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confront
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[ArticleID] => 1671226
[Title] => So many wars to confront
[Summary] => So many wars to confront
BABE’S EYE VIEW Babe Romualdez
With the peace talks now scuttled and the government withdrawing the ceasefire declaring an “all-out war” against the New People’s Army (NPA) – past negotiators who were frustrated with the leftists due to unreasonable demands are now saying, “I told you so.”
Let’s face it, the lifetime dream of the communists has always been to topple the government, with hardened leftists believing that the only way to achieve real change is by installing a communist style of leadership. For Maoist-leaning groups, going into mainstream politics is only a first step of the whole plan. To them, a bloody revolution is necessary to elicit social change. But clearly, the power elite in this country will never allow it.
After the people power revolution in 1986, Cory Aquino – who belongs to the landed rich Cojuangco clan – released many members of the Communist Party of the Philippines including Jose Maria Sison and NPA head Bernabe “Kumander Dante” Buscayno and other members of the liquidation group to supposedly start the peace process. Nothing came out of it, with the communists never renouncing violence, many of them using political ideology as an excuse to sow terror in many rural areas in the country, mulcting money from businessmen and even ordinary citizens in the guise of “revolutionary taxes.”
As they say, a leopard cannot change its spots, and this holds true for the hardliners who will not abandon the perspective that the only way to change the system is through complete upheaval. Undoubtedly, this does not sit well with everyone including the president.
The fact is, there was already the perception that the government was bending over backwards in trying to reach out to the rebels who “went overboard” with unreasonable demands such as the immediate release without judicial process of 400 “political prisoners” – most if not all of them convicted of criminal offenses such as arson, homicide, murder, robbery and other crimes against persons and property. Ironically, that seems to be a “cacique” landed rich mentality – kami puwede, kayo hindi.
President Duterte already released top communist leaders, appointed known leftists to Cabinet positions, and declared a unilateral ceasefire. While the peace talks abroad were ongoing between the government and the National Democratic Front, the NPA was busy intensifying recruitment activities and continued attacks against soldiers – creating strong suspicions that Joma Sison and the rest of the communist leadership no longer have any control over the forces operating in the countryside. If such is the case, then an all-out war between government troops and communist rebels would be inevitable.
The president’s war on drugs is also taking its toll, especially with the revelation of shocking details surrounding the kidnapping and murder of Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo perpetrated by members of the Philippine National Police. The incident has lent credence to accusations about the existence of extra-judicial killings and human rights violations, with the added complication of vigilante groups presented by PNP chief General Ronald dela Rosa as among those behind summary killings in Manila.
Even former Colombian president Cesar Gaviria has chimed in, sharing his experience in combatting the drug menace in Colombia (which has gained notoriety for being a top producer of cocaine as well as a major exporter of heroin) and commenting in an opinion piece that President Duterte seems to be repeating the Colombian’s mistakes. It was during Gaviria’s term that number one drug lord Pablo Escobar was killed. However, the illicit drugs trade continued to flourish and even spilled over into neighboring countries, with drug-related violence also escalating.
President Duterte has called Gaviria an “idiot,” saying the situation in the Philippines is not the same because we are dealing with shabu addiction which has “more virulent” effects than cocaine or marijuana addiction. Certainly, it also doesn’t help if relatives of Cabinet members are involved in drugs – like the nephew of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jess Dureza who was recently nabbed in a drug buy-bust operation. But as Dureza pointed out, this also proves that the president’s war on drugs is serious and not selective.
Another “war front” is the proposed death penalty bill which could face strong resistance from legislators, pro-life groups, the Church and other sectors. Many Filipinos are also questioning why proponents of House Bill 4727 have removed plunder from the list of crimes punishable by death – eliciting comments that the move is “self-serving” and that plunderers are no better than murderers and drug traffickers who all deserve the death sentence.
The president is also waging war against illegal gambling, issuing executive order 13 directing the PNP, the NBI and other law enforcement agencies to go after gambling lords, describing illegal gambling as a “widespread social menace and source of corruption” that has encouraged the get-rich-quick attitude.
In the business front, the mining industry is also up in arms after Environment Secretary Gina Lopez announced the results of the mining audit and the shutdown of 23 mining firms and the suspension of several more due to alleged environmental violations. We all know Gina is a passionate environmentalist and so a clash of opinion between her and those who believe that the move will kill the mining industry which will ultimately render millions of people jobless.
All of these problems – along with the seeming Herculean task to clean up the ranks of the PNP – will certainly take its toll on the president’s health who himself admitted he was not all that well. Hopefully, there are enough people who will help him fight these battles – praying that these problems will be solved one way or another.
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Email: [email protected]
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[DatePublished] => 2017-02-12 22:15:00
[ColumnID] => 133593
[Focus] => 1
[AuthorID] =>
[AuthorName] =>
[SectionName] => Opinion
[SectionUrl] => opinion
[URL] =>
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[1] => Array
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[ArticleID] => 599884
[Title] => Breath mint, anyone?
[Summary] => A new Web site helps you tell a co-worker what you’re afraid to say in person.
[DatePublished] => 2010-08-06 00:00:00
[ColumnID] => 133272
[Focus] => 0
[AuthorID] =>
[AuthorName] =>
[SectionName] => Daily Bread
[SectionUrl] => daily-bread
[URL] =>
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[2] => Array
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[ArticleID] => 533676
[Title] => The living word
[Summary] => The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8
[DatePublished] => 2009-12-20 00:00:00
[ColumnID] => 136065
[Focus] => 0
[AuthorID] => 1284383
[AuthorName] => Dr. Harold J. Sala
[SectionName] => Starweek Magazine
[SectionUrl] => starweek-magazine
[URL] =>
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[3] => Array
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[ArticleID] => 383307
[Title] => Love enough to confront
[Summary] =>
If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. – Galatians 6:1
We hear a lot of talk these days about following the example of Jesus by "accepting" and "affirming" people just as they are. The implication is that we must never confront them when they do something wrong.
Yes, Jesus loved and accepted people, but He did not shrink from confronting them. We see this in Luke 7.
Jesus had accepted a dinner invitation from Simon, a self-righteous Pharisee.
[DatePublished] => 2007-02-04 00:00:00
[ColumnID] => 133272
[Focus] => 0
[AuthorID] =>
[AuthorName] =>
[SectionName] => Daily Bread
[SectionUrl] => daily-bread
[URL] =>
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[4] => Array
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[ArticleID] => 378996
[Title] => Burying our heads
[Summary] =>
If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. – Galatians 6:1
Contrary to common belief, the ostrich does not bury its head in the sand to ignore danger. An ostrich can ran at a speed of 45 miles per hour, kick powerfully, and peck aggressively with its beak. As the largest and fastest bird in the world, it doesn’t need to bury its head.
[DatePublished] => 2007-01-09 00:00:00
[ColumnID] => 133272
[Focus] => 0
[AuthorID] =>
[AuthorName] =>
[SectionName] => Daily Bread
[SectionUrl] => daily-bread
[URL] =>
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[5] => Array
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[ArticleID] => 363399
[Title] => Beware of judgmental spirit!
[Summary] =>
Judge not, that you be not judged. – Matthew 7:1
A young married man began going to a pornography store. When his parents learned of this, they gently and tactfully confronted him, but made no accusations. The son responded with anger and said that he saw no harm in what he was doing. He accused his parents of being judgmental. With broken hearts they had to stand by and watch him as he left his wife and family, lost his job, and eventually ruined his life.
[DatePublished] => 2006-10-17 00:00:00
[ColumnID] => 133272
[Focus] => 0
[AuthorID] =>
[AuthorName] =>
[SectionName] => Daily Bread
[SectionUrl] => daily-bread
[URL] =>
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[6] => Array
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[ArticleID] => 211776
[Title] => Too nice
[Summary] => Why do you think evil in your hearts?
– Matthew 9:4
Sometimes we tend to be too nice.
When people are doing wrong, we are afraid to confront their behavior, and we choose just to be nice. When a friend is slipping into an illicit relationship or a relative is becoming an alcoholic, we ignore the situations and do not confront them. When an unsaved friend is trusting in good works for eternal life, we remain silent about Christ and His death on the cross. But believers should not compromise obedience to God’s Word just to be nice.
[DatePublished] => 2003-06-29 00:00:00
[ColumnID] => 133272
[Focus] => 0
[AuthorID] =>
[AuthorName] =>
[SectionName] => Daily Bread
[SectionUrl] => daily-bread
[URL] =>
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February 12, 2017 - 10:15pm
February 4, 2007 - 12:00am
January 9, 2007 - 12:00am
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