Painful and embarrassing

 The Zamboanga crisis is now on its ninth day, with fighting still going on between government troops and armed rebels aligned with NurMisuari. But with supplies such as food and ammunition running low for the rebels, along with mounting casualties, it is hoped that this latest adventurism by Misuari will come to an end soon. His calls for intervention from practically the whole world have fallen on deaf ears. Even those seemingly close to him and his cause have left him alone in this senseless, violent act of rebellion. Nobody wanted to have anything to do with him. Well maybe someone did.

Nobody bought his story that all they wanted to do was hold a peaceful rally at city hall. They did want to raise their flag, which of course cannot be allowed. But probably the worst they did and did willingly, was to take in civilian hostages and turn them into human shields. So much for the peaceful rally story. What they were planning was nothing short of seditious. In their minds, they believed that if they started something, others who believed in their cause would follow. But Misuari's days of glory and power have long gone. He no longer has the clout he once had, no matter what anyone says. This attempted rebellion of his has painfully and embarrassingly shown him his place in the scheme of things.

What I really don't understand is where do people get the idea that they can just take anything? We have the Sabah incident where armed men suddenly show up on the beaches of Sabah to lay claim to the land. Now we have this Zamboanga crisis where Misuari wanted to declare independence from the country. Is this sort of thing taught at militant school? As if they would get what they wanted without a fight? As if they already have the support of the whole world to do what they wanted. And when things do not go as planned and they find themselves in trouble, they seek international intervention. Can anyone be blamed if they are no longer taken seriously?

Then there is the farce that was a called a ceasefire, which was prematurely claimed without knowing all the facts. A condition set by the Misuari-aligned MNLF was that the remaining armed rebels be given safe conduct out of Zamboanga back to their pits. Of course, the president did not allow that. They have to answer for all the trouble and damage that they have caused the city. They have to answer for the thousands of lives ruined, families displaced, livelihood disrupted and all those innocent civilians killed in this rebellion. Rebellion alone already carries a stern punishment. Were they expecting the government to just let them go, after all this? Where do they get ideas like that? If the president gave in to that condition, what message is he sending to all those with plans of their own to secede from the country? Unbelievable!

I really hope that this all ends soon, and those responsible punished, as the president himself has ordered. Zamboanga has to get back on its feet. It is good to hear that more and more hostages have been freed, but at the same time we are all saddened by those who have been killed. There are even reports of torture by the MNLF on some of the hostages. Where is the Commission on Human Rights? Isn't torture forbidden, no matter whose side commits it?