Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino’s term will now go down in history as the massacre years. If Aquino supporters can blame all atrocities committed by members of the military and police on the late former President Ferdinand Marcos during the Martial Law years, then it is only fair that Filipinos blame the atrocities committed by the military and police today on the current President. Two parties can play the blame-game, not just the Aquino supporters. After all, who else can be held accountable for the actions of those under BS Aquino’s command but him, right?
In the Philippines, it’s normal for protesters to be gunned down. That’s the kind of democracy the Aquinos are bragging about.
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In 2004 another massacre took place. That tragedy happened inside the Aquino-Cojuangco manor – Hacienda Luisita. Cory was not the President anymore at that time but you can say that she still wielded power. Since she was still in good terms with former President Gloria Arroyo, Cory was able to convince Arroyo to send government troops – combined PNP and AFP forces – to help disperse the more than 6000 Hacienda Luisita farmers who were protesting the manner of land distribution implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform. Unfortunately, things turned deadly after the troops opened fire killing seven farmers. More than a decade later, the victims and their families have not received justice.
Now Cory’s son BS Aquino’s term is plagued by the same violence and death. One can be forgiven for thinking the Aquinos only bring doom and gloom to Philippine society.
It doesn’t help that BS Aquino doesn’t seem to value the lives of those who are not members of his inner circle. This was evident after the massacre of 44 members of the Special Action Forces by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. BS Aquino’s callous behavior before and after their deaths outraged the Filipino public. He was alleged to have asked the military to stand down instead of help the SAF troops even when he was told the terrorist group besieged them. And instead of receiving their bodies when these were flown back to Manila, he chose to attend a car plant inauguration. The flak he got from the public was rightly-deserved.
Three more dead farmers will haunt BS Aquino in his waking hours. Just a few weeks before the Presidential Election, the incompetence and neglect of BS Aquino’s government had once again been demonstrated during the recent violent and deadly dispersal of farmers who were simply asking for assistance during the drought. North Cotabato was already placed under a state of calamity in January due to the dry spell brought about by El Niño but the government still acted in slow motion.
Noynoy Aquino should be held accountable for atrocities perpetrated during his regime.
Now the farmers have run out of patience for the government’s bureaucracy. When asked why it took so long for the local government to act, North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Mendoza said she still had to validate who their constituents are because she thinks not all protesters are from Cotabato. It seems the public official wanted to make sure she was helping only those who are going to vote for her in the next election. She should have realized she was dealing with starving farmers who had nothing to lose. It was either drop dead in their homes or form a human barricade on the highway to demand attention from the public.
It’s too bad as well that the government troops did not practice restraint. Some of the government’s supporters are saying that it was the protesters who started the violence. It would be hard to confirm that information while the smoke hasn’t cleared and it is their word against the farmers. Who started the violence is also beside the point. Just like in a schoolyard fistfight, it doesn’t matter who started the provocation. If someone ends up dead or hurt, it will be the perpetrator who gets prosecuted. The government forces who were carrying powerful weapons should have known better than to use firepower against the unarmed farmers.
Unfortunately for BS Aquino, public sympathy now lies with the dead and wounded farmers. The public is now aware of the way his government deals with issues. In so many occasions, he has shown how insensitive and uncaring he is of the plight of those in need of assistance – the farmers and the SAFs.
[Photo courtesy NCBC News.]
In life, things are not always what they seem.
that son-of-a-bitch Aquino deserves EXECUTION by GUILLOTINE!!!!
Nah, Peter, that’s too quick.
Just tie him to a tree and forget about him. Let the weather, ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches, lizard take care of the rest. If he last for six years, then he goes free. It is the same amount of time he made the nation suffer.
You know what they say about “bad” or “wicked grass”…
Oh gosh, he will last for more than six years. Let me rethink the punishment then.
In order to do that, he must be stripped of human rights first.
Despite of the incompetence, insensitivities, lies, deceptions, hundreds of billions of pesos plunder, three times increase of commodities and cost of government services, increase of crimes and drug, massive corruptions where BS ‘Bull Shit’ Aquino personally bribed the congress using peoples money, death of these hapless ordinary filipinos, selective justice that to deceive the idiots, still he remains the most popular president to all extreme stupid filipinos.
according to the lead front page story in The Manila Times, Gabriela’s Bai Ali Indayla “added that the provincial officials refused to talk or negotiate with barricading farmers to end the crisis.” and later that Gov Mendoza “insisted that violence erupted when the farmers attacked the policemen, who were ordered to exercise maximum tolerance.”
CNN Philippines reporter seemed to express surprise when it was mentioned that live ammunition was used.
This is like that shootout that occurred during that long-running South African miners’ strike, and in both cases shows the lack of capable and competent conflict resolution people, like hostage negotiators, to resolve serious issues like this. Instead, it seems the default position on the part of govt and police is the use of firepower.
Which would seem to indicate a govt that seems inept and incompetent in handling serious disputes like this, because it seems no one in power was interested in reaching out to those farmers and listening to their grievances.
And doubly ironic in this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, on the eve of the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday.
What a sad, sorry and shameful last few weeks of this ‘inclusive’ reclusive government.
Those farmers will certainly not miss them one bit.
Dos that include the ‘Maguindinao Massacre’, where the President employed the criminal warlord Amputuans to rig the elction? and since then the ENTIRE government has turned a blind-eye to the deaths of 57 (Men & Women and most of those journalists and Candidates families) people?
Oh wait, that was under GMA from 2004-2009, RIIIGHT,same old same old.
At least they (Ampatuans) are in jail. How many in jail for the SAF 44? How many???
Who did the planning for this? I worked with a military police unit in the USA. We were able to use extreme measures. When it came to crowd rioting. We would have tear gas, rubber bullets, and riot shields for every person. All live ammunition would be keep in a police vehicles of supervisors. There are too many things that were missed in the planning and dispatching of the police units. I saw the footage on television. Many times it appears that some of the police officers are running around with no leadership on the ground. I do not understand why there was not just a big line of police officers standing together to make a do not cross this point line. This was disaster waiting to happen. My question is simple. Will preparations be made ahead of time before the next riot?
THIS comment….????
Quite simply, no.
Welcome to the Philippines, where the locals are liberal about being heavy-handed against opposition. And where the people will not think twice about burning down the house just to kill a rat.
All while competent leadership is both absent, and frowned upon, especially when competent and likeable, or popular, do not intersect.
You would get that in Manila but not in poor, starving and back water Kidapawan. Let’s face it, centralizing government in one corner of a country is a bad idea.
You do realize of course this are the same leadership that you will get if you go with Federalism and with far less supervision from the central government.
If you listen to Digong, he’s main argument is bigger share of the budget. Will it solve the problem? I don’t think so, precisely because the leadership in the provinces will still be the same. What it will certainly do is strengthen the hold of these dynastic families. that will inevitably fragment the whole country into regional, tribal groups.
Sadly, no sanctity of life here, for a predominantly catholic nation.
First there was Laglag Bala in NAIA, and now this, planted bullets… made for the North Cotabato farmers. PNoy loves to give bullets to us, hindi nga siya gumamit ng wang-wang pero gumamit naman siya ng baril.
https://youtu.be/nBMBUpPNpf8
Looks scripted with special effects. That’s not him shooting I think. If that was the real deal, he’d shoot himself in the foot.
If it’s legit, then the guy in the video is just a stunt double…
Just sayin’…
well this one is real & he’d won a shooting competition in Camp Crame.
https://youtu.be/MTE2pxFqqro
No, sorry, I still don’t buy it… 😉
I don’t think the real Nonoy would know the difference between a gun and a dildo…
I believe that it’s all part of a big political zarzuela to continue to dehumanize and demoralized filipinos to its core, inorder to achieve a bigger political agenda of the ruling class, this election is just a massive attenpt to make filipinos believe that there is still democratic rule in our country, I believe Edsa revolution was an allusion of the song He is so cruel but I still love Judas.
The Aquinos do not have value on peoples’ lives. From the Benigno Aquino, Sr. , collaboration with the Japanese Imperialists, to Benigno Aquino, Jr., bombing the LP Miting de Avance at Plaza Miranda. This family, kills and murders people, as a means to its end.
Many massacres, under the Aquino Era: Mendiola massacre; Hacienda Luisita massacre; Chinese tourist Luneta massacre; Maguindanao massacre, not yet resolved; Mamapasano SAF massacre;now the Cotabato massacre…
How many more people , will die, before we demand justice, from this Aquino?
An administration bookended by massacres, 2010 and 2016. Each involving someone with the name Mendoza. I sure hope this is already the worst that the condition of the Philippines has sunk to.
I also tried looking for the possible earliest massacre of farmers. So far, looks like it’s the Maliwalu massacre in 1950, from this page about Joe Lingad. Has a relationship with insurgents, namely the Huks, like with today’s.
This must be PNoy’s way of saying goodbye – ending his term (and the 30 year Yellow reign) with a BANG. Hope you’ll remember Cory and PNoy for all they have done for/to our country for a very long time. They have finally shown their true color – RED as blood. This will surely cost Mar’s survey rating to drop even more.
Ok guys, time to place those crosshairs on the right target now: Poe. She’s about to deprive us the show of a lifetime!!!
this video will tell who started it all the violence.
mendoza said the farmers don’t have a permit. but the siren has sounded that permission had lapsed? this scenario is sooooo similar to what happened in hacienda luisita.
can we call the Philippines now under ANARCHY? FIRES, MASSACRES, MONEY LAUNDERING, GRAFT AND CORRUPTION ETC, the admin is ready now to declare martial law.
It’s a chilling thought I wonder why NAIA is experiencing unexpected brownout can some one explain why? No money for generator Hmmm..
Hmmm. A little over than 30 days to May 9. Bomb threat in ADMU, Fire in UP, Kidapawan, and really, brown-out in NAIA? Yah, Hmmm
Im sensing divertionary tactics to show that Grace Poe’s human rights is more umprtant than Kidapawan Massacre.
what’s the budget for 1016? isn’t it 3.2 trillion pesos? that heist money 81 million US dollars x exchange rate of 45 = ??? with an extra of 500 billion. is that budget 3.2 trillion will be coming from the heist? doubtful connections.
The ones who did it can always rationalize their actions and even forget what they did. They can turn away from things they don’t want to see. But the surviving victims can never forget. They can’t turn away. Their memories are passed on from parent to child. That’s what the Failippines is, after all: an endless battle of contrasting memories.
Could be that Kris Aquino’s being once dubbed the ‘Massacre Queen’ has jinxed the Aquino administrations of both her mother and brother? Looking at it another way I’d say that both administrations under the Aquinos spelled a curse on the Filipino people, not only for their incompetence but more so for their lack of empathy for the common citizenry.
One of the big arguments for Noynoy back in 2010 was how he would not tarnish the name of the Aquinos: 1) Kris already took care of that. 2) I guess being a high profile Juan Tamad is not tarnishing the name. 3) Look at Noynoy every time he is abroad or meeting with the Pope. The guy is a disgrace. Manners of a two year old. That is all.
Most media in the PH don’t accurately report these events. We’re grateful that GRP is there to give us unbias report…keep it po..