‘Reconciliation with justice’

Shortly after the 1986 people power revolution, President Cory Aquino said that reconciliation was only possible if justice was served. The murder of the 44 PNP Special Action Force has sparked widespread calls for the peace agreement to be put on hold until justice has been fully served.

The 44 elite PNP troops out to arrest Malaysian bomber Zulkifli bin Hir a.k.a. Marwan and his Filipino follower Abdul Basit Usman were practically sent to their deaths in a most horrendous, barbaric and brutal manner. The botched operation in Mamasapano is the worst in the history of the Philippine National Police in terms of the number of casualties in a 12-hour combat. 

News travelled fast with social media and because the president took three days before he finally addressed the Filipino people — this only opened more questions. What really happened? Why was there no immediate reinforcement from the Philippine Army when elements from the 6th Infantry Division were in the vicinity? Who planned the operation? Did it have the go signal of the president considering that Marwan is a high-level and high-value target? Was it true that suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima was the one really calling the shots, operating behind the scene? The big question is, how come DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP OIC and Deputy Director Leonardo Espina claim they did not know about it? The president’s answers in the subsequent press conference left Filipinos with a sense of dissatisfaction and disquiet — he was noticeably evasive, answering questions with questions and refusing to give categorical answers.

It’s clear that almost everybody is not in any mood to talk peace or about the Bangsamoro Basic Law that is now obviously in jeopardy with congressmen and senators already having second thoughts about supporting the proposed bill. Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and JV Ejercito have withdrawn as co-authors of the Senate version of the bill, while Speaker Sonny Belmonte admits that support in Congress has “eroded.”

The elusive peace in Mindanao will become even more elusive than ever as mistrust in all fronts has been rekindled. Many find themselves agreeing with former president Joseph Estrada that the only way is to declare an all-out war against the MILF. Many also recall the assessment of former senator and PNP chief Ping Lacson (following the Basilan clash in 2011 where 19 Marines were killed) that peace in Mindanao will not be achieved unless a tactical victory is first attained by the military.

While former DILG Secretary Raffy Alunan says the focus should be in getting “all-out justice” for the 44 who perished (though the number could be higher since several civilians were also killed in the encounter), he also says the government should re-assess the sincerity of the MILF with regard to the peace talks because it is obvious to everyone that the terrorists Marwan and Usman found safe haven in a so-called “MILF territory.” And if it is true that Purisima’s role went beyond giving advice and explaining “jargon” to the president, then this was something highly irregular. 

A lot of Filipinos also echo the sentiment of former Defense Secretary Rene de Villa that government must deal from a position of strength — not weakness — and that the peace mission should not be left in the hands of academicians and lawyers who don’t know what it’s like to deal with fully-armed and battle hardened Muslim secessionists. People who have been critical of the BBL also find the argument of San Beda Law dean Fr. Ranhillo Aquino spot-on that “if the MILF can already act as if portions of Mindanao that its armed cadres control is off-limits to agents of the government of the Republic of the Philippines,” how much more so when the BBL is already in effect?

No question there is now a creeping sense of dismay, disappointment and betrayal that the troops feel against the president, whose decision to attend the Mitsubishi plant opening in Laguna and skip the arrival honors for the “Fallen 44” left a bitter taste. This was in stark contrast to US President Barack Obama who canceled his schedule to welcome the slain bodies of the 30 men who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan in 2011. If there’s anything that we Filipinos remember most, it is not the people who share with us our moments of celebration, but those who condole with us in our hour of grief.

It did not also help any that the president arrived late at the necrological service at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, and it is disquieting to know that the families showed indifference to the president’s words of sympathy, to the point that some of the widows deliberately turned their backs on him, refusing to accept the medals of valor. PNPA alumni are also calling for a mass leave of absence as a sign of protest. Friends from the PNP say that what pains them most is the “instant censure from the commander-in-chief” who blamed the Mamasapano debacle on “lack of coordination.”

No question justice must be fully served before any peace agreement can be made. The MILF must turn over every single person responsible for this barbaric act. We should not accept token surrendered firearms as goodwill. And my unsolicited advice to the president is to stop blaming the past and other people for what happened. Take full responsibility as commander-in-chief because the buck stops with you. And more importantly, follow the dictum of your revered mother that we can only have peace and reconciliation when justice is fully served.

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