Thursday, August 21, 2008 Wenceslao: Test for Malacañang By Bong O. Wenceslao Candid Thoughts
THESE are dangerous times for the Arroyo administration, with the possibility of military turmoil looming large because of its mishandling of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) question. The threat on President Arroyo is not with the Muslim rebels, who are not capable of mounting a nationwide offensive, but with disgusted soldiers.
After the MILF raid on several towns in Lanao del Norte that left dead four military personnel, including a high-ranking official, and a number of civilians, one can no longer look at the peace process in Mindanao in the same light.
To do so would be to misjudge the sentiment of those victimized and those directly involved in the conflict.
The Lanao del Norte attack was not the first launched by the MILF or its “lost command” while peace talks were going on but was the latest and among the bloodiest. It reopened old wounds and rekindled age-old biases against the “Moros” that could either spark anarchy or topple the Arroyo government if it mishandles the issue again.
The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on ancestral domain portrayed the Malacañang as a wimp for its willingness to give up territory to appease a restive segment of the populace. That alone may have affected the morale of the hawks in the military establishment. The recent MILF atrocities could fuel this restiveness to a boil.
There is widespread dissatisfaction, not only among civilians but also within the ranks of the military, with the way the MOA was conceived and in government’s initial reaction to the MILF attacks. The call for an all-out-war was both a sign of impatience as well as a demand for justice especially for the civilians ruthlessly killed by the rebels.
Any further hedging by Malacañang could convince the hawkish elements in the military that the only way out of the impasse is to ease out the Arroyo government. Indeed, the failed Oakwood mutiny was launched by disgruntled military officials who saw action in Mindanao.
Malacañang must therefore study well the steps it will take in reaction to the MILF attacks. It’s a difficult balancing act of responding to the MILF’s specific acts of terrorism and attending to the overall demands of peace. Going all-out after the concerned MILF commanders like Umbra Kato and Kumander Bravo is a good first step. But the Arroyo administration must show the needed resolve all throughout---if it wants to survive this most recent crisis.
(khanwens@yahoo.com/ my blog: cebuano.wordpress.com)
