Weblog on Philippine Politics). Second, the Palace having to respond to public hostility to its peace plan, and that response being at best, a confusing combination of bluster and appeasement. ALthough RG Cruz puts forward the Palace line of a STRATEGY CHANGE | RG CRUZ which suggests some sort of rhyme or reason, crude zigzaging seems a more appropriate description: Malacañang Backtracks on BJE MoA Even As Supreme Court Set to Rule on Constitutionality » The Warrior Lawyer | Philippine Lawyer.
Third, uncertainty concerning traditional allies such as the United States (see US silent on MILF terrorism « Peter Laviña New Blog) and Fourth, the possibility that the armed forces intervened by mounting operations even when the President hadn’t quite made up her mind on that to do. In his blog, thenutbox actually suggests the President announced offensive operations to retroactively rubberstamp the armed forces’ decision to begin them, regardless of the President’s position on the matter:
What my uncle told me was that Mrs. Arroyo actually ordered the attacks against MILF after the generals have already decided to launch the AFP offensive.
Arroyo’s inability to control her temper, his hypothesis went on, is actually borne out of her fright of the generals’ deciding by themselves without consulting her. She made a complete turn-around in his policy towards the MILF to appease the generals who were clearly pissed off with the BJE deal she made with the rebel group. And she wanted to appease the generals as soon as possible, hence her uncontrolled emotions for the delay of the taping.
At first I dismissed this as another conspiracy theory from a Gloria-hater. But veteran journalist Ellen Tordessillias, in a reply to a comment I posted on her blog, confirmed that, indeed, the anti-MILF mopping operations were actually carried out before the Bitch ordered them.
Note that Tordesilla’s military sources are excellent. I’d also heard on my own from a retired senior officer that Camp Aguinaldo had leaked the RP-MILF agreement to the media in the first place, and when I asked the retired officer if the agreement had the sanction of the AFP, the retired officer had emphatically shaken his head and said, “no, the AFP will fight!”
Note that Tordesilla’s military sources are excellent. I’d also heard on my own from a retired senior officer that Camp Aguinaldo had leaked the RP-MILF agreement to the media in the first place, and when I asked the retired officer if the agreement had the sanction of the AFP, the retired officer had emphatically shaken his head and said, “no, the AFP will fight!”
Put another way (see Philippine Politics 04: Arroyo needs to defend and explain the MOA-AD) if the President really did see the deal as an opportunity to display statesmanship, her statesmanlike resolve dissolved quite quickly, indeed. And Fifth, I’d say, a kind of latent nationalism everyone in official circles had assumed wasn’t there anymore (see This is what will happen to the Philippines after signing the GRP – MILF Memorandum of Agreement : OTWOMD | Bluepanjeet.Net)
The President hasn’t given supporters of the peace deal any chance to save themselves or the cause of peace. Which, sad to say, has been the repeated experience of those who still suffer from the delusion that they can achieve their idealistic goals by means of a pragmatic alliance with the President.
So if there are defenders, still, of the MOA: MOA-AD a path to peace, says Archbishop Quevedo « SCRIPTORIUM and refer to Red’s Herring: SC review imperils Mindanao peace process; then see The Palace’s High Cost of Learning | ralphguzman.org.
And refer to GOING IN CIRCLES « THE MOUNT BALATUCAN MONITOR and PUSONG MAMON « THE MOUNT BALATUCAN MONITOR to get a glimpse into how people -particularly Filipinos seized by uncertainty in the affected areas of Mindanao- began to send the message to civilian and military officials alike that in the absence of any reassuring information that the government knew what it was doing and would defend citizens seized by panic, that they would then take matters into their own hands.
And the would do so in the manner of their forefahers, see Viva Iligan! « preMEDitated:
In the speech, he appealed for:
Calm.
Bravery.
Community.
And Solidarity.He also urged community leaders to lead the people under them, to prepare for the worst, and fight if the need arose. He also mentioned the presence of the tanks and the several thousand strong army defending Iligan.
He also mentioned that the people of Iligan should not be afraid because God and Senior San Miguel was on our side. He closed his speech with a, “Viva Senior San Miguel!, to which the people heartily replied a “Viva”.
Although, I’m Protestant and do not agree with Catholic veneration of saints and even angels, I could not help but realize that the Mayor was speaking the heart language of the Iliganon, something that they could understand. He was speaking the old language of the Spanish times at the time when the citizens of the old fort of Iligan defended the fort and even waged battle against the Moros. Historically, even though Iligan was just a doorstep away from the Moro stronghold of Marawi, it was never conquered by Muslims despite the fact that at that time their pirates raided Christian towns as far away as Luzon.
“War,” Clausewitz famously wrote, “is the continuation of politics by other means.” Samuel Johnson also famously warned that “patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels,” and yet it is also a time when a formerly divided people can find unity and leaders can tap into a kind of mystical reservoir of national solidarity and idealism:
As Juned Sonido, perhaps one of the most even-tempered bloggers around reflected, in a time of conflict there is the need to be aware of the dangers of jingoism and the imperative that should weigh heavily on all those in authority: to provide protection from those who hold allegiance to the state. What distinguishes the two? A clear and present danger, a compelling need:
At present waltzing around the negotiation table is as useful as cupping a corpse. It is hard to negotiate when one side has not given up the armed option or has no control over its army while the other side seems to be following the likes Neville Chamberlain at Munich – practicing vermi-negotiation or the art and science of negotiations by the worms at Munich.
Meanwhile, the war continues and people are hurt. A few hours ago a bomb was exploded in Zamboanga. Will this again reach the other corners of the country. Another bomb in the MRT or LRT?
Is this jingoism? No. This is a matter of national self defense.
It is the duty of the State to protect the citizens who opt to stay in this country. Otherwise these same citizens will go to other means to protect themselves.
You have to wonder whether such viligantism can view anything other than bloodcurdling hostility as acceptable.
By way of Carl Parkes — FriskoDude: Philippines: The Sulu Zone of Peace who points us to Jolo’s gun culture – Sidetrip with Howie Severino, we catch a glimpse of the complexities of conflict and clan relationships among the Moros. Those like the Catholic bishops clamoring for peace know from personal experience that peace is possible but peace between Christians and Muslims is made doubly difficult as peace among the Moros is difficult enough to achieve. Though it can be done: see A Lesson on Clan Conflict Resolution in the Philippines.
The reality however is that even though it’s always denied it, the Palace is sensitive to public opinion particularly when that opinion starts triggering May, 2001 flashbacks in the President’s inner circle.
Where that opinion is -and how it’s increasingly hostile to any policy other than crushing the MILF- can be gleaned from surveying the blogosphere:
See The Journal of The Jester-in-Exile: Are Yu Dif? Didna Her? then The Philippine Experience, as well as fiesty commentaries from mindanao is the land, promise « Geisha (gay’sya) Diaries and Mindanao « the Scribe in Me and The Art and Science of – Notes from an Apathetic Atenean Doctor. As well as idiosyncratic thoughts: hay.. and A SCENARIO EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH OUT « THE MOUNT BALATUCAN MONITOR.
On a more philosophical note, two entries discuss A Just War | Filipino Voices and A Just War: Road to A Just Peace | Filipino Voices (what is a “Just War”? See Just War – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). The voices raised against war are few and far between, see: Oppose the Mindanao War « Pinoy Observer
And while some will ask (and perhaps hope) Critical Criterion Edition: Peace in Mindanao? Here is A sober reminder that the war is real | Filipino Voices which makes for cautionary reading, as does this entry from General Santos City, in For the Children | HomewardBound:
12:52 PM Our principal called for an emergency meeting, the second meeting we had today that zeroed in on matters of safety and security. The schools has received calls that messages were circulating about schools in General Santos City whose students and teachers were hostaged. We were not very sure of the report but for the reason that we have to secure the safety of our students, we have decided to send them home.
However, we could not simply let them take the public transport, which will drop them in downtown GenSan. So, we arranged for vehicles that will take them to their respective homes. Those who have their own vehicles were fetched by their parents.
What happened in the elementary school is a different story. Panicking parents rushed to the school fetching their kids. Some drivers told us about the chaos in the elementary school.
Some member of the authorities went to our school to reassure us that none of the reported events were true and that we are relatively safer here. That’s a bit of a relief. But who knows what will happen next? Better safe than sorry.
Intuitive: We Need Your Prayers echoes the unreported reality for most Filipinos, worried about loved ones and even their property and livelihoods. Meanwhile, everyone waits to see which side will escalate matters and bring the front lines to other metropolitan centers of the Philippines.
to grd: siguro nga, tama ang sabi mo na mahihina ang kokote ng mga nasa US state department.
Sa pagka-alam mo, totoo ba iyong paliwanag sa luwaran-dot-com na may tunay na Abu Sayyaf na patakbo ng MILF at may pekeng Abu Sayyaf na patakbo ng deep-penetration-agents ng fort Aguinaldo?
supremo: Yahoo-news echoes what you said:
A self-styled hockey mom and political reformer, Pallin was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, population 6,500, until she became governor.
. . .
She is a former mayor of Wasilla who became governor of her state in December, 2006 after ousting a governor of her own party in a primary and then dispatching a former governor in the general election.
More recently, she has come under the scrutiny of an investigation by the Republican-controlled legislature into the possibility that she ordered the dismissal of Alaska’s public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law as a state trooper.
Palin has a long history of run-ins with the Alaska GOP hierarchy, giving her genuine maverick status and reformer credentials that could complement McCain’s image.
. . . .
She has also distanced herself from two senior Republican office-holders, Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don young. Both men are under federal corruption investigations.
She had earned stripes  and enmity  after Murkowski made her head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. From that post, she exposed ethical violations by the state GOP chairman, also a fellow commissioner.
Her husband, Todd Palin, is part Yup’ik Eskimo, and is a blue-collar North Slope oil worker who competes in the Iron Dog, a 1,900-mile snowmobile race. The couple lives in Wasilla. They have five children, the youngest of whom was born in April with Down syndrome.
———-
and I thought I saw mention that one of her children is US Marine or Army.
It’s a proxy fight. We don’t expect President McCain to live to finish his tenure as president so essentially, the americans are voting Sarah as the first president.
I like that she’s sooooooooooo conservative and has 5 children! Wow, masipag! She obviously did not care about the risks of having children at 44 kaya sige pa rin, natural family planning.
@UP n
ginawa namang drama ni Sarah na may anak siyang army eh McCain and Biden don’t talk about it eh pareho rin silang may anak serving in the military.
don’t you just lurve that she talked about her personal life, her family etc ?? married 20 years? etc etch…It’s very USAmerican.
That’s entertainment for us! 67 days of better than Kuya Germs’ shows!
So later, will see a one-on-one on the basketball court — Michelle Obama versus Sarah Barracuda? And she has a republican appeal (but Hugh Hefner may ask if she’ll want to pose) — worked for two years as a television sports reporter before becoming a co-owner of a commercial fishing operation. She’s also owned an outdoor recreational equipment company. Palin was crowned Miss Wasilla in 1984 and also competed in the Miss Alaska pageant. She likes to hunt, ice fish, ride snowmobiles and eat moose burgers.
[ I would think moose burger will taste like kalabaw-burger.]
It seems that McCain’s handlers put the question to several focus groups to pitch (now using UP stude’s term) to a broad segment: white, female, middle America, conservative socially but a politcal maverick, soccer Mom, married to a native-American, etc.
Its like in that movie about selecting a jury, Runaway Jury(?)
Now we have a VP candidate, little known but could be market-driven.
According to Wiki (which is not the best place for info) she is a CREATIONIST!
Yee-ha! Hand her the nucko-leyar strike codes quick!
It gets better by the minute!
I watched Obama’s acceptance speech, and among the things that strike me is that it was a historic moment —- a black, to repeat, a black is the declared nominee of a major party for the office of the President of the United States. [Okay…. Obama from Kenya — African father, Dunham from Kansas – white mother. ]
The significance of that historic moment is overwhelmed by a practical issue — who will lead the United States of America for the 4 years Jan 2009-Jan 2013.
Ancestry much-less important an issue than competence to shape the future.
Michelle Obama is the darling of the Dems and Sarah Palin the darling of the GOP.
In the Philippines, we have GMA The Bitch and GMA The Wimp.
UPn,
sorry, wala akong alam. i just rely on what i read.
upn, i don’t think i want to change things just for “history” sake. if it must, it must be a change i can live with or die for. the future of america does not hinge on “anything-for-a-change-because-i-don’t-like-the-present” mindset. i don’t want to see another kennedy-like trial and error. in this day and age of thermonuclear stockpiles in the hands of rogue nations, a mistake may be our last.
re pallin, will hillary’s supporters take the bait?
UP n student,
Really, if the U.S. voters get carried away (‘scared’) of prejudices’against Obama being black, possible Muslim, former connections with radicals, then I will say the American democracy is alive and well, but malleable.
Never mind England, France and Russia, who ran empires, and whose ‘new emperor’ should still be from the mainstream ruling class.
But for America, this really crunch time. The better qualified candidate should win. And not on scare tactics. Well, that’s politcs for you.
Obama campaign spokesman, Bill Burton:
“Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency.”
McCain turned 72 today. A VP has to be ready should anything happen, and the thought of Sarah Palin as “leader of the free world” is downright scary.
A writer on the Wshington Post has this to say:
If Palin’s presence on the GOP ticket inspires white evangelicals and pro-life Catholics to put their full weight behind McCain’s candidacy, it could prove disastrous for the Democrats.
In 2004, President Bush’s re-election was sealed with the support he got from white evangelicals and Catholics. Bush won nearly 80 percent of the white evangelical vote and 52 percent of the Catholic vote — including 55 percent in the key swing state of Ohio. A recent Time magazine poll showed that nearly 60 percent of Catholic voters consider themselves pro-life voters.
As megachurch pastor Rick Warren told the Wall Street Journal, the abortion issue is just as important to evangelicals. “A lot of people hear (about a broader evangelicla agenda) and they think, ‘Oh, evangelicals are giving up on believing that life begins at conception. They’re not giving up on that at all. Not at all.”
re pallin, will hillary’s supporters take the bait?
I am hillary’s supporter from the very start and promised to cross party if hillary was not the presidential nominee. Last week, I registered as republican for the upcoming election and so did my relatives.
It is nice to see McCain ranch in Sedona and nearby I can imagine to retire in such quiet beautiful cool mountain place detached from Obama’s high taxes and union lapdog.
‘It is nice to see McCain ranch in Sedona and nearby I can imagine to retire in such quiet beautiful cool mountain place ‘
McCain will continue Bush’ policies. Be prepared to have your retirement mountain retreat foreclosed.
I never thought the rapture will happen in my lifetime…but given that this McCain strategy is so inspired and brilliant I’m preparing myself for a fundamentalist nutter like Sarah Palin to set off the usa’s thermonuclear stockpile. Hell yeah.
Go Sarah!
re: “McCain turned 72 today. A VP has to be ready should anything happen, and the thought of Sarah Palin as “leader of the free world†is downright scary.”
The patriot entrusted her the VP, that is already a big statement unlike the scary mania by obama spokesman.
d0d0ng: Based on your aggressive blogpost-entries supporting terroristic separatist MILF, I thought your retirement thoughts will be for Mindanao. Talk about being seduced by the good-old-American way. You just moved to USA less than 3 years ago and you’re thinking of retiring in Sedona. But you sure that Homeland Security has already stopped listening to your phone conversations?
Sean Penn predicted that Obama will get Biden as VP. He won $2000.
re: “McCain will continue Bush’ policies. Be prepared to have your retirement mountain retreat foreclosed.”
McCain has at least 8 different properties and not one foreclosed. I am taking advantage of the low real estate market which is closing on rebound. Foreclosure is only for the uninitiated and overextended in credits – that is not me.
“The patriot entrusted her the VP, that is already a big statement .”
Meaning of this, me and readers don’t get. Clarify, commenter should.
So it is old-fashioned using Excel on a desktop powered by a Pentium-3…… but it really does not compute and I can’t the numbers to tally ———- d0d0ng who said okay/acceptable to Bravo-Kato village-burning plus murder-2-year-old-girl and d0d0ng-now-a-registered-Republican???
Must be the chip on the motherboard, right, d0d0ng?
I called myself an online war freak.
Dodong is an online Moro, while watching his hedge funds. WTF!!!
re: “Based on your aggressive blogpost-entries supporting terroristic separatist MILF, I thought your retirement thoughts will be for Mindanao. Talk about being seduced by the good-old-American way. You just moved to USA less than 3 years ago and you’re thinking of retiring in Sedona. But you sure that Homeland Security has already stopped listening to your phone conversations?”
BalikBangsaMoro is a travel plan not inconsistent with retirement in Sedona. Thanks for your concern, but I do have security clearance and it had been updated many times.
President Apostate?
“His conversion, however, was a crime in Muslim eyes; it is “irtidad†or “ridda,†usually translated from the Arabic as “apostasy,†but with connotations of rebellion and treason. Indeed, it is the worst of all crimes that a Muslim can commit, worse than murder (which the victim’s family may choose to forgive).”
“That an Obama presidency would cause such complications in our dealings with the Islamic world is not likely to be a major factor with American voters, and the implication is not that it should be. But of all the well-meaning desires projected on Senator Obama, the hope that he would decisively improve relations with the world’s Muslims is the least realistic.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/12/opinion/12luttwak.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Let’s not take the ‘Sharia-accommodating’ position of the Archbishop of Canterbury – Please!
Uncritical multiculturalism has had its day. Universalism as one law of a secular and free democratic society based on modern conventions of justice and human rights is the only way to go.
now d0d0ng…. don’t misunderstand me. It is not for me to ask you to shut up, in fact, I am curious about your thoughts re hedge funds, where the US economy is going, peace-prospects in Lanao del Norte. Also what happens when Ilagas are fully-armed and start roaming again. I’ve seen blogs which said MILF’s scared shitless of Ilagas.
re: “Meaning of this, me and readers don’t get. Clarify, commenter should.”
In America, a candidate for high profile position is subjected to a very close scrutiny in various issues even minute details including personal life, and so is Gov Sarah Palin. The choice for such VP position underwent such rigid test before throwing into the public.
Sarah Palin is perfect for McCain’s VP.
“She is known to religious conservatives for choosing not to have an abortion after learning that she was carrying a child with Down syndrome. “It is almost impossible to exaggerate how important that is to the conservative faith community,†said Ralph Reed, the former head of the Christian Coalition. She gave birth to her son, Trig, in April.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/29palin.html?hp
She is going to attract women, evangelists, catholics and people with disability.
re: “said okay/acceptable to Bravo-Kato village-burning plus murder-2-year-old-girl”.
Your statement is different from mine. Atrocities are realities of war and reprehensible. Anything can happen in war.
“In America, a candidate for high profile position is subjected to a very close scrutiny in various issues even minute details including personal life, and so is Gov Sarah Palin. The choice for such VP position underwent such rigid test before throwing into the public.”
OMG, such naivette and denial. And didn’t everybody and his aunt know this? But then again, there goes the double standard.
Obama lacked vetting, while Palin (God knows who, where, what, when, and how?) was subjected to intense scrutiny?
Now you see, jcc and glu gun: don’t take take your views and mine here seriously. I like KG’s take: nakukuwentuhan lang tayo dito.
Barack Hussein Obama will not drill oil. This policy means dependency from others and will not stop oil speculators from speculating. Hedge fund? think about it. My opinion is based on the fact that speculative oil investing is one of the reason why oil prices have increased aside from just supply/demand and US dollar.
McCain’s policy is to continue to drill.
re: “I am curious about your thoughts re hedge funds, where the US economy is going, peace-prospects in Lanao del Norte. Also what happens when Ilagas are fully-armed and start roaming again. I’ve seen blogs which said MILF’s scared shitless of Ilagas.”
Historically, US economy picks up right after every presidential election. You read too much on MILF as scared of Ilagas which is better on the paper. In the background, it will help the muslim cause in a long protracted war of attritions and pressure the government (refugee problem, dislocations, millions of pesos running the war) to return to negotiating table.
to d0d0ng: I have no argument that what you say now is what you just said. But way earlier, my impression from your blogposts was that you looked without passion at the murder of the 2-year-old and that you also said that Malacang can’t do a thing about Kato and Bravo.
Apparently, your statement “GRP-is-powerless” is proven wrong because , if we believe the news, both Kato and Bravo are both hiding deadly-scared of the troops of the Republic-Pinas.
re: “Malacanang can’t do a thing about Kato and Bravo”.
That is true. In fact, MILF never surrender Kato and Bravo as demanded by GRP. The government had to hunt down the two and in process escalate the war with MILF which is good for the MILF.
‘Barack Hussein Obama will not drill oil.’
‘McCain’s policy is to continue to drill.’
leytenian,
what is wrong with drilling oil in your own backyard?
d0d0ng,
Hunting down Kato and Bravo is not doing anything? You are like the flexible slinky. Your ideas bend depending on other people’s comments. Puro palusot.
re: “GRP-is-powerless†is proven wrong because , if we believe the news, both Kato and Bravo are both hiding deadly-scared of the troops of the Republic-Pinas”.
GRP is powerless it has to resort to dropping bombs on “Kato/Bravo is here” targets which are duds. More pathetic, the major general has to tell the media that the military is running out of bombs and ammunitions than go with chain of command, maybe it could help expedite reorder from one year to 6 months knowing the supply line.
re: “Hunting down Kato and Bravo is not doing anything?”
That is the point of MLQ’s posting of “combination of bluster and appeasement” Palace respond to public hostility. It has to give the military generals their war though in limited sense. It is not wholehearted effort like Erap’s war. In boxing, the AFP is fighting with only one hand.
GRP is powerless. The president is so frustrated that she has to fight different fronts at the same time. Her SolGen is denying her knowledge of MOA-AD to avoid ground for impeachment. She let her generals do a limited war so as not to appear as wimp. And she gave signal to moros for a deal in a different form. The intent is right in the initialed MOA-AD which is scrutinized by Justice Tinga in the non-derogation clause which protects prior agreements.
“GRP is powerless.” pathetic name calling. maybe, you wish the MI has the advantage?
to d0d0ng: I reach a different conclusion than you as to who is powerless. It is the MILF central-command that IS powerless. Firstly, the MILF central command had been telling all its field commanders not to do anything that can derail the discussions between MILF and GRP. And what happens? Kato and Bravo disrespected the MILF chairman and all the “generals” and political-leadership of the MILF by striking anyway. And worse, instead of doing a mano-a-mano soldier-against-soldier attacking a Govt-Pinas military convoy or military camp, Kato and Bravo demonstrated the lack of discipline and lack of belief in Islam by them — Kato and Bravo — attacking civilians, burning villages… and the two-year old.
Practically all military-chains-of-command would have ordered Bravo and Kato to return to Central Headquarters to explain the events and clarify the chain of command, but the MILF leadership is powerless against the two insubordinate commanders.
And to d0d0ng… you would arrive at this conclusion without much difficulty…. you can double the number of soldiers under MILF and still they will be unable to push out the Govt-Republic-Philippine soldiers out of Mindanao. Then add the Ilagas, and the addition will even make it glaring. The MILF does not have what it takes to push away its enemies.
Where specifically does the MILF have extra-ordinary power? Then repeatedly the MILF wins when the MILF pits a combat brigade to do battle against a “camp” of 100 or even 200 civilian homes. Whoopee-doo!!!! Really impressive.
Moros do not consider themselves to be Filipinos for a very good historical reason.
Spain and America created the Filipino mind construct. The cohesiveness of Muslim Mindanao with firmly established societal norms made it difficult for assimilation. The Moro’s fought it.
Hence their consciousness was never colonized like the other natives all over the islands.
It is also clear that part of the problem of this hybrid culture is the fact that a lot of people who read and write English do it as a second language. The language spoken at home amongst family and community is the mother tongue.
Spain did not allow the teaching of their language amongst the masses (Indios). Indigenios (indigenous)Even they made the distinction between the Moros and the Indios.
The Americans allowed it. For them the Indios became the coolies. So the Pinoy learned the language through the rote learning process.
That is why it appears that a lot of the pundits on this blog appear to have answers bordering on lunacy.
One even wrote down that there was no objective reality while saying that he was a Republican because the Republicans are anti-abortion.
That borders on lunacy. Just like saying that the President of the Republic did not know what she was going to sign through the Secretary of Foreign Affairs in that MOA-AD.
Language is history encapsulated. How many Pinoys would know what an end around, a safety blitzkrieg, power sweep or What the Field of Dreams is all about.
The African American experience is an integral part of American history.
The only original art form widely recognized to come out from America is black soul music. Unstructured and free of constraints.
However the only direct colony of the U.S. the Philippine islands did not figure much in the context of American history.
We became America’s laboratory for empire.
That is why the only colored group in the U.S. who are neo-rednecks and appear to support the Klan are the Pinoys.
so dodong, you’re a democrat turned republican. i am surprised with the revelation. so, what is it you don’t like about obama?
John McCain the aging quarterback of the Republican team has just thrown what experts call a ‘Hail Mary” pass in his VP pick. She will stand a heartbeat away from the Presidency if he wins. As everyone knows the rigors of the office requires both physical stamina and strong intestinal fortitude.
Both McCain and Obama must be ready to be sacked again and again and stand up and continue to play for four years.
For varying reasons the VP choice in this years elections will take almost strategic relevance and importance.
The reason it is called a Hail Mary pass is because it is a desperation play.
It might turn out to be a brilliant play or an unmitigated disaster. Only time will tell.
He wanted to out headline Obama but there are still over two months before elections and four years into the term.
As the Chinese say these are certainly interesting times.
agree hvrds. your comment actually reinforced my observation about pinoys in general.
@hvrds
I do wonder why pinoys are still mostly republicans. back then (70s-80s) it was probably due to the filipinos involvement in the us military (some relatives are in the navy and they are staunchly republican).
Now it puzzles me what the allure of the republican party is for a new immigrant for example, especially one who spent lots of money and resources to be able to go to the usa via conventional means given that republican policies are hardly pro-immigration (or even anti-travel!)
Could it indeed be simply because of the religious fundamentalism of republicans??
“It might turn out to be a brilliant play or an unmitigated disaster.”
It’s mainly a gimmick.
But it is indeed very entertaining. There is much joy and celebration at the bible belt.
“How many Pinoys would know what an end around, a safety blitzkrieg, power sweep or What the Field of Dreams is all about.”
only few. and those who understand them are smart, those who don’t are poor lunatic sods.