THE recent violent incidents in Jolo, Sulu and the confusing statements of military and civilian officials about the current situation crystallize how far the nation remains from achieving true peace and stability in our historic Sulu archipelago.
The situation exploded first on Monday, August 24 when two bomb explosions struck Jolo, killing several soldiers and wounding other military personnel and civilians despite the ongoing tight security being enforced by the military in the province because of persistent threats and attacks by Abu Sayyaf militants.
Reacting to the incident, Army chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana quickly declared that he would recommend the declaration of martial law (ML) as well as a state of emergency in Sulu to suppress the movements of terrorists within the province. He underscored the “substantial gains” of security forces in recent months such as the reduction of kidnap victims from 54 to three as well as the surrender of more than a hundred Abu Sayyaf Group rebels to the authorities.
The Philippine National Police, which has supervision and control of the Police in Sulu, quickly endorsed Sobejana’s martial-law scheme for establishing normality in the province.
By Sunday, however, Sobejana had dramatically changed his mind. He withdrew his planned recommendation to the President to declare martial law in Sulu, saying that there could be better options to end terrorist attacks in the area.
In a statement to the media, he said, “I dropped my recommendation for ML declaration over Sulu despite the turmoil as there might be other better options.”
“Besides, I always give due respect to the wisdom of our national leadership and the sentiment of the general public, but I felt it appropriate to share with you that the military had displayed utmost professionalism and maturity during our ML implementation in Sulu when I was the JTF (Joint Task Force) Sulu Commander in 2017,” he added.
(President Rodrigo Duterte had placed the whole of Mindanao under martial law when the terrorist Maute group laid siege to Marawi City in 2017. The Mindanao-wide martial law took effect for 60 days and ended on Dec. 31, 2019 after being extended twice by Congress.)
On Sunday, August 30, President Duterte visited the troops of the Army’s 11th Infantry Division in Jolo to assess the situation personally and condole with the families of the victims.
As what was only to be expected, he brought with him a grim message and a stern warning. He admonished that if rebel groups cannot or will not settle for peace with the government, state forces would intensify their efforts until all the troops and fighters die.
He issued this statement during the awarding of medals to the wounded soldiers of Joint Task Force Sulu: “If we cannot really agree, then we fight. And we fight hard hanggang magkaubusan na (until all our forces are depleted). Maybe by that time, kung ubos na ang lahat, wala nang giyera (if there are no more fighters, then perhaps there will be no more fighting),” he added.
Duterte admitted that resolving the Muslim insurgency presents a difficult challenge to the government. He said he is unsure about what he can do to solve the problem in his remaining years in office.
He reflected that it may take more than a generation to do this.
When we reflect on the history of violence and insurgency in the Philippine south, including Sulu, it is difficult to avoid the thought that government policy towards the Muslim insurgency has not been effective and could even be cross-eyed.
During the term of former president Fidel V. Ramos, the government negotiated the peace settlement that led to the establishment of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which installed Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chieftain Nur Misuari, a native of Sulu and a tribesman of the Tausug, as chairman of the ARMM.
Under President Duterte, the government pursued the peace agreement initiated by his predecessor with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that established the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which installed former rebel leaders of the MILF at the helm of the BARMM.
It does not take military science to see that forging a separate peace, each with the MNLF and with the MILF, makes no strategic sense in ending an insurgency.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/09/01/opinion/editorial/jolo-situation-underscores-folly-of-forging-separate-peace-pacts-with-muslim-insurgents/761898/
“Besides, I always give due respect to the wisdom of our national leadership and the sentiment of the general public, but I felt it appropriate to share with you that the military had displayed utmost professionalism and maturity during our ML implementation in Sulu when I was the JTF (Joint Task Force) Sulu Commander in 2017,” he added.
(President Rodrigo Duterte had placed the whole of Mindanao under martial law when the terrorist Maute group laid siege to Marawi City in 2017. The Mindanao-wide martial law took effect for 60 days and ended on Dec. 31, 2019 after being extended twice by Congress.)
On Sunday, August 30, President Duterte visited the troops of the Army’s 11th Infantry Division in Jolo to assess the situation personally and condole with the families of the victims.
As what was only to be expected, he brought with him a grim message and a stern warning. He admonished that if rebel groups cannot or will not settle for peace with the government, state forces would intensify their efforts until all the troops and fighters die.
He issued this statement during the awarding of medals to the wounded soldiers of Joint Task Force Sulu: “If we cannot really agree, then we fight. And we fight hard hanggang magkaubusan na (until all our forces are depleted). Maybe by that time, kung ubos na ang lahat, wala nang giyera (if there are no more fighters, then perhaps there will be no more fighting),” he added.
Duterte admitted that resolving the Muslim insurgency presents a difficult challenge to the government. He said he is unsure about what he can do to solve the problem in his remaining years in office.
He reflected that it may take more than a generation to do this.
When we reflect on the history of violence and insurgency in the Philippine south, including Sulu, it is difficult to avoid the thought that government policy towards the Muslim insurgency has not been effective and could even be cross-eyed.
During the term of former president Fidel V. Ramos, the government negotiated the peace settlement that led to the establishment of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which installed Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chieftain Nur Misuari, a native of Sulu and a tribesman of the Tausug, as chairman of the ARMM.
Under President Duterte, the government pursued the peace agreement initiated by his predecessor with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that established the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which installed former rebel leaders of the MILF at the helm of the BARMM.
It does not take military science to see that forging a separate peace, each with the MNLF and with the MILF, makes no strategic sense in ending an insurgency.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/09/01/opinion/editorial/jolo-situation-underscores-folly-of-forging-separate-peace-pacts-with-muslim-insurgents/761898/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.