Monday, July 14, 2008 Editorial: When words are no longer enough
WE'VE rallied support for our military, as communist rebels seem to be on an upbeat and have been outwitting the military as the latter doggedly tried to get the upperhand.
So far, the upperhand still appears to be on the rebel side and that's sad.
That's no reason, however, for the military to keep its guards down. No reason to lose heart as the battle is still out there, raging.
Thus, it's unsettling when seven fully armed men manage to barge into a company compound within the industrial section of Davao City as what happened at Caraga Filchin Corporation in Lasang last Saturday.
According to Eastmincom public information officer Major Armand Rico, the company management received an extortion letter last year from the New People's Army (NPA) demanding payment of revolutionary tax.
"The NPAs are no longer a rebel group, they are now a syndicate group operating nationwide causing economic sabotage," Rico said. That's a good propaganda statement, but not what the people are hoping to hear.
By this time, the military should already know that the rebels are at an offensive peak topped only by their offensives when they still ruled over key areas, including Davao City, in the 1980s.
Knowing such state of the rebel's battle plans, the military should be on its toes against arms and armed men, any arms and armed men. Still, as many as seven men, all armed can make it around the city to strike at will. This bodes bad for the people and the authorities that should be keeping them safe.
An offensive peak will mean greater need for logistics: bullets, more firearms, food, military gear, and all other battle supplies. Thus, any military and police commander will know that along with the raids on police stations and army detachments will be more collection of "revolutionary taxes", whether quietly collected or forcibly taken, and diversionary attacks as well.
Consequently, this means not just a keen watch on vital government and private facilities -- communication and power towers included -- but also a sharp eye on the activities for offensives support.
What the people want to hear these days is not what the rebels have become, but how well their peacekeepers are faring in this new round of offensives. Especially so because the rebels have become even bolder and are targeting not just those hapless company executives in some God-forsaken mining or logging sitios out there but have just as boldly declared that executives of giant companies hereabouts are now being litigated in their People's Court (a.k.a. Kangaroo court).
When all that the public hears are rebel attacks from all over the region, the best consolation will be to learn about some victories on the government side. But when there's not much coming from out there, reading news about seven men armed with high-powered guns barging into a company compound just along the city's main highway becomes even more disheartening.
A continuous stream of disheartening news can lead to lack of confidence on the peacekeepers. More of these can lead further to lack of confidence on the peace and order. Nobody wants this; not us, not even the military. So, here's to hoping that there will be some good news coming soon.
