In the olden days, the idea of peace for any nation was, at best, temporary. Sooner or later, another nation or the nations own discontented citizens would cause some kind of trouble and it would be off to war for the menfolk (or even womenfolk as well in other societies) to put a stop to all the mess in general. In those days, life was simple but primitive. Settling arguments often boiled down to who had the biggest fists, pointiest sticks and the most mooks. Yep, compared to what life was like with the Greeks, Romans and the barbarians that surrounded them, the life of a modern citizen would be absolute heaven.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front remains armed and extremely dangerous.
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But while I am in awe of Mahatma Gandhi and generally believe that violence is not always an intelligent way to approach problems, I will also state that “Pacifism” doesn’t always mean “non-violent”. When Gandhi and his allies were protesting against the British government, he made it clear from the get-go that he was prepared for trouble. He stated that pacifism was about standing up for your beliefs regardless of what people did to you. When you hear the phrase “turn the other cheek” in this day and age, people tend to think it means letting offenders get away with their transgressions. However, what it actually meant was refusing to be talked down to or intimidated even if you were arrested, beaten or killed. To be a real pacifist requires a stomach of steel and gonads of brass because standing up to tyrants and murderers without weapons and only your resolve to protect you is not something you will find in your common citizen. The hippie movement and their ideas of free love and marijuana probably wouldn’t fit with Gandhi’s idea of pacifism as they are opposites in every sense of the word. Pacifism, which Gandhi calls “passive resistance” is about taking a stand in matters without the willingness to shed blood for your beliefs while the hippie movement is more about drug-addled oblivion.
I will also go on to note that “Pacifism” is not a sure-fire solution to problems. Sure, violence isn’t exactly a sure-fire solution either, but having a gun or even just a simple club is better than nothing. If any of you have read Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers (I even wonder if many people know that the protagonist of the piece was supposed to be a Filipino), it has been said that the author’s opinion is that non-violent options are mostly just wishful thinking in some situations. Sure, there are few people who want bloodshed if they can at all help it but what about the rest? There’s the sad fact that not everyone is good at heart or aren’t willing to follow the good in their hearts. From the heartless monsters that include Albert Fish, Elizabeth Bathory, Josef Mengele to Osama Bin Laden, it’s quite obvious that not everyone is open to quiet negotiations and are perfectly willing to hurt innocent people to further their goals. Now tell me, do the aforementioned people seem like the type who you’d be willing to negotiate with?
Anyway, my point is, there is a clear difference between pacifism and outright cowardice. Pacifism means continuing to fight for what you believe in through non-violent means and being prepared for the backlash, physical or otherwise. Cowardice, on the other hand, is just running or hiding from the problem or having a marijuana-induced high while the world around you burns.
Now, let’s go to the point regarding Muslims. I have friends who are Muslim and I respect their beliefs to a certain degree. I have read parts of their Qu’ran and I can attest to the fact some of it is quite interesting, if not beautiful. However, regarding these latest insurgencies south of the country and the aggressive actions against our people, all I can say is that they are criminals and must be dealt with firmly. Cracking down on them is not an act of discrimination but an act of justice. I, for one, would not care if these same terrorists are fellow Catholics, cousin Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, Shintoists, Scientologists, Atheists, Discordians or Worshippers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. That they are terrorists, murderers and kidnappers squarely sets them apart from society and requires their immediate arrest and prosecution.
This latest post by Benign0 is proof that these scum are not willing to negotiate and that any attempt at reasoning with them further is pointless. While our government continues its fruitless efforts of making a peaceful agreement, it’s quite clear that these people are not really at all interested in a peaceful resolution. Now, we all want peace for our children and struggle to reach a mid-point with the insurgent elements of the country, it’s apparent that they’re not even listening to what we have to tell them. In order for there to be any kind of talk, all parties must be at least willing to hear one another out. It’s not that these Islamic extremists don’t understand what we are trying to say, they just don’t want to understand.
As far as I can tell, the terrorists of Mindanao have been a problem for this country for many long years because we tolerate them. Like a thief who has seen that his crimes yield some profit, these insurgents will continue to plague us for as long as we allow them free reign over the island. So long as we simply stand by and let them do what they do (kidnapping, stealing and murdering), they will continue to do so until the world ends. Signing any kind of peace treaty is pointless because these scoundrels aren’t interested in peace, they just want us to let our guard down so they can continue to kidnap, rape, rob and butcher the populace. Like hoodlums, they simply wait for the police to ease back on patrols so they can continue committing crimes and what not.
And no, before you start on the dangers of Islamophobia, let me ask you this: Have they done anything to alleviate our fears of them? Wouldn’t you be intimidated by a large man dressed in a black coat who fits the look of a serial killer?
I praise the Muslims who side with our people and only want understanding and harmony with our society but the terrorists down south are simply that: terrorists. We should stop thinking of them as the occasional friendly Muslims we may meet but as the enemies of the country. The people deserve peace and justice and dealing with these insurgents with necessary force and aggressive negotiations is key to eliminating the problems of Mindanao and NOT giving into the demands of terrorists who hold our fellow Filipinos (and the occasional unlucky foreign national) at gunpoint.
I HAVE RETURNED TO LAY WASTE TO OUR ENEMIES!
The bangsamoro bill is ludicrous i tell you. it’s a one sided affair meant to appease.
Sa Pilipinas, ok lang maging terorista o rebelde dahil eventually bibigyan ka din ng sarili mong bayan ng gobyerno. Pwede ka ding magsenador at mananalo ka kung ayaw mo namang magkaroon ng barangay na pinangalan sayo. Ano kaya ang naisip ni Ngoyngoy at nakikipagkasundo siya sa mga mamamatay-tao at anti-constitution na mga bandidong ito? Siguro kinukulang na sila ng securities sa Hacienda Luisita sa dami ng nag-aaklas doon kaya humahanap na lang ng sweet deal sa mga rebeldeng wala naman talagang gusto kundi pahirapan ang mga taga Mindanao. Pero siyempre opinyon ko lang yun at walang basehan.
A word about Gandhi: self-professed pacifist as he was, his actions upon learning of a possible Japanese invasion of India was… less than salutary.
As for the massacre (yet another one) in Maguindanao: I for one have been willing to overlook past transgressions and atrocities in support of a negotiated peace deal — I was willing and still am willing to advocate a two-state solution for Mindanao. But I for one will not vouch for any peace settlement made under the threat of bloodshed.
Once it is made clear to us what happened that day in Maguindanao, and if the BIFF and MILF fail to hand over those responsible for the bloodbath — then the gloves are off.
Your last paragraph…It’s not going to happen. The MILF can and will merely invoke temporary immunity from arrest for its cadre – this being a part of the peacetalk protocol between government and their group.
Your last paragraph. Please look at MILF’s history from the time it was founded until the early 1990’s, I doubt it is pretty and easy to swallow.
What? But MILFs have ALWAYS been around throughout history…
I found your article to be one sided and simplistic. Your use of the pot smoking hippie as your straw man is ludicrous, at best.
Despite efforts by earlier administrations to christianize the island by giving choice parcels of land to immigrants, Mindanao remains resolutely Moslem. It has never been part of the Philippines, despite the best efforts by Spanish and American colonial powers to conquer it.
The American experience in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq should demonstrate that there is not a military solution to an insurgency that has popular support. Diplomacy with the use of incentives and sanctions seems to be the only realistic course of action.
It’s like that because I wanted to avoid sugar-coating the issue and, well, I can’t exactly deny that a lot of Filipinos look like they’ve been smoking too much pot as they know little about history, the current geopolitical events that shape their lives and the possible future that awaits them.
I’m trying to make it clear that these “Moronic Liberation Fronts” and their “Bang-the-Moron Bill” probably aren’t interested in peace or harmony at all. They are “criminals” and should be treated as such.
Diplomacy? As far as they’re concerned, it’s just an opportunity for them to buy more weapons and ammo.
This problem has persisted for decades. While it may indeed be more complicated than the way I wrote it here, don’t you think we should at least work towards a little progress.
Why we continue to give in to the demands of these Moronic Liberation Fronts is something that will always fly over my head. I sometimes wonder if they have an “inside man” within our own government to keep them informed of the Philippine military’s plans and movements.
It was definitely rumored that Abu Sayaf was splitting its lucrative ransoms with a high ranking AFP official. At one point, the group was surrounded in a hospital that they had taken over; yet the were nonetheless able to walk out the back door.
All these groups need funding. Figure out their sources and cut it.
That some AFP and LGU officials have their hands in the ransom pot is an open secret.
Right on the bucket Grimwald. Always be honest and not sugar coat the realities of life. Only noytards approve this bangsamoro bullcrap.
Heck, I don’t even know why these terrorists have to shove this “Bang-the-Moron Bill” in our faces. It’s just plain old trying to bully us into submission. There’s no “diplomacy” in any of this.
You don’t negotiate with terrorist. You kill them…otherwise, they will kill you.
The Israeli-Palestinian negotiation is a good example. The negotiators sign agreements for peace. Then, they go back fighting each other.
The Palestinian terrorist, Yasser Arafat and his Israeli co-negotiator, Ytsak Rabin; even won a Nobel Peace Prize, for peace. Still, we have them :bomb, rocket bomb and kill each other, up to now…
It will be the same in Mindanao…these terrorists want to be a part of the ISIS Caliphate, carved out from the Philippine territory. And, Aquino, Roxas and the rest of the YellowTard minions are willing to appease these terrorists of their demands.
The Sri Lanka military defeated the “Tamil Tigers”…”Tamil Tigers” insurgency had been going on for almost half a century…
The AFP, Real Patriots, should depose this coward : Aquino, Roxas , YellowTards, etc..and learn from the Sri Lankan military of its military strategy and tactics…
The military don’t want to negotiate, the problems are the fucking politicians who are so coward and busy counting money instead of giving the armed forces full financial support to battle these rebels. Ngoyngoy as a commander in chief got no balls to fight for this country’s constitution. I’m no pro-past administration pero mas rigid at maprinsipyo pa sina Gloria, Erap, Marcos at FVR pagdating sa ganitong terrorism acts.
We’re in this mess because of the Jabidah massacre and the Tripoli Agreement – those were FM’s doing.
FVR treated the insurgents with kid gloves during his tenure.
GMA kept the MOA-AD (establishing the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity) under wraps. When the public filed petitions to nullify the it, all hell broke loose. The MILF, under commanders Kato & Bravo, razed non-Muslim communities to the ground, killing villagers one after the other. The SC eventually declared the MOA-AD unconstitutional.This was in 2008.
Only Erap had the gumption to declare an ‘all-out-war’ against the MILF. His war campaign in 2000 rendered the MILF powerless with Camp Abubakar, the insurgents’ main stronghold, falling into government hands.
Back to present. Under the current administration, stakeholders have been continuously consulted throughout the peacetalks, and GRP-MILF negotiations remained transparent. That much the PNoy administration can brag. Yet despite government’s best efforts the MILF simply cannot be trusted to keep their end of the bargain. That’s all there is to it.
BIFF and MILF: one dog donning two different collars.
If you read the Islamic Koran…we are non believers or infidels. Believers of Allah, can treat the infidels, anyway they want…this is in the “Suryas” in the Koran…so, if you negotiate with a non believer or infidel…you can just pretend you are negotiating on good faith…and this is okay for them, to advance Islam,to rule the world.
@Hayden Toro997vf Much of the atrocities/violations committed by the insurgents are haram and in violation of the suras and the ayahs of the Qur’an.
@Iawia:
Why are some of the Radical Imams, preaching Jihads, and approving Jihadists? Why are beheadings of innocent hostages, not condemned by these Radical Imams preaching violence to infidels, like me?
@Hayden Toro73ok Some does not mean all.
If you have a fatwa issued against you, hide. :p
@Iawia:
This is the mentality of Radical Islamist. If you disagree with them, and tell the truth: they issue you a “fatwa” – it means I must be killed.
I”m ready for them. If they ever come…I’m not Aquino who hides..let any of them come…I’ll welcome them with “Laser Gun”…
One thing going for Erap is he knows more a lot in terms of common sense compared to all the presidents we had. Since he is not as articulate he relies more on his instinct when examining the real intention of the other party he’s negotiating with.
He doesn’t waste time when he think he is just being taken for a ride. He takes action when the the other side makes threatening acts that he considers as a challenge to his authority. Like it or not, Erap knows the language of violence, the mistrust, the lying, cheating and blackmailing because he lives it in the reel and real world.
His decision to wage war against the MILF was lauded because it was the proper step in dealing with armed groups that is just wasting time. For him, the time for endless talks has passed. Like an impatient man whose foresight was dictated by his simple understanding of the issue, Erap got down the businesses he thought the other side understand and he was right. They did “understand” him. They so understood him they retreated with their tails between their legs.
Again right or wrong, proper or not, the enemies, those armed groups who have been pestering this country for decades can only be made to listen and listen good by people with native intelligence like Erap.
@jameboy You struck the nail right on the head.
@Iawia:
Send those Islamic Terrorists to me…who try to enforce my “Fatwa”…I will make a “Martyr” out of them. Then, they can go to “Paradise”, and have sex with 72 virgins…
Some food for thought:
1. Attempts to Amend the Constitution
http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/02/10MANILA251.html
2. Threats to Balkanize Mindanao
http://www.wikileaks.org/cable/2010/02/10MANILA405.html
http://globalbalita.com/2011/09/19/balkanization-of-mindanao-mata/
“We are Family”
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/669039/biff-on-milf-unit-were-all-family
Very telling.
As long as there are people who profit from the troubles in Mindanao it will always be like that.
Neither side really wants peace. They want money and power. They don’t care about who gets caught in the middle of their deals. They’re just little people after all.
If one’s aim really is peace, Mahatma Gandhi’s way is the way. It’s just that peace talk is only for those who would cooperate, not people wanting to separate. This may sound cliché but you really can’t talk peace and have a gun because you can’t go to war with a gun and not shoot and both sides are placing armed soldiers there. So it’s really a war waiting to happen the catch is no leader wanted it to happen during their tenure. But it’s clear that the state has an enemy and since it’s an enemy it must be defeated otherwise they’ll get back at you fiercer than before. A true leader must decide once and for all how to put a stop to this threat.
“It’s just that peace talk is only for those who would cooperate, not people wanting to separate.”
Nations with enough gumption to do so can declare themselves free and independent from the mother country without bloodshed, through negotiations, with the trust and cooperation of all concerned parties. It has happened with some of the former British territories after World War II, and it can happen here. An amicable separation is possible, if that’s what the people of what the rebel groups claim is the Bangsamoro want.
“with the trust and cooperation of all concerned parties”
Before we go relating our country to British histories, how would you make your Moro insurgents cooperate?
That’s a good question. If a veiled independence bill now passing through Congress is not enough of an inducement for their full cooperation, then what else needs to be added? (This assumes that the the leadership of the rebel groups now in talks with the government have a good degree of control over their rank and file, which the bloodbath in Maguindanao is not friendly to.)
Hmmmmmm. I’m stumped. Perhaps because I’m not among those doing the negotiating, but I’m stumped.
Thing is, they are not presenting a better bargain for their independence. No rebels/terrorist and illegal arms surrendered, no plan or evidence of local developments. In this modern world where people are clamoring for change and innovation, working in gender equality, and while most religions have undergone reform to foster unity, they still have backward thinking and way of life.
“…how would you make your Moro insurgents cooperate?”
========
They will only ‘cooperate’ as long as they are getting what they want. As long as the gov’t. is giving in to their demand.
Right now, they are thinking of ‘cooperating’ for they know sympathy is not on their side. It is interesting to watch how will the gov’t. respond and how will justice be pursued for the murder of those policemen.
lets not fancy ourselves about peace, we have learned that lasting world peace that we are enjoying right now just suddenly happened. It came to reality because of two bloody world wars, plain and simple. Superior complex people have been killed and vanquished. Now, we are up against superior ideology or religion and it must be dealt accordingly. Plain and simple. The Mindanao problem must be dealt accordingly too, may sound very primititive thinking but that’s how history taught us. It a lesson of reality not very grandeur but proven effective, as we can go about our business now freely anywhere.
There is a difference between the Nazi Party and Mindanao’s rebel groups, and it is this: the former wanted to kill all the Jews it could find, expand its territory, kill all the Jews it could find, enslave all “non-Aryan” peoples that it cannot eradicate after doing away with the intelligentsia, and kill all the Jews it could find; the latter want power over a slice of predominantly Muslim Mindanao, and have no desire to kill every non-Muslim within the proposed state-within-a-state, or invade the rest of the archipelago for that matter.
See? The difference between rival superiorities is so vast you can create a world in the gaping gap.
“and have no desire to kill every non-Muslim within the proposed state-within-a-state, or invade the rest of the archipelago for that matter.”
Pallacertus, I’ll only believe you if they will surrender their illegal arms. And already they’ve killed more than 50 non-Muslims.
“the latter want power over a slice of predominantly Muslim Mindanao,”
What happens next when you have that power?
“What happens next when you have that power?”
Rhetorical question? If it is, then I’ll answer it with my own: when the United States declared independence from the British, did the Continental Congress ever consider trying to conquer Great Britain?
Let me say this: I consider myself a student of history, and I’ve never come across anything that purports a Muslim invasion from down South, unless you consider occasional outbursts of piracy in the Visayas during the Spanish era “invasions”. The stated goals of the insurgents in Mindanao (as opposed to the aims of JI or of ISIS — Muslims are hardly a monolithic force) disclaim any designs for the rest of the Philippines, and whether they realize it or not, this is in line with centuries of culture and practice.
“What happens next when you have that power?”
@Pallacertus, not really a rhetorical question. You said the latter want power over a slice of predominantly Muslim Mindanao. When they rule that part, what now? Will they try developing that slice of land for the good of their people? Will they be contented that their religion would only be practiced there? I’m sure you’re aware that Muslim people or group is not limited to Mindanao. We also have them in Luzon and Visayas although most of these people migrated there to escape the poor and vile life the Islamic leadership has been offering for decades. Would they not demand that this people be loyal to their insistent “calling”? And what have the rest of the country done to them for them to march against or away from us? Did the rest of us treat them unfairly? Who’s been assisting Mindanao for decades now? Once they got the autonomy they are vying for, who would still assist them? As for history, I won’t pretend I know as much as you do. Here’s what I know though. See in Singapore people of all religions are able to live side by side. North Korea has been giving their sister South Korea a hard time since they got separated. Now that China is fairing with first world countries in development, they’d been trying to take back the rule over HK and Taiwan. Malaysia, after laying claim on Sabah, also wanted a slice of our Muslim Mindanao. And I’m sure you’re very much aware what’s happening in Britain now after the radical violence the Islamic group perpetrated (which they did for “the honor of their Prophet”). That’s how they use their piece of power.
I forgot about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Who gets what and who’ll have the upper control.
If they can kill all non-Muslims they will, believe me.
Actually, the Nazi party was into blame game. They blame those they consider enemies so they hate which eventually lead to violence and killings. Those rebel groups in Mindanao don’t engage in blame game they’re into hate game and it’s in their DNA.
No analogy nor comparison will make the recent killings in Mindanao less tragic. It’s a double-cross, it’s betrayal of trust to the highest order.
What’s sad was it was nothing new. 🙁
“The gruelling Falkland conflict’, W-W-W-WWHAT?
R U referring to the conflict that saw Argentina cower before the U.K. anfd nary a shot was fired?
I had to stop reading this.If you meant a differnet conflict, my bad…but that shit is laughable,if you weren’t.
Grueling? 3 week holiday in the South Atlantic for 2 Para Regiment.
My Dad fought for 6 years during World War 2 in the Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment (infantry brigade). Took part in D-Day and then the regiment fought its way across the Rhine and into Hamburg and hoisted the regimental flag onto Hamburg town hall.
Next stop Berlin then back to Dover, U.K. When they got back to barracks at Dover they were told you have 3 hours to clean up sort your kit out and have some food. Then report to the parade ground
My Dad and all the lads thought they were going to be demobbed.
When they lined up on the parade ground the Sergeant Major said when I call your name pick your kit up and get on the plane you are going to Burma to fight the Japs.
My Dad said 40 minutes later they were airborne hoping they would survive another day.
The R.P. will soon be missing many foreign currencies.As news of this gets out and peole that get abused in Manila as soon as they get off the plane will be going elswhere for their vacations or ex-pat havens.
Say bye-bye !
I don’t really get it. Why did our government allowed policemen to arrest a notorious bomb maker? Although we can say they’re SAF and trained to such encounters and terrorists, but I noticed that they’re not that veteran to handle such case. I’m not an expert with such enforcers but we’re dealing with an international terrorist. The government of US doesn’t send policemen in Iraq, they deploy trained soldiers equipped with proper gears and weapons. Also, our government is trying to make this massacre a heroic act in a battlefield, but base on what i read its not a battle but a suicide on the part of the PNP-SAF. Is there any casualties on the part of the Muslim rebels? Based on reports there were none. Considering that those Muslim rebels had the chance to nabbed these policemen their gears and valuables. Its really a massacre.
I also agree with some comments about those terrorists in Mindanao. They can never be our allies. Maybe those Muslim rebels are laughing on us for having a no match encounter. I hope our government can think of a brighter solution, by any means, to annihilate those rebels. Well i hope they really care in that incident in Mindanao.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for men to do nothing.
And that makes BS Aquino a one helluva example.
It’s now too late to repent or regret but such a tragic incident could have had been prevented and many lives could have been spared from the unfortunate killing of young and brave men. My most profound sympathy and condolence to the families and loved ones of the victims. May they rest in peace.
If Spain and the U.S., in spite of their superiority in men and arms, never succeeded to integrate the Muslim population of Mindanao during their occupation, how could it be possible for the Philippines to win against them? Eventually, there will always be tension and conflict between the separatists and the authorities until they obtain their independence.
Just look at the case of Sabah, which should have been part of the Philippines as a heritage of the Sultan of Sulu but through the wish of the Sabahans chose to join the Malaysian Federation in 1963 instead of the Philippines. In the course of its history, it has never known any internal conflicts ever since except in 2013 when Sultan Kiram III staged a standoff to make a claim on Sabah that only ended tragically to the death of a number of his followers and the locals.
Taking into account that there had never been any massacre in Sabah, why not grant the Muslims of Bangsamoro the right to self-government so that unnecessary killings in the future would cease completely?
“The 2013 Lahad Datu standoff was a military conflict standoff that started on 11 February 2013 and ended on 24 March 2013, it arose after 235 militants, some of whom were armed, arrived by boats in Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia from Simunul island, Tawi-Tawi in the southern Philippines on 11 February 2013. The group, calling themselves the “Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo”, was sent by Jamalul Kiram III, one of the claimants to the throne of the Sultanate of Sulu. Kiram stated that their objective was to assert the unresolved territorial claim of the Philippines to eastern Sabah (the former North Borneo). Malaysian security forces surrounded the village of Tanduo in Lahad Datu where the group had gathered and after several weeks of negotiations and broken deadlines for the intruders to withdraw, security forces moved in and routed the Sulu militants.” Wikipedia