Under P-Noy, soldiers have no human rights!

I’ve been an anti-communist ever since I began writing columns and that’s with the blessings of my mentor and friend, the late Sir Max Soliven, publisher of The Philippine STAR, because he told me once that the Communist Party of the Philippines, the National Democratic Front and the New People’s Army (CPP-NDF-NPA) had more friends in the media than enemies. But he advised me further to “watch my back.” Sir Max told me that he was close to the late President Ramon Magsaysay Jr. who, when he was defense secretary, stopped the Hukbalahaps on their tracks.

But if there has been a resurgence of the communist insurgency that led to the senseless killings, ambuscades and assassinations of Filipino civilians and soldiers, it is due to the fact that we Filipinos never solve the problems that plague our country, whether it is corruption, ugly politics or the communist insurgency. That is why the Philippines has been left behind in Asia or even by our ASEAN neighbors. Until and unless we make a serious effort or commitment to solve the issues that plague us as a nation, we shall always be the laughingstock in Asia.

It is for this reason that I was very skeptical when the Aquino administration made a lot of hoopla with the ceasefire arrangement it signed with the CPP-NDF-NPA just a week ago. Elated with this new ceasefire agreement, NDF chairman Luis Jalandoni came home supposedly to be present and available for the peace talks with the Philippine government.

But this Christmas ceasefire, which was supposed to commence last Dec. 16, was suddenly marred by the ambush killing by the NPA of some 10 soldiers and a nine-year-old boy on Dec. 15 in Barangay Sta. Fe in Samar. The soldiers who came from the 63rd Infantry Battalion were on their way to their patrol base to observe the Christmas holidays, which included the ceasefire with the communist rebels. Perhaps they were no longer on the alert knowing that the ceasefire was to happen the very next day. Now the families of the fallen soldiers won’t be having a happy Christmas because these soldiers were killed in a very treacherous ambush by the NPA.

I’m sure that the CPP-NDF-NPA would be quick to say that this incident happened a day before the ceasefire started, so there was no violation of the ceasefire. But in my book, it is plain and simple treachery. The NPA did this because now they would task the P-Noy government to keep their side of the bargain in the ceasefire.

As if on cue, Malacañang immediately issued condolences to the families of the 10 dead soldiers. However, the communiqué added that the Philippine government would still honor its ceasefire agreement with the CPP-NDF-NPA. Wow! This means there would be no “hot pursuit” operations against the killers! What gets me in the gut is that Malacañang did not even condemn the killings of our soldiers! Mr. President, our soldiers are not dogs, they are human beings and they have been unjustly murdered!

In my book, President P-Noy, as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), is duty-bound to help and support these men under arms. What P-Noy ought to do is cancel the ceasefire only in Samar, until the NPA rebels are routed or killed! This is the right thing to do and if I were the President of this country, this is exactly what I would do and I dare say that any military commander worth his salt would do the same thing!

If 10 men were ambushed and killed by armed men in Cebu, there is no doubt that the Philippine National Police (PNP) would immediately conduct “hot pursuit” operations to go after and bring those killers to justice. Unfortunately, Filipino soldiers have “lesser or no human rights” and therefore they cannot avail themselves of justice when they are killed!

I really don’t know where the Aquino government is headed, but a few columns ago, we expressed our outrage when President P-Noy order the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release the “Morong 43” and worse, he also ordered the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate the arresting military officers. But we know too well that at least five of those in the Morong 43 admitted that they were card-bearing members of the NPA. This means that the soldiers merely did the job that they were assigned to do.

Then just a couple of days ago, Makati Regional Trial Court Judge Oscar Pimentel decided to defer his verdict on the Oakwood mutiny case because of the amnesty proclamation of President P-Noy. Indeed after more than seven years in court, this case is considered moot and academic. That means Sen. Antonio Trillanes is “off the hook.” Wow! That Makati coup never happened? It was a dream? This is why peace in this country is but an impossible dream because even the President of this country cannot see it fit to fight for his fallen soldiers! –Bobit S. Avila (The Philippine Star)