Friday, August 22, 2008 Malilong: Government’s two-pronged approach By Frank Malilong The Other Side
THE attack on unarmed civilian targets by the so-called Lost Command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was one huge blunder that could haunt it for years.
For one, both the administration and opposition camps have found a common cause to unite around, a rarity in this usually fractious country. Nowhere is this more evident than in government’s decision to review the Memorandum of Agreement that not long ago it was rushing to sign with the MILF.
The administration was careful enough to say that it is not backing out of the deal that its negotiators agreed to in Kuala Lumpur. But when a party reviews an agreement that the other says is a done deal, the message is clear.
In fact, there is really no need to lip-read the administration’s intent as President Arroyo has expressly declared her government’s displeasure over the MILF’s “lack of sincerity to push for the successful conclusion of the peace process.”
On the same day Mrs. Arroyo issued the statement, through her executive secretary, Malacañang announced its two-pronged approach to the Mindanao problem: keep the peace talks open but pursue the attackers. She could have added, “at all cost.”
It’s not a cause for rejoicing to see bombs from your own air force land in what is and should always be parts of the national territory and I look forward to the day when people can walk these lands without fear of being hit by a shrapnel or sniper fire.
But that will probably have to wait. In the meantime, the government has to re-establish its control and dominance over the area and bring everyone within coverage of our laws.
The MILF can do its part to shorten the conflict by producing its renegade commanders and submitting them to the jurisdiction of the Philippine criminal justice system. The government acted correctly in rejecting the MILF offer to punish its recalcitrant commanders under its own internal rules. You cannot bargain sovereignty.
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“Who am I to refuse the mayor’s son?”
Gregorio de la Torre was at least candid in explaining why he allowed Joavan Fernandez to use a Talisay City-owned motorboat for a “joyride” last Tuesday but that’s the only charitable thing you can say about his actuation.
Holy cow, de la Torre is the chairman of the Fishermen Sea and Ecological Care (Fiseca) and he does not know who he is, whom he owes his loyalty to and what his responsibilities are?
Acting City Mayor Lani Abarquez should summon de la Torre to her office immediately and, short of reading to him the riot act, enlighten the official that his boss is the City Government of Talisay and that he is not free to lend a property under his care to anyone, not even to the mayor or his son, for private and personal use.
Fiseca, by its very name, appears to be an important government agency that should be headed by someone of stronger character, one who can say no if it is the right thing to do even if it means courting the displeasure of one’s political patron.
I do not mean to judge de la Torre’s fitness to sit as Fiseca chairman on the basis of a single act but let me nevertheless ask, how can he take care of the fishermen, the sea and the ecology when he can’t even take proper care of a small boat?
