Why don’t they holler, too, when Christian captives are beheaded?

Some Muslim groups and their advocates are angrily crying out that the four arrested Abu Sayyaf "terror" suspects were tortured into "confessing" to planning terrorist bombing attacks as well as to heinous crimes. How did they know this?

Of course, torture is inexcusable and must never be resorted to – but everybody knows that on both sides of the law (military, police and insurgent) there are sadists or "pragmatics" who play rough. These are desperate times and a dirty war is being waged. Both the innocent and the guilty, unfortunately, get caught in the crossfire.

This having been said, why didn’t the same groups complain when the Abu Sayyaf, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas for the matter, tortured and even beheaded Christian hostages – non-combatant men, women, and priests, not just captured soldiers? Brutality begets brutality. Covering wars, rebellions, and one horrible massacre (the latter in Indonesia in which amok Muslim mobs ethnically cut down almost half a million Chinese, suspected "Chinese", and accused Communists) makes one realize that there is no safe haven from man’s bestiality.

We’re not declaring Limbong, Dellosa, Lim and Jul "guilty" out of hand, but they indeed look guilty. Sure, the military and police can "frame" people for propaganda convenience – and have in the past – but this is an hour of heightened alert.

Would you believe, in the leading Madrid daily, El Pais, it was reported a few days ago that the police had actually stopped the vehicle carrying some of the later pinpointed Moroccan terrorists and the Goma Dos explosives they were transporting (to be planted, subsequently, in those four doomed train coaches which "exploded" on March 11)? The cops had halted the van for some traffic violation and to scrutinize the men for their "papers", but had not thought to search the vehicle, the newspaper charged.

Sanamagan! Would 190 lives have been "saved", and 1,400 commuters been spared grievous injury, had the vehicle been inspected? Life – and death – are full of "what might have beens".

In this war, nobody can afford to be "kind" or remain less than vigilant. Especially when the enemy is the kind of murderous outlaws clever enough to use the law for camouflage and protection.

It’s time we Filipinos realized, for all our ek-ek about human rights and our jealously-guarded liberties, peaceful Muslim Filipinos included, that there’s a vicious Islamic fanatical conspiracy afoot, not just here but throughout the world. It’s based on the most perverted interpretation of Islam – which is, crush the infidels, kafirs, and Crusaders (meaning Christians) and, naturally the Arabs’ Semitic first-cousins – the Jews. There is no logic, no heart to this vile argument.

Since the terrorists mete out no mercy, there seems to be no way to deal with them without likewise casting aside mercy and compassion. It’s frustrating that civilized men and women are confronted with being forced to invoke the law of the jungle in order to survive in the treacherous jungle which is our world today. The barbarians have won: They’ve compelled us to utilize their tactics in order to stop and, hopefully, defeat them.

Of course, there’s one civilized alternative. That we meekly lie down and embrace martyrdom. Sad to say, this old fellow is a "barbaric" Ilocano. Our less than golden rule in Ilocoslovakia has always been: Do unto others before they do it unto you.

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The news from London is that British anti-terrorist police last Tuesday arrested eight men and seized half a ton of bomb-making material in what the UK media is calling "their biggest counter-terrorist operation".

What a coincidence. The eight are all British citizens of Pakistan origin, and the exposure of their plot has raised growing concern that "Britain may be facing a threat from extremists who have grown up within its well-established Muslim communities". (These words are taken from yesterday’s Financial Times of London.)

The men rounded up were aged 17 to 32, and were collared during 24 separate dawn raids in south-east England. (The explosive-making material was found concealed in a self-storage warehouse in West London.)

I had caught the first "live" announcement of the arrests on British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) last Tuesday, and the security officer who was the spokesman of the government took pains not to refer to the "British citizens" arrested as Muslims – but they were. The Brit security officials, indeed, took pains to assert that the raids "were not linked to the March 11 Madrid bombings". Salamabit.

By coincidence, the bombers of those ill-starred trains, who left pitiful carnage in their wake, happened to be Muslim Moroccans – and one suspected Algerian "organizer" nabbed up north by Basque policemen.

Security forces in the UK said that the British operation had been underway for at least two months and that it had involved five police forces as well as the Security Service, M15. No wonder the Brits had disclosed last week that they intended to double the number of their intelligence agents. They are looking, in particular, for Arabic-speakers. What threat do you suppose they are gearing up to meet?

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I had coffee yesterday morning with former Agrarian Reform Secretary and former Pangasinan Governor Conrado Estrella who told me that Pangasinan is a crucial battleground in the election since it has 1.2 million voters.

Tata Condring, whom President GMA often visits when she goes over there, confirmed that she has already made nine sorties to the province. In short, FPJ might do well to look to his back door and not take his "home province" for granted.

By the way, Tata Condring’s grandson, Conrado Estrella III, is the congressman in Pangasinan’s 6th district, while Robert Estrella, the congressman’s younger brother, is a provincial board member.

As for the ASO (mentioned yesterday) negotiating with incumbent Governor Victor Agbayani, who’s running for re-election, Estrella declined to comment.

"Let’s see what happens," Tata Condring smiled.

Agbayani, who’s supposed to be GMA’s Lakas-CMD supporter in Pangasinan (although his critics say he’s absent much of the time), should have no business negotiating with FPJ people, di ba? However, a son and grandson of the Aguedo Agbayani dynasty, Victor is trying to expand his own dynasty. His brother, Luis, the incumbent Mayor of Sual, is now running for the congressional seat in the 1st district, and trying to get their sister elected, in his place, as Mayor of Sual. Gee whiz. Remember, as has been remarked, this Republic is being run like a mom and non convenience store.

You’ll remember Sual. It’s where the jellyfish conked out the power plant.

As for FPJ’s bet for Governor of Pangasinan, Ms. Marietta Primicias-Goco, whose ordeal we related yesterday, the "hi-jacked" photograph of her and her running mate for Vice-Governor, Chris Mendoza, having their hands raised by KNP Presidential candidate Fernando Poe, Jr., has not yet resurfaced. As I’ve written, as soon as the photos (flash, flash) of FPJ raising Marietta’s hand were snapped by the "official" KNP photographer, the poor photographer was "ambushed" by the Hawi Boys, V.D. and J.R., and his film "confiscated".

However, the efforts of those two saboteurs may go to naught. Another film "opportunity" is being scheduled with FPJ next Monday. But why wait to correct this anomaly? FPJ must correct this situation. I know he’s a sincere, hard-punching, earnest guy. Why does he allow his minions, including the ASO cordon sanitaire, to make him look sick? His detractors are beginning to make cracks about a certain F Pendejo J.

Dolphy apologized to GMA for his tonto remark. For that matter, Panday must not permit any tontos or tonteria to remain in his own circle.