There is an ongoing standoff between Malaysian forces and about 100 heavily armed men believed to be militants which came from Tawi-Tawi and Jolo. These militants, who described themselves as members of the Royal Army of the Sultan of Sulu refuses to leave the area. Malaysian officials told these militants to peacefully leave the area to avoid bloodshed. However, the standoff continues, as the gunmen refuse to move out of the vicinity, claming that they have the right to stay there.
INstead of campaigning for his Senatoriables, President Aquino should attend to this matter very carefully because this can make or break the economic momentum of the country. An external problem such as this, and highly explosive at that, should be solved immediately by the President either through back channelling efforts and thru diplomatic means.
Actually, the President cannot do it diplomatically because this is a criminal act according to Malaysian laws. If the President intervenes, and uses the power of the State to negotiate, what would be his bases for doing so? The intrusion of this group into Malaysia does not involve the participation of the State. It was an extra-legal move coming from individuals who claims to have the authority to do such a thing. The group is claiming legitimacy. Malaysia refuses to recognize the validity of the claims of the heirs of the Sultanate of Sabah. While the present heir seems to have gotten legitimacy from numerous groups from Mindanao and beyond.
If someone would ask me if this is the appropriate time to re-claim Sabah, my answer is a definitive no. We should be able to substantiate our claims in the area. Likewise, claiming this side of Malaysia would entail more than physical intrusion. It would mean convincing the population of Sabah to side with us. Those who want Sabah should consider the sentiments of those living in the island of Borneo.
Showing posts with label armed groups in the pilippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label armed groups in the pilippines. Show all posts
Friday, February 15, 2013
Friday, November 4, 2011
Rebel for rebel's sake, not for getting cash
So, it's like this.
Generals, as they say, do not die, they just fade away. Rebels, on the other hand, retire with government funds in their hands.
We already eliminated the pabaon system in both the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Now, instead of giving pabaon to retiring Generals, we now give pabaon to retiring rebels.
Such is the weirdness of these things that defy logic.
The logic of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process is that they are just following what rebels and the government agreed upon during the past administrations.
Apparently, even those agreements that harm the public welfare and defy logic, are being implemented.
Now that things have been exposed, with government giving 5 million pesos to train would-be rebel managers and 33 million pesos for rebels who are tired of hiding in mountains and hills, what about retiring soldiers and officials and relatives of those killed in battles, ambuscades and assassinations? Any compensation?
Yes, there are, they are being given retirement benefits but some do not actually get theirs because theirs are being used by unscrupulous individuals out to make a fast buck from monies invested by soldiers' lives and futures.
Rebellion is supposed to be a personal mission to correct the monumental wrongs in the government. When one decides to give his life to the country, there is no corresponding amount of money equivalent.
From an ideological perspective, is a rebel expected to demand from government, millions of pesos worth of assistance?
A person's belief has or is supposed to have no financial equivalent or value. The value of being a rebel is supposed to be intrinsic.
You rebel because your mind and heart say that you must. A rebel must not expect compensation for the things he did in the past.
You rebel because you believe in changing society for the better. You rebel because you believe that things ought to be done not just for you, but for other people.
Rebels rebel for other people, and expect nothing in return when your rebellion fails.
Imagine the image of a rebel asking for money from the same government or State which he previously want to oust from power?
Imagine how this would look like---rebels asking for compensation to rebuild their lives when it is not the responsibility of the State to give them such and it is not also the responsibility of rebels to ask for something from the State which is supposed to be his main enemy?
Had many discovered this venture as an entrepreneurial pursuit, what is rebellion then, but an enterprise?
The glory of rebellion is dying for the Cause, and not profitting from it.
When a rebel profits from his rebellion, it is not rebellion, but pure syndicalism.
When a rebel group turns into a syndicate, it is not the responsibility of government to give the group money to rebuild their lives.
It is like encouraging others to rebel so that in the future, when he gets tired of hiding in his mountain lair, he will then think of asking money from the same monster he once criticized and lay down his arms, and professing defeat in both the ideological and the fighting arena.
There is no justification whatsoever for government to fund these entreprises. The main duty of government is to disarm them, and annihilate them--not just militarily, but sociologically.
The main duty of a rebel is to pursue his struggle to the very end, that is, to give his life to the destruction of the State and its superstructures.
Generals, as they say, do not die, they just fade away. Rebels, on the other hand, retire with government funds in their hands.
We already eliminated the pabaon system in both the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Now, instead of giving pabaon to retiring Generals, we now give pabaon to retiring rebels.
Such is the weirdness of these things that defy logic.
The logic of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process is that they are just following what rebels and the government agreed upon during the past administrations.
Apparently, even those agreements that harm the public welfare and defy logic, are being implemented.
Now that things have been exposed, with government giving 5 million pesos to train would-be rebel managers and 33 million pesos for rebels who are tired of hiding in mountains and hills, what about retiring soldiers and officials and relatives of those killed in battles, ambuscades and assassinations? Any compensation?
Yes, there are, they are being given retirement benefits but some do not actually get theirs because theirs are being used by unscrupulous individuals out to make a fast buck from monies invested by soldiers' lives and futures.
Rebellion is supposed to be a personal mission to correct the monumental wrongs in the government. When one decides to give his life to the country, there is no corresponding amount of money equivalent.
From an ideological perspective, is a rebel expected to demand from government, millions of pesos worth of assistance?
A person's belief has or is supposed to have no financial equivalent or value. The value of being a rebel is supposed to be intrinsic.
You rebel because your mind and heart say that you must. A rebel must not expect compensation for the things he did in the past.
You rebel because you believe in changing society for the better. You rebel because you believe that things ought to be done not just for you, but for other people.
Rebels rebel for other people, and expect nothing in return when your rebellion fails.
Imagine the image of a rebel asking for money from the same government or State which he previously want to oust from power?
Imagine how this would look like---rebels asking for compensation to rebuild their lives when it is not the responsibility of the State to give them such and it is not also the responsibility of rebels to ask for something from the State which is supposed to be his main enemy?
Had many discovered this venture as an entrepreneurial pursuit, what is rebellion then, but an enterprise?
The glory of rebellion is dying for the Cause, and not profitting from it.
When a rebel profits from his rebellion, it is not rebellion, but pure syndicalism.
When a rebel group turns into a syndicate, it is not the responsibility of government to give the group money to rebuild their lives.
It is like encouraging others to rebel so that in the future, when he gets tired of hiding in his mountain lair, he will then think of asking money from the same monster he once criticized and lay down his arms, and professing defeat in both the ideological and the fighting arena.
There is no justification whatsoever for government to fund these entreprises. The main duty of government is to disarm them, and annihilate them--not just militarily, but sociologically.
The main duty of a rebel is to pursue his struggle to the very end, that is, to give his life to the destruction of the State and its superstructures.
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