The MILFs declaration of a unilateral ceasefire has not been accepted by the government, General Garcia said. It remains for the MILF to show its sincerity, that it would not mount attacks against the government forces and civilians. The government, he said, has no obligation to accept that unilateral ceasefire. "We have been burned in the past," he said.
He said, in answer to a question, that the solution to the conflict will take time, and there must be an understanding of the historical roots of the conflict. He sounded sympathetic to the Muslim rebels condition, saying that government actions from the time of the Spaniards to that of the Americans had deprived Muslims in Mindanao of their land. The American governments passing of the Public Land Act, which encouraged Christian settlers from Luzon to settle in Mindanao and claim lands through the Torrens Title, had given the settlers ownership of 24 hectares of land, and the Muslims, 12 hectares of land which they claimed were their own.
"Right here, we see the disparity," said the general. "We may not have acknowledged what we should have acknowledged, what we should have done to make Muslims part of our nation."
The generals words seemed like music to the ears of some in the audience who perceive the military to want to get rid of the Muslims with bombs and artillery to have peace in beleaguered Mindanao. I think Id like him to be the next chief of staff.
What proof can we have about the truth of the womans accusation? Do her supporters know as gospel truth that she was speaking the truth? Is it possible that she harbored ill feelings against the church prelate and that the way to get back at him would be to mistake his "friendly" gesture of putting an arm around her for a malicious act?
The secretary had been introduced to the bishop a couple of years ago by Hermie Alfonso, an active member of the Catholic churchs charismatic group called Prex. Ate Hermie, as she is called, is the eldest sister of Philip Alfonso, former dean of the Asian Institute of Management. Hermie and Philips mother are the brother and sister of the father of Bishop Bacani as well as the father of former Agriculture Secretary Senen Bacani.
On the other hand, Bishop Bacanis siblings consist of a lawyer, a doctor who is now living in the US, a sister called Lucing, and Rudy, a congressman in Manila. (My source mentions these relatives to stress the point that the Bacanis are a respectable lot.)
Hermie, who had been approached by the parents of the then 32-year-old Caroline to give her a job, asked Bishop Bacani, who was then auxiliary bishop of the Malabon diocese, he made her a clerk, then possibly because she was good at her job, made her appointments secretary at the Good Shepherd Cathedral, which was the seat of the diocese. My source said the girl found herself in a powerful position, as she was the one who would be asked if they could see the bishop. At this time, Bishop Bacani, my source said, told the girl to stop seeing her boyfriend, who was married, and employed as a secretary of another well-known bishop.
The time came when the offices of St. Peters Cathedral, the seat of the Malabon diocese, and the Good Shepherd Cathedral in Novaliches were merged, Bishop Bacani, who was made full-fledged bishop, moved his office to the Good Shepherd Church on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. The merger caused the girl to lose her clout, as she was no longer the appointments secretary.
The bishop said he didnt know. And his parting words were: "I did not know what hit me."