Monday, October 16, 2006 Editorial: Just reject it
EXPECTING militant leaders to seek protection from the military is like expecting US President George Bush and ousted leader Saddam Hussein to kiss and make up and pretend the Iraqi war never happened at all.
But then again you expect the militant groups to reject the offer of protection based on their previous accusations that military agents are allegedly responsible for the executions of outspoken critics of the Arroyo administration.
At the same time, you also wouldn't expect soldiers loyal to this country's democracy -- however flawed and fragile it may be -- and the Constitution to lend their ears and minds to appeals by the communist New People's Army (NPA) and their allies to join their ranks and engage in either a violent overthrow of this government or legal and political manipulations on the system in order to usher in their long awaited dream of communist rule.
The same thing also goes for Filipinos tired of the communist propaganda and wishing only to be left alone and build their dreams for a better future.
Unfortunately for the Filipinos, the communists just won't let them be and are willing to do everything, including manipulations and treachery, to achieve their goals. So one of the best solutions would be to simply reject them and their ideological rants outright.
A comeback
AH politicians, they never fail to amaze you.
It was not too long ago when then Misamis Oriental Governor Antonio Calingin was licking his wounds after losing his re-elected bid to then former Misamis Oriental First Dist. Oscar Moreno.
More than two years later Calingin, being dubbed as the "Cowboy of Claveria" or Misamis Oriental -- whichever your geographical preference maybe -- announced over the radio that he is offering himself as mayoralty candidate to the city residents of Cagayan de Oro.
How this would be taken by the city residents would be known in a few days but Calingin's sudden announcement certainly puts on edge the other mayoralty aspirants and gives the city folks something to talk about over cups of coffee in the next few days.
Of course there would be the usual critics and supporters who would give their two cents' worth of opinion on the subject. What's more interesting is Calingin's quick denial that he is talking with Misamis Oriental Second District Representative Augusto Baculio, who is accused of being behind the smear campaign on Moreno.
The incumbent governor in turn had assailed the alleged culture of corruption in the Calingin administration in his campaign towards the gubernatorial post in 2004 and, while not mentioning Baculio directly, nevertheless insisted that the congressman's minions are behind the demolition campaign on him.
And one has yet to consider whether Calingin is still on speaking terms with Mayor Vicente Emano, a veteran political animal who supported Moreno in 2004 but is not averse to forging unusual alliances with erstwhile foes in keeping with the old adage that "politics make for strange bedfellows."
Things are shaping up in the local political scene and they can only get more interesting in the days to come. But whether this is a good or bad thing remains to be seen.
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