Recall what happened on the 7th January 2015 in Paris, France. Shots were first reported coming from the Charlie Hebdo offices on Boulevard Richard Lenoir at 10:57am. By 11:31am, French President Francois Hollande was reported to be on his way to the scene of the crime. And by 11:54 a.m. Hollande was addressing the French public saying “We fight threats and we will punish the attackers.” It took France’s leader less than an hour to be on TV talking to his people in a live broadcast.
Fast forward to today as of this writing. More than 36 hours after 64 Filipino police officers — members of the Phillippine National Police’s elite Special Action Force (SAF) — were massacred by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in a “mis-encounter” in Mindanao, Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III has yet to show up before his “bosses”.
What could possibly account for this 36 hours of silence?
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President BS Aquino had remained silent for more than 36 hours (as of this writing) following the massacre of 64 Filipino police officers.
The trouble with waiting too long to speak up is that it gives time for, shall we say, embarrassing information to percolate to the surface and fuel speculation. According to a Manila Standard report, PNP chief Alan Purisima who is currently suspended over corruption allegations, “planned it all”. According to an anonymous source, the SAF operation and the operatives involved “reported directly to Purisima, who ran the operations from the White House in Camp Crame, despite his suspension.” Even more revealing was the way Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas was also unaware of the operation having been “kept out of the loop”.
It seems, then, that the secret operation was ran directly by Purisima and the president himself, bypassing both Roxas and PNP Deputy Director Gerardo Espina who is currently acting as officer-in-charge of the Philippine police.
The covert nature of the operation was, according to the Manila Standard report, what made it ultimately fatal…
Asked what went wrong as the SAF troops had engaged in a fierce firefight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the general said it was the MILF that violated the ceasefire.
“The ceasefire was in effect. We observed it. We expected the MILF to observe that too. There was no way we could coordinate with the MILF when the terrorists we were after were in their territory,” the general said.
“We were there only to serve warrants for the arrest of Marwan and Usman. There was no intention to engage in a firefight with the MILF. We did, however, expect an exchange of gunfire with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in case they turned up because there was no standing ceasefire with them,” the general said. “We also came ready with our weapons.”
“We were caught unawares when the MILF fired upon us. And so we radioed for back-up and artillery from the Philippine Army. The Army refused to send the artillery and told us their hands were tied because of the standing ceasefire,” the general [the Times‘s anonymous source] said.
Which brings us to the conduct of the other party involved in the national delusion of Bangsamoro autonomy in Mindanao. Bobi Tiglao in his Manila Times column today makes disturbing observations surrounding information about the aftermath of the bloodbath now emerging; that…
…photos of the dead SAF troops right after the incident showed them completely unarmed, or without such battle gear, as if they were civilians. They were even stripped of their camouflage suits and US-made boots. The bodies were scattered in the cornfield, and obviously weren’t in foxholes or behind makeshift shields, which they would have been if they had died fighting.
It raises the possibility that this was a war crime in its truest most heart-wrenching sense — that the SAF troops were possibly “massacred after surrendering.”
If all these are true then the two main characters in the dream of Bangsamoro autonomy in Mindanao, the president of the Philippines and the leader of the MILF are irrevocably tainted by this tragedy. The ealier for taking unqualified control over what could turn out to be an illegal operation and the latter for exhibiting a lack of qualified control over their clearly illegal armed forces.
Illegal seems to be the common denominator here.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
What’s taking Unico Baklita so long? can’t find someone to blame? If this was Erap then our minds will attain so much peace that there are no more bogans like MILF, MNLF or BIFF for he will declare an all out war.
At least Erap makes sense for once in a while right?
The fact that they were massacred baffled me completely until Tiglao made this clear. Come on, they are elite police forces! They don’t die like that. The MILF know that they are at a disadvantage in a firefight with Government Forces. This just does not happen! It is disgusting. These MILF think they can just act with impunity now that PNoy is trying to get his Nobel Prize.
The fact that there were survivors among those police officers sent to try and capture Marwan and Usman does its part in dispelling Tiglao’s admittedly extremely disturbing claim. The battleground itself does the rest of the work — a sixty-man force simply cannot defend that patch of land for long against overwhelming firepower from an enemy force five times your number.
This does beg the question of what the nearby SAF reinforcements were doing for the duration of the bloodbath, but then Noynoy didn’t address that in his 6:30 pm speech, the police are still tight-lipped, and on my part I need to see an aerial view of the cornfield and its environs to try and see how the desperately pinned SAF men were unable to get the help they needed.
Why was the police trying to serve a warrant on a terrorist? That makes no sense at all.
You kill the terrorist, not arrest him/her…otherwise, he/she will kill you…
In democratic society these people, I mean terrorists take advantage of the democratic system and abuse to the extreme for the purpose of their faith, when captured they think they are protected by democratic law. They should never be captured alive they but killed instantly and thrown to the ruins and caves they live in. So, you are perfectly right Hayden.
well……. if it were for claiming someone else’s achievements, mabilis pa sa alas kwatro.. yan si BS.
another telling matter is the silence of CHR… crying their black hearts when its their comrades who are “victimized” but none for anyone else…
I find most of the comments by readers to be naive and terribly one-sided. Whether someone is a terrorist or a war criminal is a relative matter. One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter.
Those calling on the government to “take the gloves off;” sounds a lot like the counter insurgency efforts by Americans in the Philippine American War.
The praise of Erap is similar to that given George Bush when he declared his War on Terror after 9-11. “Bush may be stupid; but at least he is strong” was the sentiment expressed by many arm chair warriors. The truth is that he lead the American people into a needless quagmire in the Middle East and the situation there has gone from bad to worse.
If you go South and kick ass; what then? Chances are, it will make the situation worse in the long run. The Philippines does not have the resources to engage in a protracted civil war. Instead, you should convince the people of Mindanao that life is better under a democracy, than it is under Sharia Law.
I sincerely hope that those who wished for there to be a full blown-war in Mindanao to be conscripted into the military. That way they can walk the talk.
I don’t really like some of the finer points of the BFF but egging people to go to war without thinking of the consequences is just plain stupid.
That’s my fear as well (especially the Dubya-Iraq parallel — we seriously do not want that shit here — WE DO NOT WANT THAT SHIT HERE). Not many people here realize that whatever the demerits of Mindanao’s insurgents, they do have popular support.
The only way to deal with that groundswell is to do it the way the Americans did here during the Filipino-American War or what the Sri Lankans did to the Tamil Tigers at the close of the civil war there. It may work, and it can be effective, but it won’t win the hearts of the populace whose lands you are trying to pacify — at best you reintroduce a people apathetic to the country’s political, social, and cultural aspirations into the national fold; at worst, you are feeding future insurgencies by people convinced of your conquering mentality.
So where was I? Oh, yes: stop this get-tuff bullshit at the moment. If it turns out that the internationally wanted terrorists the BIFF is coddling are still alive and well, then the government should demand that they be handed over as a sine qua non for continued talks, as a show of sincerity and contrition on their part. That will go a long way towards distancing themselves from the deeds of JI and its allied terrorist groups, among other things.
I’ll add something else here: I just saw on a thread on the bloodbath in Maguindanao an image of a pasty-white Putin, with the following quote, here in full:
“If minorities prefer Sharia law, then we advise them to go to places where that’s the state law. Russia does not need minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell ‘discrimination'”.
I DO NOT WANT THAT. I FUCKING DO NOT WANT THAT HERE EITHER. If there is one thing that I will insist from day one till day done, it is this.
But then Russia is different, in its cultural tendency to conformism, even autocracy, and in its penchant for strong executive leadership, all of which are evident in Putin’s Russia. While it would be an exaggeration to say that those factors are altogether absent here in the Philippines, we as a people are more tolerant of minorities and are reared to respect and appreciate differences between groups of people. (Or at the very least I was reared to think the way I’ve said.)
I want to live in a country where minority peoples are welcomed and not ghettoed or deprived of opportunities for advancement or killed off altogether — that, I believe, is an essential ingredient of a functioning democracy. I think I am living in that country. If us denizens of Luzon and the Visayas (in body and spirit, at least) really cannot live amicably alongside them, then we can at least arrange for an amicable separation — grant them independence after meeting certain conditions, so to speak.
Let them have their independence. I suspect that once Filipino people live under Sharia Law and Islamic State dictates for a while; they will change their minds. No music, No TV, no representational art; only calligraphy of sacred sources, no bright colors, women covered from head to toe, no alcohol, no fiestas, no Christmas, no literature except for devotional texts, no education for women, education for young males consists of memorizing the Koran in Arabic, strict segregation of men and women, no religious freedom, no freedom of speech. mandatory prayer five times a day, starting at 4:30 in the morning, child brides, laughter and good times are discouraged as being decadent.
At the same time cut off ALL support from the Philippines. No resources, no electrical power, no conditional cash transfers for the poorest in the community, no subsidized rice, no road repair, no hospitals, no new school construction, no public housing. All the wealthy in that area will flee; thereby decimating the tax base.
How long do you think Filipinos will live under those circumstances?
Putin, at least in Russia’s case, is correct. In our case, we can give special privileges to minorities, why not, but ON OUR OWN TERMS. Or else, we go by way of Putin.
We have been very generous through the years going over and over again dealing with these Islamic rebels only to get the same results: blackmail, treachery and more killings. It has to stop. If it will require settling the problem in the battlefield after exhausting all options, then, we have to do it.
These people have not treated us the way we treat them as partner or equal. It is time to rethink our present approach toward the objective of seeking lasting peace if we want people to treat us seriously.
Let them have their independence.
========
On what basis?
@Sea Bee, not exactly true. Also women will have to study reciting the Quran in Arabic.
Terrorist are people who kill innocent people, because of religious/political ideology. “Convince people that life is better under Democracy, than Sharia law”..?
You must understand the mindset of those Islamic Radicals and Islamic Fundamentalist…read their Koran. And listen to what are preached by those Radical Islamic Imams…
Filipinos are naive on what are going on in this world. They are caught up in: telenovelas, wowoowee shows, nonsense shows and programs…
NEWS FLASH!!
-Aquino knows about the operation all through out.
-However he insisted to the SAF director to coordinate with the relevant personnel about the operation.
-Pins Blame to SAF director for the botched operation.
This guy really makes scapegoating a real art. He even make it like the SAF members did their duty, being sent to the butcher and all.
Blame Game again…somebody’s head must roll…not Aquino’s head…although, he is at fault…he never know about Command Responsibility…he is the commander-in-chief of the AFP…
He was at Mindanao last sunday morning “to attend the wake of victims of explosions in Zamboanga”. Probably thought it would be a succesful operation, better be there for press-release-good-shot-ako.
When a ferry sunk in South Korea, though it was an accident, their prime minister resigned. Pero si Pnoy still playing the blame game, nagsermon and didn’t even pay respect.
Exactly, both parties are clearly in fault.
Making the situation worse is the only language the enemy would care to listen to. They are not really wired to level and be at par with us. They aspire to be above if not equal with the gov’t.
The situation is very clear, just look at the pattern of past ambushes, massacres, etc. perpetrated by the enemy.
Convincing the people that life is better under a democracy is not going to work on people who are hell bent on seeing you dead simply because they don’t like you. Democracy is not the answer. Worse, it is even anathema to Islam.
History tells us those Muslim armed groups will never submit to PHL authority and jurisdiction. They have an illusion attached to their faith that they have to live according to the dictates of their religion.
There’s no other option but to keep them busy fighting the gov’t. than to waste time kowtowing with this modern day bandits.
Let’s not be delusional talking peace with these people. Not gonna work. They talk peace with us. That’s different. If I’m one running the gov’t. I’m not talking, I’m just going to make the enemy busy by letting them know I don’t have enough time to genuflect and accommodate their double-crossing ways.
Let’s stop all those ‘peace effort’ crap. We’re dealing with people who are not peace loving people. :/
The Blame is on Aquino and the PNP Chief. Both are incompetent and stupid. Aquino has never been in the military…he does not know what military strategies and tactics.
Sending a police contingent to “serve warrant” to arrest terrorists is the most ludicrous thing, I have ever heard. You don’t arrest terrorists…you kill them. If they surrender; make sure they are not wearing a bomb vest…and, be sure you have a ready support of firepower…
Incompetence is the order of the day. Lives of Filipino soldiers and police do not matter to Aquino…they are expendable to him…
That is why we are on the high moral ground. We do civilized acts toward interacting with people. We do the legal and proper procedure and we don’t discriminate.
Moron, you dont know what moral ground means
Well said! No one should give in with this terrorist demand.
It’s war already …there is no “moral ground” in war…no “legal or proper procedures”…no “discriminations”…
You have to kill the enemy, or be killed…
this is the reason the soldiers/police were ambushed and murdered…they were trying to serve warrant of arrest to terrorists…
Obviously, you have not heard of peace negotiations, peace agreement, ceasefire, cessation of hostilities, etc. indicating the absence of war.
The Israeli Palestinian conflict has been over half a century. They have “Peace Agreements”.
Palestinian Arafat and Israeli Rabin, even won a Nobel Prize, for Peace.
They sign negotiation; and then, they go back fighting again…you have to understand the mindset of Islamic Radicals…like Adolph Hitler, when he signed Peace agreement with British Prime Minister Chamberlain. Hitler told his aide: ” i just signed a piece of paper.” Then, he went on invading Poland, and other European countries. After , swallowing Czechoslovakia.
Soviet leader Stalin and Adolph Hitler had also, a signed “peace non-aggression treaty”. Then, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, after he loss in the Battle of Britain.
Peace agreements are nothing…
You have to consider the provocations made by both sides between Rabin’s assassination and Arafat’s near-universally ballyhooed rejection of Ehud Barak’s very generous terms for the Palestinians before you spout that tripe.
You also have to know basic analogy to know that the situation in Israel is not comparable in any way to that of the Nazi-Soviet Pact that preceded the partition of Czechoslovakia before you go on and spout further tripe.
Treachery is treachery…no matter, who is involved. Hitler, Stalin, Yasser Arafat, Usama Bin Laden, Al Queda, ISIS, MILF, Abu Sayaff etc…
You don’t negotiate with these kind of people…you have to fight and eradicate them…”there is no substitute to victory…” the Old Gen. MacArthur, told Pres. Truman, when he was relieved as Commander in the Korean war. He was Right…North Korea is now a pain in the ass of the U.S.
Sorry, but I ‘m a little shocked by this superficial contemplation … Treachery is always the Treache the other side , supported by the propaganda of the respective rulers . Objectively it pretty clear that the other side feels just as lied . Everyone thinks he is in quite determined there on the other side also someone with such a small horizon . But in the end , the reality is irrelevant for the trouble . Every human being is equally important and has the same right even if he has a completely different opinion, that is to force the real Demokratie.Jemanden something has long time never works , the only way is to convince the people that they ` willkommen` be treated fairly and the system is also good for them. This is my opinion of the German perspective , here you could see what intolerance and fear of those who are different takes . I hope there are more people , the more open to the rest of the world and are also seek opinion from many different sources of information .
Before we move on, can you point out to me where in Mindanao can we find our own version of the Holy Land? Is there a portion of that island that were given to an ethnic group at the expense of another ethnic group?
There is no war. There is a process of declaring a war for one to insist otherwise.
I hate making comparison because it tends to blur and confuse the real issue. We don’t have to go outside to make our point. All we have to do is look at the problem and understand it in our own point of view as citizens of this county.
There’s no surprised of the said incident,Muslim separatist had ensued it, if really there intention is to achieve peace, they could have lay down their arms, and settled the disputes in a negotiating table for peace, sans dispensing other parties, which would had more reason to argue of their equitable participation,of the peace process. DELES, and others must be called to accounts of those incident, they have a command responsibility, including the President to answer.The killing of 44 PNP-SAF Police Officers must be condemned, and the government should bestowed their relentless stand against such criminal acts, THE MILF, MNLF, NPA and its armed fronts in the country must be condemned and once and for all be wiped out, and the Christian supporters must be braved enough to stand against said unlawful acts, and now call for a concerted stand, to show IBRAHIM et.al. of their good intention and to bring those personalities involved to the manslaughter to justice within (48)hours, otherwise, this will be the beginning of searching lights against those in the darkness, and the MUSLIM are likewise warned that they too have family in order to protect, against unlawful aggression. If the said peace negotiation would be remote in its possibility then, as ERAP said will be declaring all out war, against those transgressors of the law and the those civilian in the affected area must be armed in order to protect themselves against those cruelty.Greediness tossed the said mission failed, and therefore, the MILF,MNLF, and their cohorts must showed their good intention prior to the ratification of the Tidings.The President must show his concrete stand against those transgressors of the law, not to be cowed by the Government of Malaysia, whose tandem can be easily gleaned, back his father NINOY, exposition over the former President Marcos good intention to retrieve SABAH, as our territory over the KIRAM’S claims of ownership, but this grim situation is offing on the premise that even MALAYSIAN, government is harboring terrorist and can be deduced to have supporting them.CHINA is not our enemy but it is the MALAYSIAN country are the front runner of separation in MINDANAO, and maybe some of our government official are also in cahoots of this unlawful collusion, as such it is now time to resurrect the spirit of SUBANON, tribe with whom had fight against the state of Muslim in Mindanao, and time to armed them, including those tribe that love peace and prosperity.I’m calling all Christian ex-Police and Phil. Constabulary members who are still alive to show remorse and fight for the cause of our fallen soldiers, Killed by MILF, MNLF, and NPA in the country and act as force multiplier favorable to the constituted government forces of the country. We should deal them equally what they have ensued to us Christian.If the Cuban President didn’t repose of their trust to the United States, what’s more to MUSLIM people, as there is a soldiers saying, trust them if their feet are equally tied and had lifeless.Clearly MINDANAO is not for MUSLIM people but for Christian and native people of MINDANAO such as LUMADNON, their presence in the area can be threshed out through intermarriages with the natives which had a different culture so to speak….As such I joined the appeal of the Honorable Supreme Court Chief Justice to be calmed and sobriety,until the facts set-forth would be brought to justice for redressed….. am hoping and prayed to GOD, not Allah!, because there is only one GOD,the GOD OF JACOB, ISAAC AND ABRAHAM with whom the promises has been conferred.
Because of course demanding that justice be served that way before gathering all the evidence while invoking your god as if everything is certain is sure to mollify miffed sensibilities on both sides of the negotiating table.
Fucking brilliant. So fucking brilliant.
The problem with are Armed forces and
SAF of the PNP.They still lack the proper training.When they went to the place they are familiar with the terrain.The planning was a total mess.Plus they don’t have any PSYWAR against the MOROS.
they should have read the technique of Gen.Pershing and Gen.Leonard Wood in their Moro Campaign.On their counter insurgency.
A “Fatwa” has been issued to me…send those Islamic Radicals, who enforces that “Fatwa”. I will make a “Martyr” out of then. I will send them to “Paradise” to have Sex with 72 Virgins…
The enemy of the state is always an enemy forever. the enemies of the state are the communist, terrorist and etc.. (NPA,MILF,ABB) but they were reformed by the government and funded contineously .. during the time of the father of president pinoy, who was a leader of the NPA (interview former NPA). he want to reform the government thru communism. these principle was carried now a days but why we vote theme.
that’s ok an A,H…
Plainly, the central idea of secession, is the essence of anarchy.