Soldiers are trained to expect anything in a conflict situation. But I’m sure certain members of the Philippine Marines were not prepared to find millions in cold cash and checks in the Marawi war zone.
At the very least, the discovery of P79 million in cash and checks in a house abandoned by the terrorist Maute group in Marawi City gives the lie to the claim of some misguided politicians that the military is involved in alleged looting of the beleaguered city. The Marines who found the loot showed incredible discipline when they turned it over, untouched, to higher authorities.
On the other hand, the huge amount of money raises questions about its provenance and the possibility that the Maute gang did not just decide to take over Marawi for altruistic purposes, like to establish a province of the Islamic State in the Philippines. There is money— and lots of it—involved in this incursion.
Earlier reports, after all, indicated that the Maute terrorists were receiving funding from abroad, from illegal drug syndicates and even local officials —or even from foreign drug syndicates working with some local officials. The discovery of this stash of cash confirms the reports that some very well-heeled people are backing the terrorists.
One check in particular caught my attention. It was issued by the Veterans Bank account of the municipality of Tampakan town in South Cotabato bearing the face value of more than P6 million to a private individual.
The check certainly looked legit and was signed by both the municipal treasurer and the local mayor. How that particular check ended up in the hands of Maute terrorists is still anyone’s guess.
But I think one theory that can easily be discarded is the one that says that the money belonged to some local businessman. No offense to the business-savvy Maranaos who populate Marawi, but I don’t believe that the volume of trade in the city does not justify anyone keeping as huge a hoard of cash as that found in only one house taken over by terrorists.
There’s also the matter of the cash in neat, bank-issued bundles, still bearing the names of the banks that released it to the still-unknown recipients. The Anti-Money Laundering Council can certainly figure out which banks paid out the money to which persons, assuming that AMLC can get off its behind and perform its mandate.
Money changes everything, the old song says. In the case of the terrorist takeover of Marawi City, finding the source of the money will probably go a long way in discovering the unholy, cash-rich alliance that conceived this terrible tragedy.
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I guess our sad experience with the abuses committed by men in uniform during the Marcos martial law years are hard to forget. But even that does not excuse our shabby and sometimes downright hostile treatment of our soldiers, especially in times likes these, when we are fighting a war against terrorism.
A friend currently in the United States, Trixie Cruz-Angeles, has expressed admiration for the way ordinary Americans treat their soldiers, whether still in active duty or retired. In a Facebook post, Angeles noted how public address systems routinely announce that if there are any soldiers present, they may go to the front of the ubiquitous lines formed for any service.
Angeles witnessed how civilians greet soldiers they don’t even know with a smile and the usual salutation, “Thank you for your service.”
“I may not agree with the wars that these soldiers wage, but I admire and appreciate them for voluntarily placing themselves in harm’s way for their country,” Angeles wrote. “I wish we could do the same when we see our men in uniform.”
We should all spare a thought for our own soldiers and, according to our own beliefs, pray for their safety wherever they are, whether they are fighting insurgents or terrorists,” Angeles wrote. And we should thank them for their service of keeping all of us safe in these perilous times.
We can’t all be like San Miguel Corp. head honcho Ramon Ang, who pledged to give P2 million in livelihood assistance to the families of all the soldiers and policemen who died in the Marawi City conflict. But the least we can do is to support out troops and not to belittle their sacrifice for the good of the nation.
If not for the sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform, God knows how we could remain free, live peaceful lives and, yes, even criticize the military when we don’t agree with what they’re doing. In the fight against terrorism, in Marawi and anywhere in the world, soldiers are at the forefront of keeping the citizenry safe.
Thank you for your service. Your nation owes you in ways that it will never be able to pay you back.