Questions
that keeps popping up like sore thunbs… clamoring for answers.
What’s
happening to our society? There seems to be a growing reliance on the use
of guns in resolving disputes? The police is increasingly using force to
demolish urban poor houses and to brutalize rallyists who are only asking for
change? The soldiers are harassing, torturing and killing indigenous
peoples and settlers in the countryside? And so, hundreds of indigenous
folks are forced to seek refuge in Davao City?
Indeed, it
is true that there is a manifest tendency to resolve conflicts with the use of
armed force. In any form of dispute — even in interpersonal quarrels–
we witness how individuals are butchered like chickens or hogs. We
are appalled, but we are always enjoined to just stay calm. The
authorities would always say “There’s no reason to fear and panic, we’re on top
of the situation.”
But in one’s heart, there is a growing fear and doubt about one’s
safety and security in the streets as much as in the home. The “culture
of violence” is very much with us. The incidence of left and right
killings seems to be a daily fare. So commonplace is it that it even
surprises us if it is absent in the breakfast news on media.
Where does
this culture of violence spring from? What nurtures its prevalence in our
society? What is its driving force?
The might of state power is particularly
manifested in the aberrant condition called Martial Law, as what happened during the Marcos dictatorial
regime. As an aberration, the military apparatus assumes an extraordinary role
in martial rule, taking over the political processes of government function
under the direction of the dictator. As such, it was a masked admission
of the State’s inability to rule in the normal way.
Its font is the mentality that
upholds the age-old dictum “Might is right.” Even if modern society has
long since discarded this world outlook that gives high preference to the
supremacy of brute force over reason, it remains to be the reliable
philosophical props of the state to maintain the status quo. It is the
State’s reason for being, providing the military with the premise as an
apparatus of state power. It is the weapon of the ruling class in maintaining
itself. It is the ruler’s defender in his greed for power.
The fundamental question has
always been “For whom is this peace and development program of
the Aquino government?”
In our current situation, a
visible playing by the Aquino administration with martial rule is
evident. If we look at what happened in the intensified militarization of
the countryside, we are reminded of the Marcos military in his dictatorial
regime. Undoubtedly, the purpose and methodology between the militarization
during Marcos’ rule and the militarization during the present Aquino
administration are identical. But under President Aquino, it is more
deceptive because he disguises it with avowals of peace and development.
Our Lumad tribal and settler
communities — have become aware and have determinedly resisted these so-called
economic development aggressions in their areas. And because of this, the
reflex action of the Aquino government has been to unleash his military thugs
and terrorize the rural people with intensifying militarization.
President
Noynoy is playing dangerous flirtations with martial rule. He must soon
realize the military is not as easy to handle as the guns he is romancing with
in his target shooting hobby. These are real flesh-and-blood people whom
his military has been subjecting to terrifying military abuses.
Now, thousands of our tribal people from the Agusan region are
enduring utmost hardships and brutalities. They have sought refuge at the
provincial capitol of Agusan. But the Governor whom we presume is your
minion has refused to accommodate them.
And so, may we remind you Mr. President, that your hands are now
smeared with the blood of our Lumads! These are the descendants of the
original inhabitants of this island. You at the helm of government are
scions of Chinese or Castilian migrants who have amassed wealth
through cunning and manipulative ways. But these Lumads of Agusan
are our bloodlinks to our pre-conquest forebears! They have prior
birthrights to these islands, much much deeper than any other political family who had landgrabbed
this country and is now arrogantly insinuating unto itself the power and wealth
of the Philippine nation.
Shame
on you!
*******
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