Going through the humiliation

By Rod Kapunan 

There are many things this government has to explain to our people. It appears the Aquino administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have been coming out with one  interpretation of the treacherous ambush of the  country’s elite police force, the Special Action Force (SAF), that resulted in the death of 44 of our brave young boys.  As they lay dead, their bodies were riddled with bullets, while other rebels were seen stomping on their face, getting their weapons, ammunition, and stripping them of their uniform and personal belongings. 

Both Secretary for Communications Operations, Herminio Coloma, Jr. and MILF chief negotiator Mohaqher Iqbal termed the treacherous ambush as a “misencounter.”  Maybe Iqbal’s statement was expected, but Coloma’s concurrence in treating what happened as equivalent to an accident has raised serious doubts on the competence of this government.  With that kind of explanation, it appears that the government is the one justifying what happened.  Iqbal’s insistence that the government should have “coordinated” with the MILF is telling that we cannot just enter “their territory” without first seeking their permission. 

For that, we now see the deadly consequence of the yet to be ratified Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).  Strictly speaking, jurisdiction cannot be raised because the “intrusion” of SAF was to carry out a police work to secure the arrest of a wanted Malaysian terrorist identified as Zulkifli bin Abdul Hir, alias Marwan.  He was a “high value” target that carries a price tag of $5 million for his head offered by the US government.  Marwan is said to be a bomb specialist who saw action in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The other is his Filipino terrorist protégé identified as Abdul Basit Usman.  His cohort is identified as a member of the dreaded Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist cell of Al Qaeda in Southeast Asia.    

Adding to our humiliation was the view voiced by some members of the “mainstream media” who were quick to blame our policemen while not getting over their grief for the alleged victims of the “Jabida Massacre.”  Of course, these creatures who have been styling themselves as “investigative journalists” were created by the West to purposely discredit their own government; that while the country fights a lonely war to keep intact our territorial integrity, they were being lavished by Malaysia and the West.  They condemned SAF, for allegedly violating the “jurisdiction” of the MILF, even applauding the decision of President Aquino in sacking its chief, Director Getulio Napeñas, without him admitting that he, together with suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima, were aware of the operations that ended in complete disaster.    

Equally appalling was the reaction of the Philippine negotiating penal headed by chairman Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Teresita Quintos-Deles and Undersecretary Jose Luis Martin Gascon who  urged Congress not to derail the ratification of the BBL  just  because  of the “incident.”   Of course, they were referring to Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government who abruptly suspended hearing on the proposed BBL until a satisfactory explanation is made by the MILF.  As one would put it, the Philippine panel has now been reduced to that of a stooge of Malaysia.    

To begin with, this pretending to-be-honest government should not have negotiated with the MILF.  There was reason not to negotiate.   In 2000, the Armed Forces of the Philippines upon orders of then President Estrada, made an all-out assault and successfully overran their main lair at Camp Abubakar and 23 of their satellite camps.  Their followers were already on the run and their founding chairman Hashim Salamat and his deputy Al Hadj Murad sought safety in Malaysia.  Because of pressure from the US, Mrs. Arroyo handed back Camp Abubakar to the MILF and even attempted to grant them the same right to secede.  Fortunately, the Supreme Court declared the proposed MOA-AD unconstitutional.   

No sooner the MILF began to metastasize again.  Malaysia and the MILF found a conduit willing to part a portion of our territory, instead of us getting a territory which our country has a historic right and legal title.    Despite denials by the MILF, many of its members are also members of known terrorist organizations, and our government has been playing coy about this fact.   While the government insists that the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) is an outlawed terrorist organization, the line that separates it from the MILF remains porous.  Many suspect the BIFF is the dirty operator of the MILF assigned to put pressure on the government.

To be specific, for the entire duration of the negotiations, the name of that Malaysian terrorist had already been known to the intelligence community.  Surely, our panel had been informed about the presence and activities of Marwan and Usman, but surprisingly, not a whimper of protest was raised during the negotiations.  Rather, Ferrer, Deles and Gascon, acting like stooges of Malaysia, came out to take  the threat of the MILF for us to speedily ratify the BBL or face possible complication, without considering that the treacherous attack on our SAF amounts to a declaration of war for which peace  could only be resolved in victory. 

In fact, our own penal added insult to injury by announcing they will fly to Kuala Lumpur to sign an agreement for the decommissioning of the weapons held by the MILF while the country is still mourning the death of our fallen heroes naively equating the decommissioning of weapons as equivalent to the surrendering of arms.  As one would ask, if the MILF refused to acknowledge the presence of that Malaysian terrorist that had himself holed inside their “territory,” what more for them to surrender their weapons?  

Moreover, many failed to analyze that it was possibly the reward of $5 million that compelled our officials to hastily order SAF to enter the alleged MILF territory to secure the arrest of Marwan.  The cash reward made the operations their top priority.  Nonetheless, many are puzzled, for while the US is openly engaged in a global war against terrorism, it stands squarely behind Malaysia in urging the Philippines to negotiate with the MILF.   For that, the US could have put pressure on Malaysia to demand from its stooge the surrender Marwan.  Had that channel been resorted to, maybe we could have avoided that unnecessary bloodbath.   

In fact, the Army was aware that fighting was raging from within its vicinity, and did not lift a finger to assist the embattled SAF for reasons they were not given orders to assist the retreating policemen.   This we say because PNoy admitted he was aware of the operations, and was in touch with suspended PNP chief Purisima.   The operation was compartmentalized such that Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and acting PNP chief Leonardo Espina were kept in the dark.   Now that the operations ended up in total blunder, PNoy now wants to deflect the responsibility by firing SAC chief Napeñas.  Again, that would not be easy.  For  PNoy now to come out with a moronic idea of demanding the names those  involved in the massacre would only give the MILF greater bargaining leverage, which is for us to ratify the BBL, but only to renege on their promise once they get what they wanted from our hallucinating President. 

rpkapunan@gmail.com

Noynoy, MILF ‘inquiry’ to craft coverup

by ERWIN TULFO

We can forget about President Noynoy’s absence at the arrival honors given to the fallen Special Action Force (SAF) troopers at the Villamor Air Base on Thursday.

True, he could have tried to catch up and showed moral support to the relatives, the SAF, Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) men and women at the rites that lasted three hours.

After exchanging pleasantries and exhorting foreign investors to expand business in this “relatively peaceful” country at the inauguration of a new Mitsubishi automotive plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Noynoy could have made it to Villamor in no time.

In 15 minutes or so, he would’ve been there via the South Expressway. Wala nang wangwang.

But the Commander-in-Chief does not have a knack for dramatic entrances.

He would rather wait till the next day, which he had declared a National Day of Mourning.

Only, the nation was greeted by the morning dailies with photos of the Commander-in-Chief sharing light moments, con todo smiles, with the Mitsubishi execs.

Those photo ops were around the time the rest of the nation were honoring the fallen heroes, as the remains of 42 of them in flag-draped caskets arrived in Metro Manila.

Their two comrades who happened to be Muslims had been buried the traditional way in their respective locales in Zamboanga.

We salute PO3 Jeds-In Asjali and PO2 Amman Esmila, our brother Muslims who fought on the side of the law.

On Wednesday night, Noynoy spoke for the first time about the SAF’s bungled operation that had had led to the horrible deaths of the 44 police troopers way back Sunday.

He had no choice but to admit he had ordered the operation kept secret from Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP acting chief Dep. Director Leonardo Espina.

It turned out, however, that the execution of Oplan Exodus against Jemaah Islamiyah international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, better known as Marwan, had involved suspended Director-General Alan Purisima.

Absolving himself, Noynoy blamed SAF commander Director Gitulio Napeñas for “lack of coordination” with the military.

Sino po ba ang Commander-in-Chief?

Why didn’t the Commander-in-Chief coordinate with the AFP chief, Gregorio Pio Catapang, and other top military officials, and yet the operation involved a suspended police official?

Amid public outrage, suspicion and cry for blood, I was wondering if Noynoy this time would say something somewhat reassuring.

I mean, just something that would assuage the anger and agony of the bereaved SAF families.

Say something that would have a semblance of truth and sincerity.

Say something that would have a semblance of strong leadership and loyalty.

Or at least, say something that would show respect that’s due a few good men who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice.

Man, just freaking say something that befits the occasion.

Those were a few things that lurked in the back of our minds while waiting for the longest time for Noynoy to open his mouth.

Not too long ago, he shocked the world when he harangued the local bishops in his “welcome address” during Pope Francis’ courtesy call at Malacañang.

Ang tigas ng mukha.

But Friday’s necrological services gave Noynoy another chance to shed light on this most horrible tragedy in which it was clear that Noynoy had literally sent the SAF troops into a death trap, a known lair of the MILF, BIFF and Abu Sayyaf.

In all probability, the president knew he would be jeopardizing the Bangsamoro peace deal by ordering the SAF’s incursion into MILF territory, then the president must have “coordinated” with the rebel leaders.

Note that the MILF negotiator Mohagher Iqbal has not held Noynoy responsible, blaming only the SAF.

In all likelihood, the president “coordinated” with Iqbal but the MILF would not give the SAF a free pass into the terrorists’ nest.

Note also that the president has not once questioned the MILF why the international terrorists were nestled in its territory.

Unfortunately on Friday, the Commander-in-Chief treated us into another lip service.

This guy’s propensity to lie about things is unbelievable.

His temerity to cover up stuff is simply hideous.

Remember the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), in which Malacañang fleeced billions and billions of pesos in congressionally appropriated funds?

Hideous.

Who doesn’t want lasting peace? We all do.

I don’t know about Noynoy, who has “coordinated” again with the MILF to create a “Board of Inquiry” to craft how best to cover up his and Purisima’s bloody mess.

Hideous!

etulfo2011@yahoo.com

Was PNoy copying Barack?

CTALK By Cito Beltran (The Philippine Star)

As information began to trickle in about the disastrous Mission called “Wolverine” I could not help note some similarity and the possibility that “Mission Wolverine” might have been an attempt by the PNoy Misadministration to copy “Operation Neptune Spear” where the Obama administration successfully killed and disposed of Osama Bin Laden without a single casualty among the 25-man SEAL team as well as boosting the popularity ratings of Barack Obama.

We initially suspected that the mission might have been some rogue activity designed to take out the terrorists purely for the reward money of $5 million. But when we learned that the PNP-OIC Leonardo Espina as well as the Secretary of Interior and Local Government Mar Roxas had been kept in the dark while the suspended Chief of the PNP Alan Purisima was suspected of being the conductor of the entire operation, that’s when I began to wonder if Operation Wolverine was not just about neutralizing terrorists but possibly a mad plan to restore or rebuild some people’s reputation as leaders and their nearly washed out careers or popularity. 

A quick review of the two contrasting missions will certainly raise eyebrows if not blood pressures. Operation Neptune Spear came together after years of surveillance and high tech intelligence work. They actually conducted physical and visual survey of the location that involved agents knocking at the compound’s gates just to get a peek. Based on those “Look and see” operations, they planned and prepared the attack, including the construction of a “mock up” of the compound and several weeks of “exercise.” They employed stealth aviation technology and deployed specialists in minimum numbers and then they all hunkered down to get the job done.

“Operation Wolverine” on the other hand was a bold if not a suicide mission to take out a Bomb-Maker and an international terrorist both of whom were suspected of being the leading roles in the escalating terrorist bombings in Mindanao. How the local boys figured out the presence and exact location of the targets could only have been done by very sophisticated equipment we don’t have, such as drones and spy satellites or some greedy Ali Baba must have found 5 million dollars very inspiring or a way to fund their Jihadist causes. Given that the word “secret” and “Intelligence” is an oxymoron in this country it might be safe to assume that it did not take years to study the situation and form the plan. That the teams ran afoul of the MILF and the BIFF as well as ran out of ammunition undoubtedly proves the point. 

Last week, the US military recently sent in a killer drone to kill a chemical weapons manufacturer for the AQAP or Al Qaeda Arabian Peninsula. I can’t help but wonder why a battalion of SAF members were sent to Hell? Why didn’t PNoy simply request to “borrow” one of those smart toys from his buddy Barack given they had a common enemy? The word is they got the Bomb-Maker but the tactician who probably selected sites and formed teams managed to evade what was suppose to be a combined 390 strong Special Action Force pulled out from various camps in the region. Sadly 44 officers were Killed In Action, 18 enemies neutralized and no one is taking responsibility for the mission or being man enough to take the blame.

In the last 3 days, I have heard all the accusations, defense and theories about what went wrong or what PNoy failed to do in the empathy and sympathy department. But at the end of the day or whenever and wherever this national tragedy ends, the inescapable fact is that President Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III is the Commander in Chief and whether he called it or not, he should take responsibility and be transparent about the matter. Call it a catch-22 problem: Damned if he did, and damned if he didn’t. Sending out his political apologists to call for calm and to look at the bigger picture is a clear sign that the PNoy Misadministration intends to delay, divert and escape public scrutiny. Peace talks with the MILF is not the issue. The issue is who sent our sons, brothers, and fathers to their death and was it worth for the  “SAF-44” to pay with their blood.

Directing us to the government’s intent and commitment to have the matter investigated is a clear avoidance of the question: Did the President know of Operation Wolverine? That is personal knowledge that does not require investigation. Did he authorize the operation? Did the suspended Chief of the PNP coordinate, direct or in anyway participate in the operation in defiance of the Ombudsman? Whatever the answers are, the TRUTH is the only thing that will bring peace to the widows, orphans, and families as well as the Filipino nation.

Given people’s anger about his lack of priorities and sympathy, the President did well to go back to the bereaved families and spend 15 minutes of his precious time to console the orphans and widows. The government did well to assure every family of an initial 250 thousand pesos and a total of 1 million pesos each.  Sadly every time the PNoy Misadministration screws up, someone always gets the blame, gets fired, and the damage is repaid in cash. That was the case in the Luneta Massacre, the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman, During Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban, the death of a Catholic volunteer during the Pope’s visit and now in “Operation Wolverine”.

This administration will leave one certain legacy: Thousands of people died under their watch. They have failed in their competency and in their sympathy. Shall we now add “Failed in Honesty”?

*      *      *

E-mail: utalk2ctalk@gmail.com

In sorrow, shame and anger, we say, ‘we’re all SAF now’

by FRANCISCO TATAD

It was the least President B. S. Aquino 3rd could do, even if it seemed too little too late – to declare a day of national mourning for all the members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF) who perished in the Maguindanao massacre in the hands of the Muslim Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) last weekend. It came one day after the National Transformation Council called for a period of nationwide mourning – and prayers – for the victims and their bereaved kin. But apart from this, Aquino’s short TV address on the tragedy on Wednesday evening merely fueled the people’s anger across the nation.

Indeed, Filipinos are angry and their anger is mounting. It’s all over the social media, in the coffee houses, schools, factories, board rooms, and everywhere else. On Wednesday, I was in Cebu City where the Cebu Daily News bannered the story, “2 Cebuanos die with boots on.” There I saw a group literally hooting down Aquino as they listened to his speech that evening. I heard the same reaction from various groups in the city the next day.

Aquino supporters turning around
A Cebuano columnist-friend, writing for another Manila paper, told me that a well- known cleric who had long stopped talking to him since he started criticizing Aquino, has just texted him saying, “BSA 3rd is an idiot.” He said many other pro-Aquino supporters have since turned around. From Manila, I started receiving text messages urging the NTC to reissue its call on Aquino “to step down.”

One young Cebuano, apparently inspired by the slogan “Je suis Charlie Hebdo” (I am Charlie Hebdo), which went viral worldwide after the recent Islamist killing of 10 journalists and two others at the headquarters of the weekly satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo (for Hebdomadaire) in Paris, suggested the entire Philippines had become PNP-SAF. “We are all PNP-SAF now,” he said, and proposed that we use all means to proclaim it.

What Aquino failed to condemn
People expected Aquino to condemn the massacre and the mutilation of a number of the victims in the strongest possible terms. He did not. He was careful not to offend the MILF and the BIFF. He even refrained from calling the massacre by its proper name, but merely called it an “incident.” He was more interested in defending his so-called peace process, and the passage of the constitutionally questionable Bangsamoro Basic Law (Babala), as though the Maguindanao massacre never happened.

Babying the MILF
They expected him to demand that the MILF surrender all those involved in the massacre for the appropriate due process, and apologize to the nation for the cold-blooded killing of so many of our best-trained law enforcers. But he decided to baby the MILF instead. All he could say was that he would like the MILF to “identify” those involved in the “incident.” And instead of asking the MILF to prove to the government that it was still interested in pursuing peace, he said he was confident the MILF was “studying how to demonstrate their sincerity in the peace process.” This has not changed the matter-of-fact statement of the MILF, saying that what had happened had already happened and could no longer be undone.

Did he personally authorize the botched mission?
They expected him to tell the nation whether or not he had personally authorized the mission of the police commandos that brought them to their tragic death. But he failed to do this. He successfully evaded the question, leaving the public to sort out things for themselves. Unfortunately, the tidbits of information coming out tend to show him in the worst possible light.

One newspaper had reported that the assignment given to the SAF commandos – to serve arrest warrants to Malaysian bombmaker Sulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and his Filipino partner Basit Usman in Mamasapano, Maguindanao – had come directly from the still-suspended PNP director general Alan Purisima, who had personally cleared it with Aquino himself.

Waiting for glory that never came
This was why Aquino was in Zamboanga City on Sunday, waiting to receive the “captured terrorists” on the day of the massacre. Both he and Purisima wanted to “surprise” the nation with a “big terrorist catch,” to rehabilitate their sagging political fortunes. This story has not been denied.

Incriminating information
Since then, the following unconfirmed information has trickled out from highly informed police and military sources:

1.American and local intelligence providers had tipped off the PNP high command on the presence of Marwan and Usman in Maguindanao as early as last November. However, the information was confirmed only during the week of Pope Francis’s visit in January. Planning was kept between the President, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, who chairs the anti-terrorism council, Purisima, the Regional District Commander, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. The PNP deputy director-general had vague knowledge of the operation but was not involved in its planning or in its execution.

Were the Americans informed?

It is not clear whether the Americans who have offered a total bounty of $6 million on the head of the two terrorists, through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, were involved in the operation.

Extent of support for operations
2.About 450 troops from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the PNP were deployed along a 10-kilometer radius of the area of the operation, as the “exfiltration” or extraction component during the operation. This included a light armor brigade deployed along the highway some 5 kilometers from the area of operation. All members of the SAF company were outfitted with throat-activated peer-to-peer communications equipment, as well as satellite and radio equipment, but apparently had no chance to really engage the MILF forces on equal terms.

Light armored brigade ordered to stand down
3.At the height of the fighting, the SAF company relentlessly called for support. But orders came down from the operations command for the light armored brigade, which was the unit closest to the fighting, to stand down.

4.The MILF forces were equipped with high-powered weapons, originally sourced from government, but having taken away all weapons from the fallen policemen, all their sophisticated weapons and communications equipment, including Barret sniper rifles and Steyr AUG A3 machine guns, are now in the hands of the mujahedin.

Aquino no-show at Villamor
Following his speech on Wednesday, the public expected Aquino to be on hand to receive the bodies of the fallen commandos upon their arrival at Villamor Air Base yesterday. He failed to show up, citing as his excuse a previous appointment in a factory in Calabarzon. To many observers, this simply underlines his utter lack of humanity, and his greater lack of any valid reason to stay one minute longer as president.

fstatad@gmail.com

Mamasapano, the President, and the Bangsamoro Basic Law

Joel Tabora, S.J.

The President has called for a day of mourning for those who perished in Mamasapano. When we fly our flags at half mast on Friday, and call upon the God whom we know to be merciful and compassionate, I shall be mourning the deaths of the policemen who died on mission to serve warrants of arrest on known terrorists. But I shall also be mourning the deaths of the members of the MILF and of the BIFF who perished in the same encounter. I shall mourn them, Filipinos all, driven to foolhardy carnage or savage violence by obedience, ignorance, recklessness or fear. In silence, I will pray for peace.

I will also pray that we not be deterred from the path of peace. This has been an arduous path travelled with much sacrifice and pain. But it is the only way of hope.

continue reading.....

A take on the Mamasasapano tragic event

#SAF

source: https://www.facebook.com/bamertz/posts/10155164922840271?fref=nf

I used to ignore comments from raging keyboard warriors about the peace process; thinking that it won't matter discussing with people who have so little time researching about facts but have so much time throwing opinions around. But seeing how some people I actually thought were smart and educated enough to understand the situation also fail to understand the context, then perhaps it is time to speak.

This is going to be lengthy. You are not required to read it.

WHAT HAPPENED? The PNP SAF is in pursuit of two wanted terrorists, each with million dollar bounty on their heads. Intelligence reports say that the terrorists are hiding in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. To which, the PNP sent its special action force to the area without prior coordination either with the AFP, local PNP, LGU, and MILF.

QUESTIONS: What is the context? What went wrong? Why does the PNP SAF need to coordinate with these people? Why can’t they go into the area when it is a given in our law that the PNP is the institution to go to when dealing with crimes? We are talking about criminals here, isn’t it the mandate of the PNP to go after them? What does this situation imply? Who should we blame?

As part of the ceasefire agreement between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF, coordination is important to prevent situations like this. SAF should have coordinated either with AFP, local PNP, LGU, and MILF so it wouldn't have ended like this. Why do they need to coordinate? Because these are areas that are MILF-territories.

First off, be reminded that there are different armed groups in the Philippines. When you say MILF-territory, it does not mean that the MILF holds supreme control over the area. Davao Province is considered NPA-territory and ZamBaSulTa (Zamboanga-Basilan-Sulu-Tawi-tawi) is MNLF-territory. Surely, you understand that this does not imply that every citizen of Davao Province is an NPA nor every person from ZamBaSulTa is an MNLF, right? When we speak of blahblah-territory, it means that the certain group which it was accredited to holds influence in that area. Hence, when you read newspaper outlets saying that terrorist A is in area B which is a C- territory, IT DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN THAT C HOLDS THE SAID TERRORIST. Okay? Okay.

That being said, SO WHAT? So what if Mamasapano is MILF-territory? What does the Ceasefire Agreement has to do with this?

The ceasefire agreement was signed after the all-out war of 2000. The atrocities of said war must not have affected our very opinionated friends hence it was too easy for them to throw their opinions about the entire peace process.

So anyway, after the war, both sides came into an agreement that they have to stop fighting and cease exchange of fire. The entire agreement is more than a hundred pages but the gist of it is basically these:

1. Creation of CCCH (Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities) and AHJAG (Ad Hoc Joint Action Group). These are two committees comprised of people both from GPH and the MILF to ensure abidance on the Agreement provisions
2. No MILF or GPH combatant/s is to trespass an MILF or AFP area WITHOUT prior coordination with AHJAG or the GPH or MILF command post in the said area
3. No GPH or MILF combatant/s is to blatantly carry firearms on a GPH or MILF-determined camp/territory
4. No MILF or GPH combatant/s is to usurp, threaten, or attack any GPH or MILF base

Basically, the gist can be summed up in one word: COORDINATION. Like the peace agreement itself to which it is pegged, COORDINATION between the two parties is of utmost importance. Violation of such is a breach to the entire agreement and if the agreement is broken, well, we know what will come next. (To those who do not get it, WAR comes next.)

When we speak of coordination, it doesn't mean you coordinate with MILF. You coordinate BOTH with the AFP and MILF through AHJAG. For YEARS, combat operations in the areas of Maguindanao and North Cotabato are done in coordination with AHJAG. Do you remember the MOA-AD war of 2008? Do you know what caused it? Breach of the ceasefire agreement. A group of MILF combatants trespassed GPH territory when they found out that the MOA-AD was rejected by the Supreme Court. This is why after 2008, both the GPH and the MILF are very careful when it comes to this matter.

It might seem like a lot of hassle to some. Because, seriously, we just need to get that criminal, why do we need to coordinate?

You need to coordinate because if you do not, you will risk your security and you will die. Everyone, even NGO workers who do not even carry firearms, need to coordinate to ensure their safety when they go to these areas. These places are technically considered conflict-zones. It does not mean that it rains bullets every day there but chances are, it will do so, at any given time if threat happens.Be reminded that these areas are not easily accessible so you cannot reason out that you just happened to pass by that area. If you did not coordinate and you entered the area, the GPH or the MILF will automatically see you as a threat and you will die.

Imagine yourself (whether a GPH soldier or an MILF combatant, it’s up to you) sitting on your post, drinking coffee at 3am in the morning because it is your turn on guard and you have to be awake. Imagine seeing more than fifty figures from the distance, slowly treading their way to your camp. You immediately pick up your walkie-talkie (IDK what’s the military term for this) and ring up CCCH and AHJAG to ask if these guys were allowed to be at your area at this time of the night. CCCH and AHJAG answers that they do not know and that they were not informed of any operation happening around that time. As a person trained in combat, whether by a national institution like the AFP or an armed group like the MILF, what will come to your mind?

Surely these are not a bunch of prankster teenagers who thought sneaking up a military base is a good way to pass time, right? And then you also realize that in that area, there are other armed groups residing too (such as your not-so-friendly-neighborhood BIFF guys and other criminal groups).

THIS IS WHY COORDINATION IS VERY IMPORTANT.

Oh, okay, Bam. So, does this mean that the PNP cannot go to an area and arrest criminals just because it is an MILF-territory? We are talking about criminals here, isn’t it the mandate of the PNP to go after them?

YES, it is the mandate of the PNP to go after them and NO, I did not say that the PNP cannot go to an area and arrest criminals. They can surely go there ANYTIME as long as they coordinate. In fact, the commander of the MILF command SAF clashed with got arrested by the CIDG themselves a few years back right at his camp. It’s because CIDG properly coordinated with everyone.

What if PNP SAF did not want to risk coordinating with MILF because this is a top rank terrorist they're after?

That's okay. They do not need to tell it to the MILF but why is it that even the provincial PNP in the area does not even know about the operation? They are both from the same institution, are they not?

So, what does this situation imply?

For one, it implies that there are people sabotaging the peace agreement. How curious is it that for years even before the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) was signed, no clashes like these transpired between the GPH and MILF but it is only now that people are waiting for the enactment of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that all these violence suddenly ensue? What benefit does this incident give to the MILF when now, hearings about the BBL are postponed and people, with the help of the media, will take a hostile stand against them?

I used to be very cynical of the entire peace agreement, and to be honest, I still am. But after being able to work on the ground and understanding the layers and complexities and all that has been compromised to keep the peace, I have learned when to shut my mouth.

I am very sad and disturbed about what had happened. Personally, I believe the SAF police officers were brought there for slaughter. Whoever commanded them to go there, given the context and situation of the said area, without prior notice to the AFP and even the municipal PNP itself knows that he is risking the lives of his men. How come the intelligence report they received is so sure that the terrorist is in that area but have missed the fact that said area has two MILF-base camps? How convenient is it that most of the SAF officers were from Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga which is why they are not aware of the terrain, and thus, easily killed? Were they even aware that the risk they were facing was much heavier than that $5,000,000? Or probably some of them are aware but, of course, how can they disobey a command? What would be of their families, of the waiting wives and excited kids, when they find out that daddy will not go home anymore?

Dozens of lives are lost in just one night. For what reason?

Whoever it may be who planned all these to happen, they won. It may seem that the MILF was the victor in this battle but, in actuality, they lost. Because now, this incident has smeared that peace both the GPH and their side had been protecting.

Years of struggle and hard work of the different stakeholders (the civilians, CSOs, even the academe) to keep that peace… all lost.

And now, we wait for the media to blow things out of proportion and the raging opinionated anons to wage their online wars.

Let us honor our commandos with the truth

by YEN MAKABENTA

We cannot bring our commandos back to life. But we can honor them by bringing out the truth. The whole truth of how they died, why they died, and who are responsible.

Every sorry and sordid little fact, every misstep, step by painful step, should be brought to light. Nothing should be kept in the dark.

Calling the tragedy a “mis-encounter” is a cover up. It will only lead to a more explosive and dangerous situation.

As the Manila Times went to press last night, President Aquino was scheduled to address the nation and report on the tragedy, finally breaking his inexcusable silence on the issue for nearly four days.

I hope that with this speech, unlike his speeches in the past, the President did not hide from the facts and the issues.

I hope he fully confronted the situation, disclosed his ugly role in this affair, revealed the names of those he placed in charge, and denounced the brutality and ceasefire violations by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its support groups.

I hope he did not misuse the address to plead for his delusional project – the Bangsamoro Basic law (BBL) – in order to muddle the situation and salvage his presidency.

A Palace operation all the way
The truth, as it has started to emerge from inside information and disclosures to media, is very sad, tragic and unpleasant. The following points remain to be firmly established by testimony and documentation in a formal inquiry:

First, the Special Action Force (SAF) was on a special covert operation in Maguindanao when tragedy befell them.

Its mission was to capture or arrest two high-value international terrorists, carrying million-dollar bounties on their heads: Malaysian Zulkipli bin Hir alias Marwan and Filipino Basit Usman. The US government offered a $5-million bounty for Marwan’s capture, and $1 million for Usman.

Second, the operation was fully authorized and supported by President Aquino. He assigned Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa to provide the unit with all the equipment and provisions necessary for them to succeed.

Third, Aquino named suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima as commander of the SAF unit, so he could supervise the planning and execution of the operation, and report directly to the President.

DILG secretary Mar Roxas was not informed of the operation. PNP top brass and headquarters in Camp Crame were also kept out of the loop. Purisima ran the operation from the controversial White House in Camp Crame, despite his suspension.

Fourth, lending proof of his central role in this affair, Aquino went to Zamboanga City on Sunday, January 25, the day of the operation, where he positioned himself to await reports of its success. In the event of success, he meant to reap full credit for stopping international terrorists on Philippine soil. He wanted to be there to receive the captured terrorists. He waited in vain.

Fifth, to execute its mission of arresting the terrorists, the SAF had to enter territory nominaly under the control of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), territory which is part of the Philippine Republic and therefore under the purview of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Instead of a standoff between parties bound by a ceasefire agreement, there was a firefight between the SAF unit and MILF forces.

The firefight killed 44 members of the Special Action Force and wounded 12 others. One was reported missing, and has since surfaced to report on what had happened, and how many of those killed were executed and mutilated by the MILF forces.

A moment of clarity in Mindanao
If earlier many of us were confused and puzzled by the peace process in Mindanao and the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the cobwebs in our minds have now been swept away by the massacre.

This is a moment of clarity in Mindanao. We must not flinch in looking at the facts.

What happened cannot be called peace in any language. It is war, or if you prefer, the resumption of hostilities.

To use the term “mis-encounter” preferred by DILG secretary Mar Roxas will dishonor the dead.

The term does not calm nerves, assuage anger, or console the victims and their families.

If President Aquino used the same terminology last night, he is even more clueless than we have supposed.

If he quakes and refuses to confront the MILF for its rank betrayal of its covenants with the government, he does not deserve the presidency.

The actions of the MILF demand proportionate response from the government, and from our military and police forces.

Aquino is emotionally invested in a narrative of success in the peace talks and in the Bangsamoro formula for peace in Mindanao. That window has dramatically narrowed with the massacre.

If, as he has done in other controversies, Aquino took to blaming the dead commandos for their deaths, instead of their killers, he dishonors their memory, their families, the PNP, and all our men in uniform.

On the BBL, the risks now exceed the possible gains from the law. Its passage, already chancy in light of the Constitution, has probably become impossible.

The government must take serious actions and decisions to restore public confidence in the President’s ability to lead on the situation in Mindanao.

To begin with, President Aquino must explicitly recognize that the MILF is now a threat to peace and order in Mindanao.

Government security forces must now subject MILF weapons and facilities to the most intrusive and far-reaching inspection. If they refuse to cooperate, government would have the basis for resuming hostilities and for punitive action.

Many will urge President Aquino to delay action. But there is no advantage in delaying response.

The situation could be more costly tomorrow than it is today.

What is hard to understand and to respect is the government’ peace panel – and their unbelievably foolish statements in the aftermath of the massacre. Entrusting our hopes for peace and stability in the hands of Mesdames Deles and Ferrer is one more proof of Aquino’s amateurism.

There is, let’s face it, incoherence in the administration’s program for achieving a stable and secure Mindanao

Saying that the secesssionist conflict must end will not make it so. As commander in chief, Aquino has a duty to defend the nation and protect our troops.

There are no ifs or buts about this .

yenmakabenta@yahoo.com