A lawless land

What has happened to values and morals? Not so long ago disputes and disagreements were settled in a more civilized manner. Now, if you disagree with someone the first resort is murder. In this case, the Maguindanao murders were allegedly perpetrated by elected government officials; namely Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., members of his personal army and provincial officials. People like these who are in power have become more interested in perpetuating their own interests than serving the people, or the nation. They view elected positions as their own and their jurisdictions as personal fiefdoms. And just like despots and warlords, they will do what they can do protect what they have claimed by rule of might, not right. Do we have a government of laws, or a government of men?

Sadly, the Philippines has a long-standing reputation of being dangerous for journalists. In 1997, it was reported that 31 journalists were killed during the Marcos dictatorship; 34 during the Aquino administration; and 15 during the Ramos period. From 1995 to 2005, 52 journalists were killed. Reporters Without Borders (in 2005) named the Philippines the most dangerous place in the world for journalists: The Iraq War began on March 20, 2003. According to reports, since 2001 105 journalists have been killed. We have now hit a new low: Never before have so many journalists been murdered at once (34 at last count), anywhere in the world. It is a dubious distinction and even further lowered our international standing. With the world watching the Philippines with a highly critical eye, the government needs to prove that we have not become a banana republic.

The Maguindanao slaughter is a direct reflection of the rule of law in the Philippines. It is obvious that the perpetrators believed they had free hand to act according to their whim; with no regard for repercussions or judicial retribution. This was a slaughter and the men who did this thought they were protected enough to get away scot free.

The only way to lead is by example. It has to be, “Do as I do and not as I say”. Words are meaningless unless followed by proper action. It is action that gives meaning to words. The very first requisite for progress is peace and order. It is not just talking about peace and order, it is doing something to ensure peace and order. The people’s faith and confidence in the government and its institutions have been badly damaged.

Let us be clear: Rhetoric and empty gestures will not suffice. For this specific incident, a thorough investigation is needed to answer all questions. For example, there are serious questions concerning the role of the local government in this tragedy. There are questions concerning the handling of the chief suspect – the words VIP treatment should never be used in relation to a murder investigation. The masterminds of the Maguindanao massacre are not the only ones on trial.

After Martial Law we hoped that despotism and warlordism were relics of the past. We removed a dictator to restore the rule of law. Twenty-three years later, close to 60 people, including 34 journalists, are dead; because of politics and corruption. The state of the nation has become such that people think they can get away with murder. The only long-term solution is to clean up our government, clean up our judiciary, disband personal armies, and re-establish the rule of law in the Philippines. It begins here and must continue next year by holding honest elections. We need to prove this is a nation of laws; not a lawless land of despots, warlords and the corrupt.