The tension now in Sabah is gripping all of us Filipinos with anxiety, and probably the Malaysians as well. If the hostilities escalate, the Philippines and Malaysia will be the sure losers. There is no winner in any war, and this is a fact we see every day in the armed conflicts raging in other countries.
Even the Muslim Filipinos are divided on the Sabah issue. Some support the Sultan of Sulu while others don’t; majority of them want its peaceful resolution, as the rest of the Filipinos do.
The Philippines needs war like it needs a hole in the head. It cannot afford to have more enemies, what with the unresolved territorial disputes with China and the nagging insurgency problem.
To be sure, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will have their hands full with the New People’s Army (NPA) set to celebrate its anniversary on March 29. Since January this year, the NPA rebels have stepped up their attacks on business establishments. Our authorities will have to work doubly hard to thwart their violent designs. Some of our Navy patrols and military police are now deployed in our sea borders to prevent more of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III’s followers from going to Sabah and joining the others already there.
The pressing time calls for sobriety. Everyone should support a peaceful resolution of the problem. Blood has been spilt, any further harsh action will not solve the problem. It could only led to a prolonged conflict which the country cannot afford. Let’s pray hard that the problem will be out of our hands soon, and that the Kirams will come to realize the futility of their cause.
—DORALIZA N. BORJA,
doraliza.borja@yahoo.com