The Right Choices?

Barack Obama, a known “anti-war in Iraq” politician, chose a pro-war lawmaker, Joe Biden to be his running mate for the November general elections. And just yesterday Republican candidate John McCain announced that novice politician Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate. A not-so-bad pick as Palin: 1) is pro-life 2) has no ties to Bush and 3) is very popular in her home state. The question now is, did the presidentiables really get the right persons or did they pick their own poison?

Delaware Senator Joe Biden

As November draws near, the election fever is as high as ever. Now with the vice-presidentiables revealed, the critics would have more to say about their candidates. As the running mates they pick would tell what kind of president they would become. On where they stand on certain issues.

For example, if an anti-war advocate picks another anti-war personality as his running mate then he would have a strong image about being an anti-war advocate. This isn’t the case of Democratic candidate Barack Obama however. This anti-war icon picked Joe Biden, a pro-war statesman, as his running mate. One would have to wonder if he really is serious about his “end the Iraq war” campaign.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

Picking the vice-presidents would also be used to cover-up flaws and mistakes of presidentiables. Take John McCain for example. His image was badly strained when he was endorsed by President Bush. Now, he picked Sarah Biden to be his running mate. Someone who has no ties to the unpopular president.

Smart move, McCain.

Sarah Palin also is popular to the Christian and Evangelical conservatives for her tough stance on pro-life and anti-abortion. Biden on the other hand is foreign affairs savy. He authored laws against genocide in Sudan and was instrumental in the 1999 Kosovo air strikes, bringing peace to the region. He may be a pro-peace icon but his methods in achieving peace is however by the use of force and not by diplomacy.

Choosing your vice-president really helps in your bid to becoming president. Choosing the wrong candidate would do the opposite. Obama and McCain’s picks were met with criticisms, but at the same time it also drew a number of appreciation from their supporters. The elections draws near, we are yet to learn if whether they made the right choices or the exact opposite.

Finish the Job

Weeks of various assaults on communities sent the military retreating, but counter-attacks have sent the insurgents back running. Now that the military has the upper hand it should pursue its offensives on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) until every member has been neutralized. Or in other words, finish the job.

Yahoo.com photo grab shows an MILF satellite camp, one of the many camps taken by the military.

The death toll now in the ARMM region has peaked to over 180 persons dead. Most of them innocent civilians. The military suffered a few casualties as well, but with their advanced weaponry (superior to the rebels anyways) they were able to take the bigger number of kills. And as the weeks passed by the authorities were able to capture MILF bases, one after another. And just yesterday they were able to overrun the camp of Commander Bravo, one of three wanted MILF sub-commanders who have multi-million bounties placed on their heads. A big blow to the rebels, and a big win of the government. They have weaken the fighters, yes, but haven’t past encounters done the same? There was even a time when the MILF reached its lowest troop count. But still they were able to rebuild their forces and became formidable again. And of course, since they were formidable they were able to pressure the government into negotiations. The question is, why did the government lose its momentum into finishing them? Well, it’s because they chose to stop offensives and give in to talks. Talks, which we have been doing for about three decades now. Talks, which have been done over and over for so long but has yet to take effect. Are these talks really the solution? They only gave way for the rebels to do more crimes. Crimes which became neglected as years passed. This “diplomacy” only made it possible for more civilians to die in the name of the rebels’ so called “acts of peace”.

During times of “diplomacy” the military was called to halt its offensives. The weakened Moros would then send a “diplomat” to a foreign country that would mediate the talks. During the cease-fire the Moros would then build up their forces once again and when they are ready they recall their “diplomat” and wage war again with the military. Sheer genius. The present government knows about this, everyone does. So it would really be suspicious if the government would call for another cease-fire.

A possible reason for the government to declare a cease-fire is bribery. As what I have talked about in my previous entries the MILF could be supported by a foreign country such as Malaysia that could, if ever the MILF-GRP deal would be signed could sign a pact with the newly formed MILF country to exploit resources off Mindanao. The Government could indeed be bribed by a country such as Malaysia so as their chance of getting the natural resources would still be alive.

Our country also have a tragic history with not finishing the job. Remember in 2001 during the Lamitan siege? The military ceased attacking after they realized that they got the Abu Sayaff rebels trapped. When they were guarding leisurely the Abus took advantage and attacked them. The military lost twenty soldiers, the Abu Sayaff bandits escaped and took over a dozen hostages along with them. The price of diplomacy.

Let us hope the government doesn’t fall to the same trap again. Allowing the MILF to regroup, rebuild and strengthen up. And when the time comes when they abuse us, we might find ourselves on the losing side. The military have overran several bases now, they are on the offense while the MILF is on the run. Let us hope they do the right thing, finish the job. Let no member of the group abuse an innocent civilian ever again!

License to Do Reckless Driving

Finally, the Land Transportation Office have done something with the crimes committed by vehicles bearing the number “8″. Plate numbers, that to the owner, means he or she is the king or queen of the road. A plate number that to traffic aides means they must ignore them and let them “off the hook”. But now, they are realizing that no one is above the law. The plate number “8″’s power has deteriorated.

The number “8″. To the Chinese, this number symbolizes wealth and good fortune. Which is the reason why the Beijing Olympics was held on 8/8/08. To paranormal experts, dates with the number eight are when the portal to the spirit realm would open. But to poor, defenseless beggars and street-dwellers, the number eight is the sign that would mean their death. Cars bearing the number eight are owned by Provincial governors, and their drivers or the governors themselves would often abuse their “power” and use the plate number as an excuse to not follow traffic rules such as evading the street lights or speeding. Dozens of street-dwellers die each year after being run over by these cars. The worst part is, they don’t get justice. As in the Philippines, the rich have more power in the judiciary system.

The thing is, I don’t think there is a point in having the plate number “8″ in the first place. I mean, do the governors have to be identified with the car model they’re using? We all know that the newest car model on the street belongs to a politician. And can’t they just keep a low profile? Is it such an honor to be a governor? So there’s really no need for a custom plate.

Recently, the LTO have ordered all plate number “8″s recalled. They’re doing something about it now, but why after so long? Plate number “8″ atrocities were done even during the Marcos era.

What about those who have done the crimes? Is the LTO also going to get them? Or are they just gonna let them off the hook and get as much as a warning? There have been violators brought to court but because of the kind of “position” they hold they are eventually freed on bail.

Whatever it may be, there have been dozens of poor, powerless people out there seeking for the truth. Seeking for justice. Sure, something has been done now but it’s too little and it’s too late.

On Top of the World

An Olympic story that inspired so many, we look back at the story of Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt and his incredible streak in the Olympics.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt poses as he is awarded with a gold medal in the recently concluded Beijing Olympics.

He went to Beijing as a silent competitor from Jamaica, very humble. He made no early remarks regarding his Olympic goals, but in the end he made it clear that he wanted to be on top.

In his first finals match, the Men’s 100m sprint, he not only won a gold medal but set a new World record at 9.69 seconds. Even before the Olympics, Usain Bolt has already set records. In 2004, he broke former U.S. star Lorenzo Daniel’s world junior 200m record, finishing in 19.93 seconds to become the first junior to break the 20-second mark.

Usain Bolt seen here again posing after winning the 100m Men

But as people would say, all positives have something negative in them. This Jamaican athlete is highly criticized for having to be a “show-off” in the 100m Men’s Sprint, as he slowed down when he was near the finish line. To other people that meant, “no one can beat me” or “catch me as you can”. He was also criticized for not having to show respect to the other competitors, not even a single “congratulations”. Usain instead wrapped himself with the Jamaican flag and made a victory run towards his family who were in the audience.

But 200m sprint Silver medalist Shawn Crawford of the United States, whose gold medal bid was taken away by Usain, made a remark on Bolt’s so-called “arrogance”. Saying that he trained for four years straight, and that he even made a lot of sacrifices. “So if he wants to feel like he’s on top of the world, let him. Because he really is on top of the world.”, Crawford adds.

Attack on the People

The latest U.S. Air Force offensive in Afghanistan left over seventy civilians and just about a dozen rebels dead. With the bigger percentage being civilians, is the U.S. really targeting the bad guys, or the innocent ones?

A physician tends to his patient

A US Air Force operation in the western Afghan town of Azizabad has left over a dozen Taliban fighters dead. This would be good news to most people. The problem? About seventy civilians have been killed and fifteen houses destroyed. The American side however says only five civilians died. Whoever is telling the truth is unsure, the Americans could just be covering up its actions so as not to lose political support abroad. But then again, the Afghan Government has been known to exaggerate death tolls as to collect more compensation money from the U.S. or they just give in to pressure from the Taliban.

Both sides have a dirty history. The lesser evil is still unknown. One thing is for sure though, no political support or compensation money could return the lives of the civilians dead. No matter how many they are.

Cat and Mouse

After weeks of countless assaults on peaceful civilian settlements, ambushes on military personnel, the Muslim separatist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) felt as if they were the dogs of their yard, Mindanao. But after they committed various atrocities against innocent civilians, including arson, murder, in a degree which can be considered as genocide they find themselves on the run from various military and paramilitary groups that are thirsty for their blood. Hungering for justice for those they oppressed. Sure, the military have orders from the Commander-in-Chief to pursue offensives on the rebel group. But the soldiers in combat have more than just orders in their minds, but also revenge and anger.

Members of the Philippine Army pack up their equipment as the government ordered them to pursue attacks against the MILF in this Yahoo.com photo grab.

All these commotion happened when the residents of Lanao and neighboring provinces refused to be part of an autonomous state controlled by Muslims. Maybe because majority of the people living in the provinces are Christians. Maybe also, they realize that the power given to the Muslims would just be exploited by other countries, and they don’t want this to happen to them. And so the MILF executed their first move, an attack on Midsayap Town. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were able to repel the attack but similar offensives were made in neighboring towns such as Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao, etc. The fighters of different MILF battalions stormed town after town, city after city. Burning houses and shooting at civilians who were just caught in the fighting. The leaders-two MILF sub-commanders named Commander Kato and Commander Bravo. The MILF High Command said that these were “lost commands” and that they had no control of them. The same thing they said when the MILF carried out similar civilian attacks in 2000 and 2005. It is a mystery if whether this reason is just a cover-up to cloak their intentions of intimidating the residents. Intimidating them into a point that they would agree to be part of the expanded, autonomous, Muslim region.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front members pose during one of their

The atrocities continued, and their latest offensive in Lanao del Norte left 33 people dead. Twenty-seven of them civilians. They even went as far as cutting off an ear of one resident. How could they justify this now? Their reason? The commander of the battalion that did the attack, Commander Bravo, said that it was a breakaway brigade from his battalion and that they were doing this to frame the MILF. How pathetic.

And so the whole country united. The opposition and the administration united against the group. They were one in saying that “diplomacy” was no longer the way to peace, but war. An angry Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have continuously bombarded MILF detachments. The families of those victimized by the group have brought up arms and are now seeking for justice. The group is certainly paying the price.

Now, the group is finding itself as the ones running. From being the cat, now they are the mouse. From hunters, to the ones being hunted.

Downfall

After almost a decade in power, after numerous attempts to force him to relinquish his power, Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharaff finally gives in to internal and external pressure from opposition. But was his downfall really the answer to Pakistan’s economic problems?

It was in 1999 that then Pakistan leader Nawaz Shariff made the order to dismiss General Musharaff as head of the armed forces which caused anger and frustrations within the high ranking officers. This sparked the bloodless coup d`etat that ousted him from power and gave General Musharaff the title, Chief Executive. Ever since then, his reign was plagued with criticism, opposition and pressure from different fields of the society. They were calling for the restoration of democracy. Musharaff gave in to their demands but also made sure his reign would be legitimate and would continue. This led to a referendum in 2002. His party won in the referendum. However, it was marred with “irregularities” and majority of the population boycotted it. Another group that posed a threat against his presidency was the United
States itself. George Bush was concerned about the “freedom” of the Pakistani people. He, however, withdrew his statement following Musharaff’s allegiance and support to his war on terror in 2003. This move even got him a deal with the United States for access to nuclear arms. A deal that narrowly saved the country from bankruptcy.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharaff announces his resignation in this Google.com photo grab

Although the Musharaff administration didn’t improve economic conditions in the country, it saved Pakistan from even worse conditions. And although foreign relations were still strained, it managed to ease tensions with neighbor India.

His later years however was disastrous to the country. As it was nothing but violence and chaos. Starting with a takeover of the country’s Red Mosque. More chaotic events followed, like the assassination of his fiercest rival, Benazir Bhutto in 2007. Investor confidence in Pakistan was at an all-time low. Its image was as messed up as ever.

The year 2008 came, and more problems went in the way of the Musharaff regime. Including the impeachment trial against him recently. This case finally forced him to relinquish his post. With him gone, it is yet to be known if whether the opposition was right and that he was the cause of the country’s crises.

How We Killed Ninoy

Title adopted from the ABS-CBN documentary, “Beyond Conspiracy”.

Ninoy Aquino 1932-1983

In other countries, the ’80s may be the decade techno music was born. The decade hip-hop became a formidable force in the music industry. The decade when Madonna’s “Material Girl” song became a hit. But for the Philippines, the ’80s was the decade for change.

The start of Ferdinand Marcos’ reign as President in the Philippines were great years for Filipinos. It was a time wherein the Philippines was one of the most industrialized nations in Asia, in the world even. While neighboring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam were plagued by poverty, their people were dying of hunger. In the Philippines however, the people were spending their time in discos. Bathing themselves with luxuries. As time passed by however, we learned that life is really like a wheel. Sometimes you’re on top, and sometimes you’re at the bottom. Life got harder as time passed by. This “observation” made the Filipinos realize that it was time for change.

As time passed by, less students frequented bars and casinos and more, instead, flocked to the streets to hold rallies and demonstrations. The Filipino youth became political-minded. Politics was the new “in-thing” during those times. And if you couldn’t handle politics then you weren’t “cool”. Very opposite from today’s youth. Rallies and demonstrations were here and there, but none of those seemed to work. The strongman’s regime and his cronies always got the upper hand of the opposition. Demonstrators were getting tired of being under the sun all day, and soon it wasn’t only their political-mindedness that disintegrated, no, t was also their patriotism. Those faces that were common in the streets found themselves boarding a plane, on their way to more industrialized countries like the United States and countries in Europe. These were the people who didn’t mean to enter the world of politics in the first place, they were just motivated by time. Those who really cared for the country stayed and defied Marcos’ “no one goes against me” policy. Most of them ended up being tortured and found in trash cans and empty allies. Of course the judicial system was controlled by the government then so almost none of them got the justice they should have had. Most cases were blamed on communists and leftists.

Manila Bulletin Headline on Aquino

Clearly, the situation of the nation was a turmoil. The constitution was a joke, assets were being rewarded to Marcos’ friends the same way they were rewarded to players in the board game “Monopoly”. The opposition wasn’t powerful enough to stop this disaster, they were divided. Isolated. Weak. They needed to find a leader to guide them. At that time the ones they called “leaders” were just sore losers who lost their positions to administration candidates. They weren’t dedicated. They had no stand. There were, however, better candidates to run the opposition. But all of them were too scared to go against a dictator. One however, made a difference, Ninoy Aquino.

Aquino was first arrested in 1975 for the crime of “illegal possession of weapons and explosives”. He was later sentenced to capital punishment by a firing squad, but Marcos ever the strategist realized that by doing so Aquino would have a “Martyr” image. Marcos then sent Aquino in exile in the United States. In the US, Aquino lived a peaceful life, a prosperous one. Marcos made sure he enjoyed living there with his family, so he would have no basis of returning to the Philippines. But Aquino was dedicated to his people, he was willing to throw all that prosperity away for the sake of the people he had left behind in the Philippines. He wanted to get back to them, to help them, even if it meant risking his own life.

And as we all know today, the threats were real. Aquino was shot. He was killed by a weapon we made ourselves, a weapon we perfected to use-our behavior to sit back down after we stand up. We realized the situation at one point, we saw the cruelties and the atrocities of the Marcos regime but we closed back our eyes and we pretended as if nothing was happening. Would Aquino be assassinated if we got rid of Marcos in the first place? And so numerous memorable events in our nation’s history unfolded. Events which include the eventual resignation of Marcos. Yes we did stand up in the end, but only when we really needed to. After the deaths of thousands.

Philippine Daily Inquirer Headline, the Filipinos

We all have different theories as to who killed Ninoy: Galman, the military, the communists. But technically speaking it was we Filipinos who refused to fight back. It was our weaknesses that killed Ninoy, and almost killed our country in the process. Today, we have our own “Ninoy-type situations”. There are those of us who have seen but refuse to acknowledge. We go into a state of denial, forcing ourselves that nothing ever happened. Let us not make the same mistake as before. Stand up, before it is too late.

Invasion by Proxy

First it was granted autonomy, now its on the verge of independence. Does the government really know what they’re doing or is this just the beginning of another sell-out of a Philippine territory?

Philippine Army soldiers have massed up their numbers in cities like Cotabato due to growing tensions with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front

You may have heard the fuzz about the signing of the Malaysian-brokered peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. What is really the deal here? Well, basically it would give the Moros somewhat their own country within the Philippines. They would be given power greater than simple autonomy. The deal happens to give the Moros almost total control of the resources found in the area and because they have control of the resources they could use it any way they want, even signing deals with other countries. This is where the “Invasion by Proxy” theory comes in, the one who brokered the peace deal, Malaysia, could have written off the idea of this power in the first place and realized that they could convince the Moros to give them access to the resources off Mindanao. With Mindanao’s precious ores and oil, it is a goldmine in the eyes of Malaysia.

MILF Fighters train in this undated photo.

What bothers me is the lack of transparency about the deal. Foreign countries mediating the deal along with Malaysia such as the United States, Germany, Canada know the details of this deal whereas us Filipinos, the ones who are directly affected by this deal, don’t know the details ourselves. Another thing is that the government seems like they actually support this deal. This is where the “sell-out” theory comes in. Could it be that they were actually promised a high incentive for them to accept the deal? Sell-out theories go all the way back during the Marcos-era. Where the government allegedly sold Southwest Cay island to Vietnam. And what about Sabah? How could the government not make a big deal on the recent mass deportation of Filipinos living in Sabah when the island is technically ours? The Malaysian government is merely leasing the island for a price, a price paid to the Sultan of Sulu annually. Since the Malaysians are mere lodgers shouldn’t the landowners get the higher priority in the island? We have lost Southwest Cay, we have lost Sabah and now we’re losing over 2/3 of the Mindanao area? I don’t know about you, but as for me I’m concerned about this issue. If the government continues selling our territory and if we get used to sitting down and doing nothing then believe me, there will be a time when only Manila will be left in Philippine control.

It is said that we Filipinos are the only ones who can defend the country, but only those who truly love their country are the only ones that can save it. We are divided by our indifferences, by our unwillingness to accept change, by our selfishness and greed. Our leaders are making a big sin, a big mistake when they caused this to happen, but us Filipinos would be making a bigger mistake when we allow this to happen.

Who’s Going to Stand Up?

Tskhinvali was literally blazed, Gori was left in ruins, and now Tblisi is in the verge of being attacked by Russian forces as the Eastern European conflict continues to escalate everyday. Georgian reserve forces have already been tapped as counter-defense measures but it still isn’t enough to repel the Russians. This should be the perfect time for the world to step in, but why hasn’t any country intervened?

A Russian soldier fires an RPG to enemy position in an unknown location.

Where is America now? The country that is accountable for shaping up 2/3 of Georgian forces? They haven’t sent a single soldier in the battlefield, instead just cash for the Georgian refugees. And the amount is relatively small considering the number of persons displaced by Russian bombings. Where is the European Union? The so-called “peace keeper” of the European continent? They indeed have sent “forces” but just to cover the peace talks between the two nations and not combat forces that would prevent the two countries to clash and send more people homeless. Australia has sent aid as well but it isn’t enough. Financial aid ISN’T enough. There are already 200,000 persons displaced when the city of Gori was attacked, and it isn’t even a major Georgian city. It’s capital, Tbilisi, is about to be attacked. Now, if an attack on a minor city caused the displacement of that much people how much more, do you think, would be displaced if the capital was to be attacked?

I’m wondering now if technicality really is the reason why no other country has stepped up, or is it because they are just scared? Having a go against Russia would be a gamble to both their economies and their militaries. Face it, Russia is an emerging economy. This is the same situation as the Yom Kippur War, every country wants to help but then the Arabs threatened an oil embargo and they all knew it was gonna hurt like an atom bomb on their economies. It is sad to realize that countries care for their wealth more than people dying. And it is very coincidental that the conflict erupted in the midst of an Olympics that aimed to promote the slogan, “One World”. Time is running out for the people of Georgia, pretty soon the conflict would reach its peak and would send more people homeless. When would the world stand up for what is right rather than for what would benefit them?