It’s unfair to blame military officers for the Al-Barka incident when they were just doing their job. Why is the administration paying very little attention to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and yet giving too much credit to the statements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that, time and again, has consistently disrespected the peace process by attacking and murdering our soldiers.
I say “murder”—the slain soldiers were already disarmed when the MILF who caught them decided to take their lives anyway. The Aquino administration should stop relieving officers and looking for scapegoats for this entire mess.
The simple fact is this: the MILF has shown no intent to honor the agreements made at the peace talks and only means to betray the peace negotiators (including the mediators and facilitators), the government, the military and the Filipino people.
I call on President Aquino to put an end to the demoralization in the ranks of the military. Let’s not kick a (wounded) dog when it’s down.
—JOJO NONES,
jojonones@yahoo.com