MILF: Editorial -- Seeing evil always

Editorial posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Mar 19): Editorial -- Seeing evil always

Four columnists of The Manila Times, including at times it editorial writer have always seen evils in Moros, Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the peace process in general, and Benigno Aquino III. We are already beginning to doubt whether they are still professing Christians, otherwise, they will be guided by what the Bible had said: “”Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God.”

The latest of such unrestrained tongue-lashings was hurled against Prof. Miriam Ferrer-Coronel and Chairman Mohagher Iqbal when they attended a forum on the Bangsamoro and Cordillera Peace Processes on March 9 at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). (Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan also attended). It was described by editorial of the Manila Times on March 13 as “a treason for politicising the military’.

Are the two peace-makers so powerful speakers that they can convince the people running the PMA and its cadets --- and defile the institution --- in just one visit?

If the GPH-MILF peace process had reached this point of almost complete success, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have supported it and played their shares exceptionally well. In fact, four of the 11 government chief peace negotiators were military men.

It is not our policy to hit back every time people wrong us. We are not vindictive and spiteful. We value much the merits of patience, resiliency, and perseverance, but surely we never had embraced negative passivity. We also know how to use stone if hit by stone (but Islam asks us to better pardon).

We think it is time for the management of The Manila Times to restrain the excesses of the four columnists and editorial writer. We are not afraid to be criticised, because, first, we are not perfect, and, second, no one including the Prophets can please everybody, and third, there are people who are genetically already anti-peace or war-thirsty.  Even in the past, as it is now, people continue to rebel against God. So, who are we to be spared of such criticisms?

But the four columnists seemed to have developed a negative and twisted logic if the issues involved are the Moros, BBL, peace process, and the Aquino family. They have never treated in their writings these issues with objectivity, as good journalists are morally bound. They seem to have been controlled by their hatred if not outright bigotry (or they are being for it). Even without mentioning their names, only by their initials: FP, FT, RT, and HA, people will know them.  FT read the declaration of Martial Law in September 1972 and active member of the Opus Dei, an ultra-conservative Christian group; RT was formerly a communist, who learned that the enemy of your enemy is your friend but seemed to have forgotten all those MTT teachings and learned to worship only one woman whom he served during her presidency; FP, not much is known of him, except that the picture he used in his column does not reflect his real age; and HA was once arrested for trying to blackmail a Japanese businessman for four million dollars.

Criticism can only be much appreciated or valid if the one criticising is free from the faults they are seeing in others. Remember also that pointing two accusing fingers at a person, three fingers are pointing back at the accuser.

http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php/editorial/25-january-16-23/637-seeing-evil-always