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Friday, March 29, 2024

Blood on his hands

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Former Ambassador to Laos Republic Antonio Cabangon Chua informed me that after the Holy Father, Pope Francis, rode in one of the three pope mobiles he used, he fell in love with one of them. The pope then wanted it sent to the Vatican for his use.

The popemobile was an Isuzu donated by the businessman.

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When President Aquino went to Zamboanga City after the deadly bombing reportedly by members of the Abu Sayyaf Group, I wondered: Why did the President just issue a note of condemnation when so many other bombing incidents were being attributed to the ASG?

 

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And after that massacre of 44 police commandos belonging to the PNP-Special Action Force, I also wondered why Malacañang kept silent and did not utter a word of condemnation.

Now, it all adds up. That failed operation that killed 44 members of the elite SAF and wounded 12 others had been assigned by the President to suspended National Police chief Alan Purisima, apparently without the knowledge of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and even of Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, who is acting in place of Purisima.

A police general, who was part of the planning and actual operation privy to the ongoing investigation, told the Manila Standard that the President still considered Purisima as the “de facto” police chief to run the sensitive operation.

The source said that it was precisely the reason why the President went to Zamboanga City—so that he would be in the vicinity when Malaysian terrorist Marwan with a $5 million bounty on his head, and Filipino terrorist Basit Usman with another $1 million bounty, are captured. Both bomb experts are linked to the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group.

The source added that there was an expected turnover of Marwan to the government. The President was expecting a successful operation. Santa Banana, no wonder Mar Roxas was not in Zamboanga with the President considering the fact that as interior secretary, Mar should be on top of the situation. And it was obvious that there was no leadership other than President’s marching orders. Purisima himself was under suspension and kept inside his “White House” at Camp Crame.

The police general, who requested anonymity, said that the PNP-SAF reported directly to Purisima since he chose them himself, and Purisima would then report directly to the President through Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa. The idea was for Purisima to get the credit to overcome all the charges against him.

The source said that Mar Roxas, when informed about it, was so incensed. He added that Purisima was in possession of intelligence reports on Marwan’s whereabouts.

I write this column before the President appears on television. I expect him to make another pitch for he controversial and constitutionally inform Bangsamoro Basic Law despite the massacre.

But should we even still trust the MILF?

I have many Muslim friends, mostly educated ones. That’s why I do not believe the adage among Christians that “a good Moro is a dead Moro. But in the case of the Moros who killed the 44 men, who were only out to serve a warrant of arrest on Muslim terrorists, that adage may well apply to them.

The collusion between the MILF and the BIFF brings to fore another question whether or not the MILF is already infiltrated by jihadists and terror groups from the Middle East. Do the President and the government negotiators know what they are getting into?

To a large extent, I believe what former President, now Manila Mayor Erap Estrada said that government should not trust the MILF. Erap declared all-out war on the MILF and succeeded in overcoming their so-called “territories” particularly the MILF main Camp Abubakar, their stronghold.

The MILF leadership said that the police commandos were intruding into MILF territories. That’s why the massacre was called by them as a “miscounter,” emphasizing the need for government forces to get permission to enter their territories. My gulay, there’s yet no Bangsamoro Juridical Entity and the MILF are already with “territories.” How much more once the BBL gets enacted into law?

Yes, there’s need for an honest factual investigation on what really happened and under whose command and direction. This massacre could break the peace agreement with the MILF.

The President will surely tell us that the consequences of not having peace with the MILF are dire with the return of lawlessness, warlordism, bombings and killings in Mindanao. But, that’s the administration’s responsibility—to maintain peace and order.

What happened last Sunday is a betrayal of that final peace and development that the BBL is supposed to attain.

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Alphaland has filed a P100 million damage suit against former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, who dragged the firm into his demolition job against Vice President Jojo Binay.

Well, Mercado’s loud mouth had it coming. A criminal libel suit is also forthcoming upon the return of Alphaland’s chairman/CEO Bobby Ongpin from South America.

I don’t know how Mercado can wiggle out of these cases since he doesn’t have a shred of evidence that the deal was anomalous. In fact, it was good for BSP.

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