Monday, April 21, 2008
Moving on
This blog hasn't been updated in a while. The reason is simple: I have moved my blogging talents to wordpress. But apparently, a lot of people still refer others to this address, so please be advised that I have moved on to http://counterflow.wordpress.com
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Cowardice and Stupidity under the Aegis of Peace
Dureza, a member of whatever committee is there in charge of the peace talks with the MILF, has called on both the AFP and the MILF to take a deep breath, forget about the Basilan incident (check this entry), and shake hands in the name of peace. I can't believe that my tax money goes to paying the wages of this idiot.
For Dureza, whoever he is, the absence of conflict is peace, and that it is worth it whatever the cost, including the sovereignty and prestige of the very government that he represents. I cannot fathom how he, as a representative of the government, believes that it is possible to set aside an unnecessarily brutal incident where members of the armed forces were mutilated in the performance of their duties. To repeat, the MILF's interference in the law enforcement function of the military (in their search for Bossi) can be construed as obstruction of justice, and that alone justifies action against them. They cannot claim territory as they are not a sovereign state.
But let's set the legalism aside. If they do claim belligerent status, then they should act according to laws of civilized nations. They should have secured the remains of the fallen Marines and returned them to their families. This gross negligence shows culpability, arrogance, cowardice, or all of those mentioned. They have just proven that they cannot be trusted to uphold their responsibilities. And since it is their "territory", then by all means, they are responsible for bringing the perpetrators to justice. And in whatever standard used, the MILF has been found wanting.
Dureza is afraid of scuttling the peace talks? It will never work. There is no good faith on the part of the MILF. There can't be good faith on the part of the soldiers so long as these atrocities remained unpunished. He shouldn't be afraid of the MILF. These were the same people that ran for their lives when the AFP took the war to their camps during the Estrada presidency. These people can bluster all they want, but they know it in their hearts and thick skulls that they are no match for the AFP. Let slip the dogs of war. Only then can a true and just peace could be achieved in Mindanao.
The way the government is acting, I can gather my drinking buddies, declare a revolt, and demand that I get, I don't know, maybe Palawan as my personal fief. I'll kill a few soldiers, wait for the government to offer peace, amnesty, and maybe some money. The most fundamental rationale for the existence of the government is the protection of its people. It cannot protect its people so long as they kowtow to anyone who brandishes a gun.
For Dureza, whoever he is, the absence of conflict is peace, and that it is worth it whatever the cost, including the sovereignty and prestige of the very government that he represents. I cannot fathom how he, as a representative of the government, believes that it is possible to set aside an unnecessarily brutal incident where members of the armed forces were mutilated in the performance of their duties. To repeat, the MILF's interference in the law enforcement function of the military (in their search for Bossi) can be construed as obstruction of justice, and that alone justifies action against them. They cannot claim territory as they are not a sovereign state.
But let's set the legalism aside. If they do claim belligerent status, then they should act according to laws of civilized nations. They should have secured the remains of the fallen Marines and returned them to their families. This gross negligence shows culpability, arrogance, cowardice, or all of those mentioned. They have just proven that they cannot be trusted to uphold their responsibilities. And since it is their "territory", then by all means, they are responsible for bringing the perpetrators to justice. And in whatever standard used, the MILF has been found wanting.
Dureza is afraid of scuttling the peace talks? It will never work. There is no good faith on the part of the MILF. There can't be good faith on the part of the soldiers so long as these atrocities remained unpunished. He shouldn't be afraid of the MILF. These were the same people that ran for their lives when the AFP took the war to their camps during the Estrada presidency. These people can bluster all they want, but they know it in their hearts and thick skulls that they are no match for the AFP. Let slip the dogs of war. Only then can a true and just peace could be achieved in Mindanao.
The way the government is acting, I can gather my drinking buddies, declare a revolt, and demand that I get, I don't know, maybe Palawan as my personal fief. I'll kill a few soldiers, wait for the government to offer peace, amnesty, and maybe some money. The most fundamental rationale for the existence of the government is the protection of its people. It cannot protect its people so long as they kowtow to anyone who brandishes a gun.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
A Call to Arms
14 Marines were killed in Basilan last July 10. 10 of the bodies were mutilated after the encounter, when the surviving Marines were evacuated. This act was perpetrated by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and they have admitted as much. They claimed that the military violated their territory and thus they were forced to attack. However, they claimed that they never mutilated any body and that they are investigating who did it, and that they would bring the perpetrators to justice. The government has vowed not to rest until these bastards have been found, and demanded that the MILF surrender its erring members within the week.
This is absurd. The government should give an ultimatum to the MILF and sort them out if they failed. Hundreds of Marines are now in Basilan to look for the killers, but that's not enough. All available units of the Army and Marines must be deployed to areas controlled by the MILF and ostentatiously set up artillery pieces zeroed in on their camps. It's time for the government to assert who's the real master in this conflict. Tanks should patrol the streets of towns under the influence of the rebels and helicopters must overfly the rebel camps. I'm not sure if the S-211 is capable of supersonic flight (and I doubt it), but it's time that the government
temporarily activate the F-5A fighter-bombers and overfly MILF camps at supersonic speeds to encourage these bastards to keep their word and behave.
The contention of the MILF that Marines invaded their territory is invalid. They are not a sovereign state where their territory is inviolate. If the government recognized them as having territories before, it is a mistake. Being rebels, they have no territory, at least not territory where the government and its agents cannot go to. "Violation" notwithstanding, the attack in Basilan was well-planned, and its intention was not to warn or to drive off, but to kill. It's time to end their chutzpah.
It was an insult to the brave Marines to say that the government would continue the peace talks. This matter must be resolved. If the MILF claims that there are "lost commands" that violate the agreement, then there is no reason to make peace with them, giving concessions and getting none, as all concessions by the MILF will be ignored by the "lost commands". If they have "lost commands", then it means that they are fragmented and thus weaker than what they say to the government. Let them die. Burn every camp, kill every rebel, and make Mindanao safer. There will be attacks by "lost commands" anyway, whatever happens. So let's get satisfaction from them.
If "lost commands" appear conveniently only when there is a violation of peace agreements, then they are acting in bad faith. You cannot make peace with someone on bad faith. Peace is not the absence of war, bought at any price. Peace is the maintenance of safety and security, based on just principles recognized by all. So long as this sorry state of affairs continue, then the government will continue to be a laughingstock, and rightly so.
This is absurd. The government should give an ultimatum to the MILF and sort them out if they failed. Hundreds of Marines are now in Basilan to look for the killers, but that's not enough. All available units of the Army and Marines must be deployed to areas controlled by the MILF and ostentatiously set up artillery pieces zeroed in on their camps. It's time for the government to assert who's the real master in this conflict. Tanks should patrol the streets of towns under the influence of the rebels and helicopters must overfly the rebel camps. I'm not sure if the S-211 is capable of supersonic flight (and I doubt it), but it's time that the government
temporarily activate the F-5A fighter-bombers and overfly MILF camps at supersonic speeds to encourage these bastards to keep their word and behave.
The contention of the MILF that Marines invaded their territory is invalid. They are not a sovereign state where their territory is inviolate. If the government recognized them as having territories before, it is a mistake. Being rebels, they have no territory, at least not territory where the government and its agents cannot go to. "Violation" notwithstanding, the attack in Basilan was well-planned, and its intention was not to warn or to drive off, but to kill. It's time to end their chutzpah.
It was an insult to the brave Marines to say that the government would continue the peace talks. This matter must be resolved. If the MILF claims that there are "lost commands" that violate the agreement, then there is no reason to make peace with them, giving concessions and getting none, as all concessions by the MILF will be ignored by the "lost commands". If they have "lost commands", then it means that they are fragmented and thus weaker than what they say to the government. Let them die. Burn every camp, kill every rebel, and make Mindanao safer. There will be attacks by "lost commands" anyway, whatever happens. So let's get satisfaction from them.
If "lost commands" appear conveniently only when there is a violation of peace agreements, then they are acting in bad faith. You cannot make peace with someone on bad faith. Peace is not the absence of war, bought at any price. Peace is the maintenance of safety and security, based on just principles recognized by all. So long as this sorry state of affairs continue, then the government will continue to be a laughingstock, and rightly so.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Sending a message
There were two big issues that I followed avidly since my last post. The first is the assault of the police on the provincial capitol of Iloilo, and the second is the incident between the MNLF and the government negotiator. In both cases, the government handling of the matter simply sucked, to use the vernacular.
Media petulance
Watching the drama unfold on the TV, it struck me just how spoiled our media is. It became a serious event because policemen pointed guns at them. Never did they ask themselves, "Is it possible to approach a policeman carrying a loaded weapon without having the gun pointed at you?" If I were the commander of the policeman, I'd had him flogged if he did not know how to act with simple prudence in a raid.
It was a raid. The governor arrogantly thought that he could escape his responsibility to the government by bringing a mob to barricade his office. The police acted correctly in all aspects. There was a threat of violence, of course, but this is essential to ensure control. When everyone's adrenalin is pumping, it's important to show overwhelming force to deter any foolhardy acts on the part of bystanders and those involved, as well as to ensure tacit cooperation from them.
No one bothered to comment on the fact that the raid would not have happened if the governor bothered to follow the law. The media made him a martyr for making a mockery of the democratic system simply because they got offended that someone can actually poke guns at them. If this is the Fourth Estate, then I commend whoever's gunning them down. They're doing the world and democracy a favor.
Negotiations
The MNLF's recent action on the government negotiators at their camp must not go unpunished. Whether the negotiator allowed himself to be persuaded or not, the MNLF prevented a government official from carrying out his duty. From what I have gathered, the MNLF may have had valid complaints. But treating an official representing the Republic in that manner simply does not justify it.
There must be retribution. Although wiping the camp out would be satisfying, I understand that the current situation does not really call for it. The government may suspend the talks, prevent negotiators from going to rebel camps, or even conduct live-fire field exercises with tanks, gunships, and artillery within stone's throw of these camps to show this rebel band how the big boys play. Displeasure must be shown, else the MILF, the NPA, and the Abu Sayyaf might be encouraged to do the same, with less compunction regarding how to persuade negotiators.
Our representatives have been beaten up, laughed at, and cursed all over the world simply because the government they represent is treated with contempt. This inability, nay, unwillingness to stand up to rebels in its own territory just shows that the scorn is justified. Gloria is beneath contempt, but the country she runs deserves pride. Let her go past her concerns for her family's well-being and do the a country a small favor for once.
Media petulance
Watching the drama unfold on the TV, it struck me just how spoiled our media is. It became a serious event because policemen pointed guns at them. Never did they ask themselves, "Is it possible to approach a policeman carrying a loaded weapon without having the gun pointed at you?" If I were the commander of the policeman, I'd had him flogged if he did not know how to act with simple prudence in a raid.
It was a raid. The governor arrogantly thought that he could escape his responsibility to the government by bringing a mob to barricade his office. The police acted correctly in all aspects. There was a threat of violence, of course, but this is essential to ensure control. When everyone's adrenalin is pumping, it's important to show overwhelming force to deter any foolhardy acts on the part of bystanders and those involved, as well as to ensure tacit cooperation from them.
No one bothered to comment on the fact that the raid would not have happened if the governor bothered to follow the law. The media made him a martyr for making a mockery of the democratic system simply because they got offended that someone can actually poke guns at them. If this is the Fourth Estate, then I commend whoever's gunning them down. They're doing the world and democracy a favor.
Negotiations
The MNLF's recent action on the government negotiators at their camp must not go unpunished. Whether the negotiator allowed himself to be persuaded or not, the MNLF prevented a government official from carrying out his duty. From what I have gathered, the MNLF may have had valid complaints. But treating an official representing the Republic in that manner simply does not justify it.
There must be retribution. Although wiping the camp out would be satisfying, I understand that the current situation does not really call for it. The government may suspend the talks, prevent negotiators from going to rebel camps, or even conduct live-fire field exercises with tanks, gunships, and artillery within stone's throw of these camps to show this rebel band how the big boys play. Displeasure must be shown, else the MILF, the NPA, and the Abu Sayyaf might be encouraged to do the same, with less compunction regarding how to persuade negotiators.
Our representatives have been beaten up, laughed at, and cursed all over the world simply because the government they represent is treated with contempt. This inability, nay, unwillingness to stand up to rebels in its own territory just shows that the scorn is justified. Gloria is beneath contempt, but the country she runs deserves pride. Let her go past her concerns for her family's well-being and do the a country a small favor for once.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Tyranny of Democracy
The members of the House of Representatives are now manifesting the behavior that is the reason people are leery of Charter change. They have been planning to railroad their plans to change the charter via a Constitutional Assembly (Con-Ass -> lovely) that would bypass the Senate that has been obstinate in its stand to keep the Charter as it is.
The twist is, GMA actually "ordered" (words of the Inquirer, not mine) legislators loyal to her to stop all this nonsense about con-ass. JDV, of course, is nonchalant about this, to the point of issuing an ultimatum to the Senate regarding the convening of a con-con.
I am against any form of constitutional amendment, revision, revamp, or whatever the fuck JDV calls it. I cannot bear the thought of people like him and the President changing the Constitution because it suits their political plans. I do not trust them, simply. We can change to any form of government, but there will be no change so long as the same idiots remain in office.
I am appalled at the chutzpah of our (dis)honorable congressmen. I will not ask them to have shame. That's like asking monkeys to have table manners. They ought to be removed from office.
The twist is, GMA actually "ordered" (words of the Inquirer, not mine) legislators loyal to her to stop all this nonsense about con-ass. JDV, of course, is nonchalant about this, to the point of issuing an ultimatum to the Senate regarding the convening of a con-con.
I am against any form of constitutional amendment, revision, revamp, or whatever the fuck JDV calls it. I cannot bear the thought of people like him and the President changing the Constitution because it suits their political plans. I do not trust them, simply. We can change to any form of government, but there will be no change so long as the same idiots remain in office.
I am appalled at the chutzpah of our (dis)honorable congressmen. I will not ask them to have shame. That's like asking monkeys to have table manners. They ought to be removed from office.
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