TURNING THE BANGSAMORO REGION INTO A POLITICO-MILITARY COMPLEX

A professor in International Relations once told me, “The first rule in international relations is, ‘take care of your own backyard first.’”* Therefore, so long as the Muslim Rebellion (and the communist rebellion by extension) exists in our own backyard, we will never look credible in the eyes of another country and we will continue to be “bullied” by savvier players like China and Malaysia.

In an earlier piece, The massacre of the  PNP-SAF as an affront to our sovereignty, I took the seemingly unpopular stand of going to war:

There must be retaliation from the government forces. The present administration is treating the MILF with kid’s gloves, giving in to demands from known terrorists. We must negotiate from a position of power: wipe-out several camps and decapitate its leadership--leave them powerless.

Now, “all-out-war” seems to be the stand that the government is taking as regards to the breakaway faction, BIFF. My hope is that the war will escalate to cover other [terrorist] groups, the Abu Sayaff, the “fallen-from-grace” MNLF, JI, ISIS and of course, the MILF. I say this because, I assert that true peace can never be had with groups like these -- you can have peace with one or maybe two, but those dissatisfied with the “Government’s peace”, will just form another breakaway faction and continue the rebellion. This is what the BIFF is doing and what the MILF did before that.

In this article, I seek to answer two very important questions that should follow the defeat of these terrorist elements:

1. How would the fighting make the Philippines stronger in the eyes of the International Community?

2. How to win the hearts and minds of the people one the fighting is done?

The answer should be simple, bring development and keep the peace in the area. This means, food, jobs, shelter, access to credit, electricity and all the appurtenances of a decent living.

Credibility before the international community

As I mentioned at the start of this article, nothing will bring respect in the international community more than being able to take care of the problems in your own backyard.

I will argue that after all the fighting is done, the grounds that were once MILF/BIFF and other terrorist group strongholds should be turned into military bases, research facilities, Military schools, stockpiles and if possible, new communities.

Rebel Camps and our Weakness

As we all know, Philippine military might is less than ideal. I even argued in my earlier piece that if there is no retaliation for the #fallen44, our enemies are going to take notice of our weakness. Indeed, this may be the case because the Chinese Coast Guard seems to be bullying our fishermen again and blatatly constructing facilities in our territory. This is something I believe the Chinese will not do if they think that the Filipino military is simply competent in dealing with its external and internal affairs. i.e. if we cannot deal with a bunch of bandits in our southern isles, how then can we fight against Chinese aggression? Inaction and weakness will only embolden our enemies. Indeed, I don’t see Vietnam or Malaysia having the same problems with the Chinese.

The symbol of Philippine defiance against China, and the full extent of our military capabilities

Indeed, a Country’s martial and political credibility often depend on being able to “project military strength hundreds of miles from their home bases, both internally and externally”.

Yes, I know that there is a Constitutional prohibition against war, but there are many ways around that insofar as there is a perceived threat to the territorial integrity of the country.

Bringing the blessings of peace to the Bangsamoro

In answering the question, “how to win the hearts and minds of the people”, I propose concentrating political power in the South and the conversion of the symbolic capital of the MILF, Camp Abubakar, into a fine new Capital City for the Philippines.

Is concentrating power in Mindanao a good idea? Yes, I believe so. Right now, the threat country’s biggest threat is China, which lies in the northeast, any invasion or attack would be concentrated in Manila/Luzon -- the most prosperous region in the country. But with the government holed up in Mindanao, we will still be able to mount effective and coordinated resistance. This is our Dschungelfestung where we can conserve our forces and mount a defense in-depth.

To make this work though, a lot of the work has to be done in secret, it is preferred that each camp should be a fortress of its own, with lots of underground tunnels and pillboxes which would make a direct assault foolhardy. If possible, each camp could be interconnected with one another in order to provide a network of support and intelligence.

What of Camp Abubakar?

Camp Abubakar was the MILF Headquarters and an important base of operations. It was a major prize during the government offensive.

Froilan Gallardo, back in 2010, writes:

Camp Abubakar was more than a military camp. MILF top leaders, Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and the late Salamat Hashim had their offices there. Murad, who was then MILF military chief, held office in Barangay Sarmiento, Matanog town while Salamat, the MILF chair, resided in a small bungalow inside Camp Abubakar itself.

Camp Abubakar is now a Military Base

(Source: www.mindanews.com)

(see also: Camp Abubakar, Former MILF Stronghold eyed as Ammo Camp)

According to Joe America, an American blogger residing in the Philippines envisions a progressive Mindanao which is likened to the West Coast of the United States, versus the Luzon-as-East Coast analogy. He writes:

Mindanao will be like Los Angeles of the 1950’s compared to Manila’s land-locked, vertical New York. Mindanao will be an explosive, expansive, fast-growing region, with Davao City as the new heartland of a producing Philippines. Six-lane expressways will connect the four large cities of Davao, Cagayan De Oro, General Santos City and Zamboanga. Commuter train tracks and communications cables will run down the center medium. Major port improvements will be made in both Cagayan de Oro and General Santos City. Davao’s airport will be reconfigured as an international gateway to the Philippines. A nuclear power plant will be built on the southeast coast.

Manufacturing centers will be seeded in Cagayan de Oro, Davao and General Santos. A part of the impetus will come from the establishment of a Philippine military industrial center to build boats, land vehicles and weapons on Philippine soil. Another part will come from incentives: 100% foreign ownership of plants within designated industrial parks, tax breaks, and ease-of-doing-business rules that end layers of red tape. A third part will come by moving manufacturing plants out of Manila.

I agree with his vision. I think that having the central government closer to this rich and promising land will promote growth in the region in order to accomplish this vision.

The symbolic capital of the MILF’s resistance, Camp Abubakar, would make a fine new Capital City for the Philippines. While still retaining fortifications and housing large numbers of troops, it can make a credible capital city for an administration with the right vision and concern for development.

* Dr. Klaus Zeller, former Ambassador of Germany to the Philippines.

THE MASSACRE OF THE PNP-SAF AS AN AFFRONT TO OUR SOVEREIGNTY:

AND A SLAP IN THE FACE OF THE “COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF”

The country mourned the loss of “fallen44” brave policemen yesterday, January 30, 2015. Now it must be asked who is to blame and what must be done to give these men justice.

In this post I seek to explain my anger and disgust at the death of 44 elite policemen, the willingness of some sectors to continue with the peace process and why I favor “all-out war” with the MILF. I will then go on to criticize the President for his incompetence and subsequent lack of empathy and inability to take responsibility for his actions.

The Botched “Oplan Wolverine”

Oplan Wolverine was the code name for the operation to “serve a warrant of arrest” for Zulkifli bin Hir aka. “Marwan”, a wanted Jeemah Islamiyah terrorist, infamous for the Bali Bombings. His infamy made some to regard him as “Asia’s Osama Bin Laden”.

Oplan Wolverine was meant to be a covert insertion. It was so secret that the operatives allegedly reported only to the President. The mission draws inspiration from Operation Neptune Spear, the covert operation which resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden. Thus, like Neptune Spear, Wolverine never contacted the “government” in whose territory the operatives were inserted into.

So far, the most reliable version of events that I could find is narrated in the Inquirer story, SAF chief: I am responsible. It reads:

The 392 police commandos were divided into groups were positioned as early as 3 a.m. on Sunday. The plan, according to Napeñas, was for a surgical operation of only 30 minutes. Four nipa huts in the village were the targets of the assault.

At 4:20 a.m., part of the assault force was able to enter the nipa hut where Marwan was sleeping, Napeñas said.

“Marwan woke up, that was around 4:30 a.m., and he managed to be the first to shoot, that’s why some of us were hit. But we returned fire and killed him outright,” he said.

The exchange of gunfire brought Marwan’s security to action. As the policemen were about to pull out, they came under fire from all directions, Napeñas said.

When the firing became intense, one SAF officer extracted DNA from Marwan, Napeñas said. Then the assault team decided it was best to bring Marwan’s body and shoot its way out of there, he said.

The team got out, said Napeñas, who described the other side as BIFF and MILF forces who “came from all directions.”

At past 6 a.m., the joint monitoring team from the MILF and the government called a ceasefire, Napeñas said, but the “MILF did not stop shooting.”

This version of events appears to be the one that is most commonly accepted as of this writing.

An assessment of of this operation would have to recognize that it was partially successful in terms of accomplishing its objectives. Marwan was killed in the encounter--never to make another bomb again. Unfortunately, the SAF’s secondary objective, Usman may have given them the slip. In the end, it the lack of coordination of leadership with the ground command directly led to the bloodbath.

Mamasapano as a Massacre

Our Special Police Force doesn’t die just like that. Manila Times columnist Mr. Tiglao makes a good argument when he claims that the police surrendered or tried to surrender, but then they were killed just like dogs!

Shot Like Dogs

(Source: Manila Times)

It is simply outrageous that those responsible should not be brought to justice on the pretext that it was a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The killing looks deliberate, sudden. Otherwise, the SAF would have struggled and fought for their lives. At the very least, this would demonstrate a lack of control of the MILF leadership over their men and the inability to abide by the basic tenets of human decency, which all men with moral fiber, regardless of faith, will know about.

It bears pointing out that these SAF are technically NOT MILITARY forces, subject of ceasefire, these were policemen--CIVILIAN authorities, mercilessly gunned down. Another point is that as policemen, they have every right to be where they were that morning. In my book, that makes their killers nothing more but criminals, thugs and cop-killers.

A Short History Lesson

The Philippines has lived with a conflict in Mindanao for almost the whole of its history. Many say it stems from the land-grabbing of the Christian settlers in most parts of Mindanao, which deprived many Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Muslim communities without land which was rightfully theirs.

In the 1960s, during the early days of the Marcos Era, the Philippines still had a reputable military. This was also the period of Konfrontasi, a bloody conflict between Malaysia and Indonesia over some territory in Borneo. At the time, the Philippines chose to ally itself with Indonesia. In exchange, the Indonesians would support Philippine claims in Sabah. Now, this botched invasion of Malaysia, is lost to history and is little known.

A Philippine invasion of Malaysia, ultimately never materialized. The reason may be in part because some of the Muslim shock troops that were being trained for the invasion learned that they would be sent to fight their Muslim brothers in Malaysia and thus mutinied. This mutiny led to the Jabidah Massacre on March 18, 1968, wherein between 11 - 200 Muslim recruits were said to have died on Corregidor when Philippine troops fired upon the unarmed trainees.

This massacre was often thought to be some urban legend, but apparently, part of its mystery is partly because the Government has never chosen to acknowledge the incident. It was only in 2013 when President Aquino chose to acknowledge the massacre for the first time in this country’s history.

You may ask why is this important? Because this only reveals just how consistent the stand of President Aquino is on the matter of the Bangsamoro. In choosing to acknowledge the Jabidah massacre, the massacre of the forces meant to invade Sabah, Aquino seems to put all Philippine claims on the territory behind us.

It also seems that President Aquino is hell bent on making this Bangsamoro arrangement of his work out. Sad to say, he won't be making any of the “hard choices” anytime soon.

Why Am I Outraged

If it was the PNP leadership and the President who is to blame for this massacre, then shouldn’t my outrage be directed towards them and not the Bangsamoro and the Peace Process? In a way that is correct, the PNP Leadership and the President should answer for this. The bungling leadership has no one else to blame but themselves for their deaths--it was a ceasefire they created, and “succeeded” the territory where they died to a rebel group and gave them sovereignty.

But the MILF is probably even more to blame for this: First, there was supposedly a ceasefire. Second, this was still Filipino territory, we have not given it to them yet.

Granted, we may argue that it was the BIFF that caused the slaughter, but it clearly shows either, the MILF cannot demonstrate that they control the territory supposedly given to them, or that they are allied to the BIFF and sanctioned this massacre.

Therefore, two things are clear to me: First is that our leadership is to blame for sending those policemen there without proper support, and second, the MILF/BIFF are to blame for not assessing the situation and committing the massacre [in cold blood].

What must be done

There must be retaliation from the government forces. The present administration is treating the MILF with kid’s gloves, giving in to demands from known terrorists. We must negotiate from a position of power: wipe-out several camps and decapitate its leadership--leave them powerless.

We must send them a message that one does not mess with the civilian authority of the Philippines. The deaths of the fallen44 and the way that government is trying to portray the massacre as a “mis-encounter” will only embolden the MILF into even greater atrocities.

I admit that war is a very difficult decision to make. Erap’s “all-out war” in 2000 left us with more than 200 dead soldiers. A war now will likely lead to even more, given the incompetent leadership. War will also be a great economic burden (though I suspect any unwillingness to spend for war will likely be due to the fact that politicians stand to lose a portion of taxpayers money which would otherwise find its way into their pockets).

Simply put, the MILF are taking us for fools. Fact of the matter is, I have a very low opinion of them. They are a bunch of “cop-killers”. The legitimacy of their cause is forever stained by the blood of those policemen.

So war is absolutely necessary from a political standpoint--to show the MILF (and possibly China, who is watching, that our government is not to be pushed around. Another reason is that, the culprits of the massacre are among the ranks of the MILF and the BIFF. Given the small chance that the culprits would be turned over, the best thing to do is to go in and cripple their forces, and force them to sue for peace and justice--force them to turn over Usman whom they are likely sheltering.

The Bangsamoro agreement must also be scrapped because not only is it unconstitutional, it is tantamount to giving a portion of the country over to the control of a bunch of terrorists and cop-killers.

At the end of this all, the Commander-in-Chief, President Aquino and the leadership under him, must himself be held accountable for the lack of coordination for this operation. After his term, inquiries should be held for this purpose and to determine Aquino’s liability for his gross negligence.

A more Moderate Approach

At the very least, if the Government is totally unwilling to wage war against these bandit-insurgents, they must at least mass some forces into the area. It seems that the MILF/BIFF are ahead of us at that one too as MILF and BIFF forces are massing in the area where the massacre occurred. A similar massing by government forces will ensure their good behavior for the duration of the ceasefire.

Another thing that we should at least, as suggested by some former Generals is to first, demand the surrender of the perpetrators of this massacre and second, to recover the firearms and equipment looted from their bodies. The first is to send a message as to who is the sovereign power in these parts of the country and will indeed show sincerity from the MILF and BIFF of their regret over the incident.

Some Unanswered Questions

And how could the nearby Army not come to the aid of the stricken police? This is totally baffling. Our ground commanders are known for their initiative and resolve--remember how our expeditionary forces escaped the ISIS encirclement, against their orders?

So how could they not respond to the call of the police for help? Because it would break the ceasefire? Remember that the PNP is a civilian force, first and foremost, don’t let their assault rifles, special training and equipment fool you--they were a bunch of civilians. The civilians are whom our military was sworn to protect.

That is why we must treat this as one of the country’s worst Military Failure/Defeat, as much as it was a massacre of civilians.

Police leadership should also learn from this disaster. One positive step is by exonerating the deputy PNP chief. Now, since the Police Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo was purposely kept out of the loop regarding this operation, why the was he relieved?--it clearly wasn't his fault. The idiots are clearly aware of their blunder and they are now looking for a scapegoat.

Conclusion

This massacre was the greatest loss of life the PNP has ever experience in an operation in its history. A lot of these men went in never expecting to be fired upon during a ceasefire and left to be abandoned by nearby Military forces. Justice must definitely be served. It must be served upon the one who sent them to their deaths and must also be served upon their killers.

The fallen44 have shown us who we are dealing with: a merciless group of thugs who harbor terrorists. These are the people whose demands we are about to give into. Yes, peace in Mindanao must be achieved, but it should be done by first eradicating these terrorists from the region. Power does not belong to them and the region is not theirs by right nor are they the sovereign will of the people living there.

Related posts:

PNP QUESTIONED OVER AWARD FOR PATROL JEEPS TO MAHINDRA