Al-Barka, sacred ground

For a while, some people were beginning to wonder if the country had a secretary of national defense. For almost two weeks after the massacre of our troops in Al-Barka, Basilan, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin was not heard from. Neither were his spokespersons saying anything on behalf of the secretary or his department. It was as though a wall of silence had engulfed the defense office in the wake of a disaster that has brought into question the nation’s determination to defend its territorial integrity as well as its ability to preserve law and order throughout the land.

Last Thursday, Gazmin appeared at a press conference in Zamboanga City, vowing to capture Dan Asnawi, an MILF commander believed responsible for not just the Oct. 18 massacre, but also the July 2007 ambush of a Marine unit on a search mission for kidnapped Italian priest Fr. Giancarlo Bossi.

By the way, the word from our peace negotiators in Kuala Lumpur is that they agreed with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to continue investigating the clash in Al-Barka, using the ceasefire mechanisms I mentioned in my column on a “failed state.” These mechanisms are the International Monitoring Team (IMT), the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (JCCCH), and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG). According to Marvic Leonen, head of our peace panel, they are awaiting recommendations from these bodies. In the meantime, the MILF has publicly stated that it will not surrender Asnawi, a way of thumbing its nose at our government negotiators. How predictable!

Let me recapitulate things. In July 2007, 14 Marines were killed at Al-Barka. Some who were captured were tortured before being beheaded with their bodies mutilated. Last month in the same place, 19 Army troopers were massacred. Again torture and beheadings took place. Some writers say that these soldiers were not deployed properly, resulting in the massacre. Does the error make the actions of the MILF less abominable? Does it in any way justify a reluctance to employ the full powers of the state to punish the perpetrators of the crime?

At Al-Barka, we lost 33 men and officers. We were then treated to the sight of PAF planes bombing and strafing bandit or rebel fortifications in Zamboanga Sibugay. Heaven knows how many miles away that is from Al-Barka.

It is time to move and restore firm and continuing control over Al-Barka. Once we have established authority over Al-Barka, let us set up a fort or some sort of encampment for our Marines or Scout Rangers to honor the memory of our dead soldiers. In no other place in the country have we suffered so many casualties. It will take blood, sweat and a lot of treasure, but we owe it to the men who perished here in such a brutal manner that this land never again be desecrated by any similar atrocity. For the men and women of our Armed Forces, Al-Barka is now sacred ground.

Somehow, I am reminded of President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address in 1961. In an inspiring speech to the American people, the young president informed the world, “…we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” Are we prepared to undertake such sacrifices to assure the survival of our republic in its present form? Kennedy went on to say, “We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed.”

Is this a call for “all-out war”? I do not know what this phrase means. I do know we must reestablish the powers of the state over Al-Barka; otherwise, we risk moving toward the idea of a failed state. Neither do I understand what “all- out justice” represents. It sounds more like a marketing slogan designed to cover up a weakness, a reluctance for resolute and firm actions that can prove dangerous for the future of our nation.

We are fooling ourselves if we think that peace talks can settle the problem in Mindanao. We had a peace treaty with the Moro National Liberation Front under Misuari. It didn’t last very long, and Misuari himself led a second revolt against the government. We are in peace talks with the MILF. Any agreement with them will not be the end of our problems. Let us not forget what the late MILF chairman, Hashim Salamat, once said: “The configuration of the territory of the Bangsamoro State may be subject to negotiation. What is non-negotiable is the setting up of an Islamic government in our homeland.” Make no mistake. The rebels read the desire for peace talks as a sign of weakness. They have no intention of stepping back from the objective of an independent Bangsamoro Republic. In our desire for peace at all costs, we have pursued a policy of restraint, a policy of appeasement, and the monster grows stronger and stronger.

The only guarantee of peace in Mindanao, the only way to protect our republic, is to build up a strong Armed Forces. We need to increase the size of the Army, particularly its elite combat elements. Our units are stretched out thinly over such a large area. Many of these units exist only on paper or are only partially manned by warm bodies. The experts can provide more exact figures, but the basic requirement is an expanded Armed Forces. We need to upgrade the capability of our Air Force and Navy. We must be serious in these efforts. It took the Al-Barka incident to press the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release funds for the purchase of arms and equipment.

Anyone who watches TV reports on Mindanao can see how numerous and well-armed are the MILF units. This is not the time for sloganeering solutions. It is a time for hard and painful decisions.

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One of the finest books on the Philippine Air Force was written during the incumbency of Lt. Gen. Loven C. Abadia. “The Philippine Air Force Story” by then Capt. Eldon Luis Nemenzo and 1st Lt. Guillermo Molina Jr., is a comprehensive history of the organization that chronicles its participation in many of the important events that have taken place in our country. My original copy was lost when Tropical Storm “Ondoy” swept away many of my valued memorabilia and books. I am deeply indebted to Loven for a rare second copy.