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BY SONIA D. DAQUILA
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Monday, June 12, 2017
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TODAY is the 119th Philippine Independence Day. Many lives were laid down in the name of freedom.
Lives are again sacrificed for freedom in Mindanao, our own war. Children are orphaned, mothers widowed and we lost our brothers and friends when our soldiers return home in caskets draped with the Philippine national flag.
War has been raging and the categorical declaration that the war in Marawi would end in three days is a statement of hope for the people caught in the war in Mindanao. It will be dramatic if, indeed, it ends today, June 12, and the Philippine flag raised in the places occupied by the enemies.
The war, however, goes on, becoming even fiercer. The declaration that some places were secured was belied when answered by snipers, instantly killing 13 Philippine marines and many others wounded.
Protean in character, the enemies easily change colors. The Mautes can mingle with the civilians and even pretend as pitiful bakwits, and we may even welcome them. Maute, likewise, uses civilians as human shields.
There are stories of heroism and compassion. There is a heroic suicide commando that has made itself easy target of the enemies yet it risks itself to rescue people trapped in the crossfire, regardless of the victims’ religious persuasions; Muslims too, protect Christians. Soldiers leave their homes for our freedom; and soldiers led to believe that they were in safe zone.
Meanwhile, Luis Jalandoni of the Left stated that “President Duterte is playing with fire” with the event now happening in the country. Undeniably, there is a truism in a biblical passage that, “We cannot keep fire in our breast without burning ourselves.”
The terroristic activities in Mindanao are so well-planned. It is a show of their mastery of The Art of War by Sun Tzu. The book speaks about the fighters knowing themselves first, and knowing their enemies next. They should master the terrain where they shall lure their enemies for fight.
Sun-Tzu speaks of dissimulation. Fighters should pretend that they are near when they are far and seemingly far when they are near. They should know the terrains where they are to fight and fend weak when they are strong, strong when they are weak and strike when the enemies are unprepared.
We have young and brilliant minds in our forces too, and we share our hard-earned money for bullets and more warfare to procure in the form of our taxes and loans from other countries which taxpayers will pay even by our nth generation. What a waste of lives and of property!
It is outrageous watching the video of the terroristic group desecrating religious icons, flaming hatred that can divide the nation further. The war now is in Mindanao, next in Luzon, then in the Visayas?
Daily, we are fed with a large dosage of news on unending killings because of illegal drugs, drugs linked with the war in Mindanao, now the local government officials killed. No one is safe, from the down-trodden to the powerful in this country.
There is no end to reports on millions worth of shabu discovered, no end to apprehensions, prices of commodities rising. Incessant quarrelling among the powerful in government. It goes on and on until we, ourselves, will beg for placing the entire country under martial law for change and to put the country back to order.
One hundred nineteen years passed since we declared we are free. Up to now, we are still seeking for freedom. We need freedom badly. That is, freedom from uncertainty, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. (delsocorrodaquila@mail.com/PN)
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