THIS IS in reaction to news items about clashes between government forces and elements of the New People’s Army (NPA) or Muslim separatists in the South, or about the attacks on soldiers by rebel groups.
The insurgency has being going on for over 42 years now with no end in sight. Neither side wants to admit it is losing, while every side claims victory. The fact is, in this struggle, there can be no winners, only losers.
What caught my attention was the statement of Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, spokesman of the Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division in Davao City, who reacted to the claim of the rebels that they have killed about 25 soldiers and government combatants in encounters in Compostela Valley, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental from March 9-15 this year. (“Government negotiator: PH communism on the brink of extinction,” Inquirer, 3/19/11)
Paniza said several rebels were killed while only one soldier died. “We don’t boast about the number of casualties because we don’t want to treat them (NPA) as enemies,” he added. This is an acceptance of the fact that we are Filipinos, brothers all, not meant to be enemies. It is sad and lamentable that we are up in arms against one another just because we espouse varied views of the same issues, just because of our differences in beliefs and ideologies. We can settle such differences through dialogue, with the prerequisite acceptance and understanding of the things that divide us, if we cannot agree to be united by a common belief or persuasion.
Those rebels in the mountains have families of their own in the lowlands, cities and villages that need them, as are the soldiers (who only follow their superiors’ orders to go after them). These fighters from both sides are practically mere pawns in the war between the generals and communist supremos who sit cozily in safe headquarters or comfortable command posts in foreign lands.
The insurgency has been the cause of senseless bloodletting. How could the rebels in their conscience kill unwitting soldiers who are mostly sons of poor parents and are in the army either because they like it or have no better job to find? Or is it easy for soldiers to kill civilians in remote areas just because they could be rebels who might kill them when they get the chance?
This fraternal war has got to stop. With no rebellion, soldiers won’t be going after anyone. They would just be in the barracks and camps, getting ready in case of foreign attacks against which they are meant in the first place, and civilian fighters can go about living a normal life with their families, and do their duties as peaceful and law-abiding citizens.
This land should not be sprinkled with the blood of opposing brothers, which would only nurture hatred if fighting continues.
We are mere transients, but our land will stay for generations, for our children to whom we certainly do not want to bequeath the harshness that we have seen or experienced.
—RAMON MAYUGA,
germayuga@aol.com