Kaban ni D_BystandeR: WALAY KATAPOSAN ANG KAGULIYANG SA MINDANAO???

For more than 100,000 people affected by this conflict and the ensuing problem of relocation that these people now face, what comes in the hindsight is the irony of the logic behind that "drastic decision" to declare war instead of talking about how to settle it with "cooler heads." The loss of lives which appeared to be a "one-sided battle" with majority of those killed labeled as MNLF rebel forces and those caught alive as "rebel captives" and with only a handful of government forces whose lives were offered in the altar for "ultimate sacrifice" in that conflict, maybe Pres.

Aquino III can now take his time easy to rest satisfactorily in the comfort of Malacanang Palace while leaving behind him the lives of civilian populace of Zamboanga City who have become the unwilling victims of war which he left at the mercy of the Army and other government authorities entrusted with the  mission to undertake the continuing "clearing operation" (house-to-house) against the perceived remaining individuals holed up in some pocket areas believed to be allied to the MNLF ideology. The main goal is to totally eliminate whatever kind of resistance is left in order to finally obtain the elusive peace. But the kind of peace the Army wants could be different from what the civilians would have preferred if only they were given the chance to participate in arrivingat a lasting and peaceful solution to the problem.

The chaos that the people now felt in their midst cannot be sufficiently solved to match with the "billions of pesos" that Malacanang has earmarked for the reconstruction of Zamboanga City and the rebuilding of their lives as expected to rise from the "ashes of war." In all instances, the response of the Aquino administration to that problem is no different from the one it has earlier shown when faced with the problem of a "pocket of armed group" brought about by the Sulu Sultan's insistence to invoke his historical rights to regain their lost possession of an area in North Borneo after finding out the government had allowed its historical claim to that piece of land to lay dormant for several years. That costly war now cannot be fathomed in its depth in terms of the damage incurred to their economy and its social well-being and, most importantly, its lasting effect to the lives of the people of Zamboanga City which is immeasurably affected and only those with "sick minds" could afford to think of imposing it to the poor people of that city. People who take their roots peacefully in that part of this country starting from the time of their great grandparents who learned to co-exist with our Muslim brothers have only nothing left for them but to sigh in utter frustration and to exclaim with disbelief how they could lose the treasured peace and tranquility of their place in so short a time.

With no end in sight for that conflict to end, the Aquino administration seemed to be contented with the declaration of Secretary of National Defense Voltaire Gazmin to announce a "Mission Accomplished" perhaps to justify their use of fighter planes in what they called a "calibrated move" of intensifying its action in its desire to "finish the job as early as possible." But after the lapse of twenty days people are still not allowed to go back to their place of abode and talk about relocating them to other places has been met with "cold shoulders" by the inhabitants who would prefer to go back to their place of origin if only they want to survive the economic difficulties they now face. Expecting to have peace through the "barrel of the gun" is hard to succeed as the Muslims are believed to be historically a bunch of staunchest freedom loving people who are not afraid to face bayonets in exchange of their "untarnished interpretation" of peace over anything else.

(Bug-os ang  pasalamat sa KAHAYAG ngadto sa magtatampo  nga si JOHNNY LOVE. Nagtakuban siya sa pangalan, "D_BystandeR".  Natawo siya sa Sugbo apan anaa na karon manimuyo sa Illinois sa tinipong nasod sa Amerika. Ang kusog nga koneksyon sa kasayuran pinaagi sa internet kanunayng naghaling sa iyang kadasig  pagtuki sa mga nagbukalbukal nga hisgutanan dinhi sa atong nataran. Usa siya ka magsusulat nga gradwado sa kursong komersiyo padulong sa pagka accountant sa University of San Carlos kaniadtong tuig 1961.  Nahimo siyang miyembro sa usa ka hugpong sa mga batan-ong magsusulat nga gitawag ug STUDENT PRESS.  Nahimo usab siyang   Associate Editor sa basahon  USC-JPIAN sa tuig 1962-63. Magtatampo usab siya isip magsusulat sa nasudnong magasin,  "Philippines Free Press" ug sa mga nag-unang peryodiko dinhi sa dakbayan sa Sugbo sa lunhaw pa ang iyang pangedaron. Nahimo siyang mamumuo sa usa ka pribadong kompaniya sa dakbayan sa Sugbo, ESCAÑO LINES, sulod sa napulo ug duha (12) ka tuig  dayon niyang tapon  ngadto sa NAPOCOR  ug nahimong kawani sa kagamhanan  sulod sa bayente dos (22) ka tuig. Niadtong tunga-tungang bahin sa tuig 2000, nilalin siya ngadto sa tinipong nasod sa Amerika ug sulod sa napulo (10) ka tuig, nagtrabaho siya sa  buhatan sa kagamhanan sa nasod sama  sa  UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE (USPS).  Karon sa pangedaron nga 68,  gihuptan gihapon niya ang walay pagkutat nga kadasig ug walay busganan nga kaikag sa pagpaambit sa iyang nahuptang abilidad  ug kabatid sa panulat.  Dili niya mapugngan ang kaugalingon sa pagpaambit sa iyang mga hunahuna labi na kon molambigit kini ug hisgotanan nga makadani sa iyang mga mata. Makadawat siya sa inyong mga hunahuna mahitungod sa iyang sinulat sa johnnylobedica@yahoo.com)