It’s not over until it’s over

Speaking too soon, or it’s just another poorly crafted psy-war? Whatever it is, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Voltaire Gazmin literally jumped the gun to declare “mission accomplished” in supposedly being able to put an end to the latest misadventure by erstwhile MNLF chairman Nur Misuari.  For more than twenty days now, Misuari loyalist troopers led by MNLF commander Habier Malik laid siege in Zamboanga City. Many of them were reported either killed or wounded while the others are reportedly on the run now trying to escape.

Top administration officials led by Gazmin are apparently still in a state of denial on the obvious failure of intelligence after our military and police authorities were caught with their pants down by disgruntled elements of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) who tried to take control of Zamboanga City last September 9.

Westmincom chief Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo has yet to fully explain why – with all the forces, including intelligence resources at their disposal – more than 500 fully armed MNLF men have sneaked into these areas undetected? Alarm bells should have alerted them already after Misuari’s provocative speech that declared Mindanao’s independence under his Bangsamoro Republik late August this year.

Gazmin’s Zambo standoff over declaration was based on the purported rescue of the last remaining hostages last Thursday. But where is Malik? And for that matter, where is Misuari? So what is Gazmin talking about?

In hastily organized press conference last Saturday, Gazmin brought along this time Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas II to make a joint announcement that the Zambo standoff is really over. They sounded as if they were trying to convince themselves that indeed the siege is over even though intermittent shooting in the besieged areas still occurs from time to time.

Apparently, Gazmin’s premature announcement was anchored on the marching orders of the Commander-in-chief, President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III to press on the offensive of government forces until all hostages are rescued. In fact, President Aquino stayed on at the siege-torn Zambo City for so many days until his physical presence at Malacañang Palace required him to fly back to Manila last September 22. 

P-Noy flew to Zambo on the sixth day of the conflagration. For the next three days, P-Noy made high-profile appearances at the frontlines to give pep talk with government forces as well as to be on hand to help evacuees from the affected villages.

But people began to notice P-Noy has been missing in action during the succeeding days while supposedly directing the government operations in Zambo City. Malacañang propaganda machines started dishing out videos and photos to show P-Noy directing government actions in the siege-stricken city.

But the siege has been dragging on for too long already. Classes in all schools in the affected areas as well as airport operations in Zambo City have been suspended indefinitely. This is not to mention the business and economic activities that got stalled in the fighting.

Hundreds of passengers from both the Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific that have the most flights to Zambo City have been stranded. PAL domestic sales officer-in-charge Salvador Britanico Jr. disclosed as many as two flights of Manila to and from Zambo City and five flights from other provinces going to Zambo City of the flag carrier were temporarily suspended at the height of the siege.

Fortunately, Britanico noted, the suspension coincided with off-peak season. He could only give ballpark estimates of as much as P3 to P4 million potential revenue losses were incurred during the forced suspension of Zambo flights for almost 16 days from September 9.

Before things could turn for the worse, the Commander-in-chief obviously gave instructions to his field commanders: Finish the job at the soonest possible time. As the head of the National Crisis Committee, P-Noy must assume all the responsibility to restore peace and order and normalcy in siege-stricken Zambo City.

When he had to come back to Manila, P-Noy turned over the command to both Gazmin as the immediate head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Roxas as the immediate head of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

A retired three-star Army General, Gazmin was evasive when it comes to giving the press regular updates of the ongoing military operations. Taking up the slack from Gazmin, Roxas acted as the official spokesman for the National Crisis Committee during this time.

But all too suddenly, Gazmin became so talkative to selectively announce: “mission accomplished.” It turned out Gazmin was only talking about a job half-done.

If the mission has been indeed accomplished, why did Gazmin preempt their Commander-in-chief to make the proper announcement?

Gazmin had to bring Roxas along the next day to clean up his mess. Roxas was more circumspect in saying the government forces will still need 14 days, or two weeks more, to conduct its clearing operations. This includes the cleanup of remaining threats and dangers to the civilians like unexploded mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices) that might have been planted by the retreating Misuari-led MNLF men.

As of this writing, there are still sporadic shooting and even burning of houses in the areas of Sta. Catalina, Rio Hondo and Sta. Barbara among the several Zambo villages occupied by Misuari’s MNLF loyalists.

From initial investigations of this incident, many of the Misuari loyalist MNLF men so far arrested or captured were telling government authorities they were made to believe they would merely participate in a peace rally. How could that be a peace rally when they brought in high-powered firearms and munitions with them?

Some allegedly admitted they were offered as much as P10,000 if they would join the peace rally. These allegations elicited suspicions of behind-the-scene financiers and operators with ulterior motives. As to what motives they have are now being looked into. 

So the plot thickens some more. As another popular saying goes, it’s not over until it’s over until the fat lady sings.