If the President wins the war in Mindanao and cleanses the region of ‘terrorists’ then he has won our nation’s long battle of strife. He will leave a legacy no other president was able to do.
The President will not stop. Even as he prepares for his second SONA today, he is preoccupied thinking about the war in Mindanao. As he started with the war on drugs, he ended up realizing that the problem was bigger than drugs. The vicious cycle of drug money financing terrorism down South was unbelievable. The drug industry is so promising that even some government officials (national and local), lawmakers, PNP and AFP officials are allegedly part of the web or the drug syndicate. In fact, some public officials and those opposing the extension of martial law seem to be part of the mystery.
How can this “wrecking ball” solve the problem? Yes, many presidents have come to pass and no one has dared entered the lair of Mindanao. Many of our countrymen do not realize how bad the problem is and how it can damage the nation. I bet you, it was only after Congress was briefed last Saturday, did they realize how this country is doomed if the Jihad groups win the fight.
So, here is the situation. Think of the terrorists like a ‘virus’. There is a very bad ‘virus’ in Marawi city that has already spread to different parts of the area. It is a deadly ‘virus’, very lethal. If not stopped it will wipe us out of our own country. As of July 19, 2017, the casualties reported are as follows: 421 militants killed (11 foreigners), 9 militants captured, 99 government forces killed (12 by friendly fire), 60 government forces missing, 852 government forces wounded, and 119 civilians dead (74 due to illness).
What is this ‘virus’? The ‘virus’ started from homegrown drug-financed terrorists that continue to thrive for more than decades in our land because of poor and weak conditions (security, law enforcement, government systems and structures). This ‘virus’ just proliferated and has even welcomed foreign terrorists from Indonesia, Malaysia, Chechnya and the Middle East. The martyrdom of our local Jihadists and the easy access to our land (due to inefficient Navy patrol systems and equipment) have inspired these foreign Jihadists to go to the Philippines and make it another Bosnia, Algeria, Syria or Iraq.
If the Jihad succeeds in Mindanao, then they will have won their struggle to expand their Islamic ideals. Yes, it is true that ISIS has been here for almost three years already. Like other Jihad groups, their intrusion aims to convert the gained territory as a pure Islamic state. They want to turn the region into a purified state that will be ruled by a caliph (Muslim leader) practicing the early Muslim beliefs and practices. All these extremists will use our land, exploit our people while they kill each other to gain power and become victorious.
Do we really like this to happen? I’m happy that the President is adamant in ending this decades-long insurgency problem. He will not give up and will not surrender because he knows we will lose our country if we abandon ship. This is a time the country needs to unite. Let’s just feed those bozos who can’t understand the extent of the problem and who think they know what is right for the country to the sharks. You can easily name those who oppose extending the martial rule in Mindanao. They are either too self-righteous or leftists unaffected by all sufferings our countrymen in Marawi and our soldiers in the killing fields are experiencing. They care less about the fate of this country. Others are paranoid. They continue to live under the spell of the Marcos Regime. They cannot accept any form of martial rule after having experienced it during their generation. Well, clearly this call is for a different cause and it is urgently needed down South.
Frankly, if the President wants to finish all terrorist activities in this country, five months is definitely not enough. Who are we kidding? Soldiers and civilians out there are dying each day. Jihads are coming from the back doors (1- from Sandakan, Sabah Malaysia to Pangutaran Island Sulu, then Jolo; 2 – from Lahad Datu/ Sempoerna to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi then to Basilan then mainland Zamboanga) without us knowing. Our enemy here is not the President. They are the Jihads trying to win Mindanao to rule over us and our local people in the region, eventually the whole country if we don’t stop it at all. Talk to the local people and the soldiers they know more than we do. They know how important the imposition of martial law is in these areas.
So, as the President delivers his second SONA today, I hope he tells us the real state of the nation? Tell us the painful truth.
* * *
My thoughts: What is the state of the nation now? We have a very weak state. Our country is caught in the war of terrorism; we are victims of narco-politics; on ground level, our vehicle license plates haven’t been released for more than a year now and still waiting; our driver’s license plastic card are still in the factory, again still waiting; our criminal courts continue to delay justice; public transportation continues to deteriorate over time; traffic is still a mess because we continue to import and sell millions of vehicles without removing the very old rundown ones; “kotong” cops are still on the loose; fixers easily have access to different bureaus as if they were regular employers; LTFRB cannot get the taxi, Uber, and Grab systems straightened up; public schools, hospitals are not totally free; market places are dirty; agriculture programs cannot produce enough; our natural environment is exploited by government officials and powerful stakeholders; government officials continue to abuse and exploit the system; our AFP armory and equipment remain old and outdated due to corruption and low budget giving way to PDAF and all; our esteemed lawmakers create laws without clear implementing guidelines and lack of proper information dissemination that results in confusion and outrage; our roads are still full of pot holes; 21.6 percent of the population continues to live below the poverty line; daily traffic has become a way of life for every Filipino commuter; oligarchs continue to rule the land. We don’t only live in a weak state but a sorry state, beyond recognition.
And if we continue to have more foolish truces with MILF and the other rebel groups, if we continue to cower with fear for every demand these terrorists make, if we do not do anything about Mindanao just like we did not lift a finger for the Panatag Shoals and even Sabah for that matter, then, one day when we all wake up there will be a Jihad flag hanging over Mindanao – and only then will we realize that we’ve lost our most precious island. Yes, this is the painful state of the nation!