The mountains again

I like to use the metaphor of the mountain again and again, as it symbolizes many things. For one, the summit or peak can be attributed to success, with the actual climb being likened to the journey of life. However, for this week, my view of the mountains is more of a learning ground turned into a bloody arena. Once again, human lives were taken, masked in the branding that they were armed and anti-government.

The alleged encounter happened in Toboso, Negros Occidental. I have never been there, though I might have passed through it on my way to Bacolod City via a land trip. My basic knowledge of Negros Island is that it is full of mountain ranges—those that look beautiful from afar and cradle a good sunset. The mountains, to others, are terrains for recruitment and a breeding ground for combat. While I cannot confirm this, I would like to remember the mountains as picturesque landscapes that make up good memories.

In this day and age, it is very easy to tag one person as red or the other. Regardless of background or status, when there is a close association, one can easily be included as such. There is no room for verification or to hear one’s case as to why he or she was found in the area. The military said they were all armed and low-key dangerous. I could not imagine that for a young student such as Alyssa and a journalist such as RJ. I remember the story of Myles Albasin, who was also tagged the same way. Her pure and innocent face, once held up in the camp, will always remind me that there is more to fight for.

The detractors will continue to drag their institutions through the mud. Many of those who do not understand argue that the people’s taxes are being wasted on students and teachers in state universities. Did they ever question how their taxes were handled in multi-billion projects that do not even exist? Or that they elected individuals who cannot even be accountable for their actions? We cannot bear a double standard on these things. When our taxes fund education, we are investing in our next generation and giving opportunities to those who cannot afford it. Many of them are also living in the mountains.

Authorities said that they have already “dismantled” the fronts of the insurgency in the Visayas, but attacks continue to this day. Those who have the passion to stand for the oppressed continue to live in fear that they might suffer the same fate. I also feel this—that one day we may be silenced for fighting for the rights of others, while those involved in heinous scams continue to evade responsibility. I would like to escape to the mountains one of these days. Not to join whatever is going on at the top, but to find retreat and peace. The breeze of the wind always calms my soul. I would recommend that you try it sometime.