In the Senate committee hearing last Monday, Mohagher Iqbal or whatever his real name is, mentioned a few things that should be food for thought to the senators and the public at large. Mr Iqbal said that whether people realize or not, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the government of the Philippines are still at war. He said this when he was being badgered to reveal his true name.
What we have, he went on to say, is just a ceasefire which can ignite into a shooting war anytime.
Another thing that came out during the hearing was that the Armed Forces did not know at all that Mohagher Iqbal is only a nom de guerre. This should tell us the kind of intelligence that the AFP has. This is not reassuring at all.
He also emphasized the revolutionary nature of the MILF—and it was not the first time that he mentioned that. He also said as much during the Senate hearings on the Mamasapano encounter. By Mr. Iqbal’s revelation, the MILF and the Philippine government are still enemies.
If this is the case, why is the government providing the MILF with funds? As a confidence building measure? At the very least, the government should not provide the MILF with any assistance that will enhance their capability to fight if the ceasefire breaks down. Revolutions, to my limited understanding, are meant to overthrow or change an existing order.
The Philippine government is offering the MILF autonomy to be able to govern the predominantly Muslim provinces of Mindanao in a way that will preserve their culture and allow them to chart their own development. My own misgivings about the signed peace deal is the way the provisions could be interpreted. To the government, it may be autonomy but to the MILF, it is a step towards complete independence.
I agree that there must be trust. But trust alone cannot be the only basis of an agreement. There must be iron-clad guarantees and safeguards that both must adhere to in order to preclude any misunderstanding of what was agreed upon. During the peace negotiations between Israel and Egypt in the late 1970s, then Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin presented two contrasting styles. Begin, a lawyer, was very particular about details. Sentence construction to him was important to convey exactly what has been agreed upon. There must be no room for misunderstanding.
Sadat, who was a soldier, was on the other hand more focused on the substance of the agreement.
The product of the two contrasting styles was a peace deal that is working up to this day. I trust that both Professor Miriam Coronel Ferrer and Secretary Teresita Deles understand what is at stake and have the interest of the country at heart. But the reason why they have many critics is in the way both have behaved during the Senate hearings on Mamasapano and the BBL. This is not to mention some of their pronouncements outside the halls of Congress. Both have been accused of giving away too much and have been insensitive to what happened to the SAF44.
Maybe what the two should do is to be a bit more patient and accommodating to the many doubting Thomases and present their case as intelligently and clearly as possible. Both might like to change their styles so that they will be perceived as working for the interest of the country more instead as spokespersons for the MILF.
It was a sad sight, seeing the senior officers of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces go at each other during the House hearing on the Mamasapano encounter. That was the first time that the differences between the two flared up in public, notwithstanding that both organizations are being run mostly by classmates. Those involved should have controlled their emotions more and not make a display for the whole public to see. The remarks of General Gregorio Catapang on Police Director Getulio Napeñas was also uncalled for. It was evident during the hearing that congressmen who were formerly officers from the PNP sided with the SAF and those who were from the Armed Forces sided with the AFP.
Once again, Secretary Leila de Lima came out with her “thoughts” about using aliases to sign public documents. She should have asked for a time to study the issue—but that is not her style. Before this administration leaves office next year, Secretary De Lima would have singlehandedly changed the jurisprudence of this country.
The stated object of the House hearing is to ferret out the truth. It seems however, that the ultimate goal really is to come out with a report exonerating the President from any culpability and put all the blame on Napeñas. Already, one congressman has called on Napeñas to stop dragging the President into the case and be man enough to accept the blame for the death of the SAF 44.
Of the three principal actors in Oplan Exodus, it is only Napeñas who has accepted his share of responsibility. Both the President and Purisima have consistently denied any wrongdoing or any responsibility for what happened in Mamasapano.
No matter how the House hearing tries to provide a blanket cover to the President or manage it to put all the blame on Napeñas, the questions being asked keeps on going back to the participation of the President which only he can answer. This President who has made honesty as the template of his administration is now unwilling to be honest to himself.
Sadly, all efforts to protect the President really do not matter anymore because the people have already made their judgment.
