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Sunday,
October 27, 2002
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EDITORIAL: Militarization of Zamboanga
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TOP officials in this city opposed to the occupation of the Cabatangan Regional Government Center by elements of the Moro National Liberation Front can now heave a sigh of relief.
Those who fear a repeat of the November tragedy with a bonus of a bomb factory at Cabatangan can also sleep soundly within the coming days.
Instead of the MNLF, the Philippine Marines will put up their headquarters at the complex. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has ordered the transfer of the headquarters of Philippine Marines from Metro Manila to Zamboanga City.
The president was specific in that the marines will occupy Cabatangan that
she described as "national property."
We can read many things into this order of the President.
It seems that like Solomon, she has resolved the question as to whether to sell the property to the City Government or allow the MNLF through the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to maintain a citadel atop Zamboanga proper.
By declaring that Cabatangan is national government property, she sets the matter straight. After all, despite all the maneuvering of the City Government and the MNLF, title to the property is still in the name of the Republic.
Another consequence to the transfer is that the city will suddenly be host to another big military camp. We already have the Southern Command, the biggest concentration of troops outside Metro Manila - in Mindanao. We also have a naval base, an air base and advance command posts of the different military battalions, brigades and divisions in Mindanao - located in this city.
The transfer of the headquarters of the Philippine Marines to Zamboanga would be an answer to a perennial request of the city government for the deployment of the marines in Zamboanga in times of crisis.
This time, the marines will not be deployed here by battalions or brigades alone. We will have the entire Marine forces in the country at our doorstep.
A local official reportedly opposed the transfer of the Philippine Marines headquarters to Zamboanga.
Does he prefer the assignment of the MNLF or the Abu Sayyaf to Cabatangan?
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