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On
August 11, Monday, around 4 p.m., a group of activists,
obviously leftists, suddenly appeared outside the main
gate of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and started a
rally denouncing the alleged incarceration of one of
them.
As I
always do in similar situations, I invited their leaders
to come to my office to dialogue and see if we can
agree, or agree to disagree. It took about an hour for
them to decide whether to accept my invitation, as they
insisted that they need their lawyer to accompany them.
Finally,
they consented to see me without a lawyer to oversee the
dialogue. Through our conversation, I learned that their
immediate concern, and which is also the subject of
their rally, was the fact that one their leaders, who
was charged with murder in Leyte, was captured and
jailed in a Camp Crame detention cell and was later
transferred to the Manila City Jail. They claimed that
the transfer was a violation of their leader’s human
rights.
I
immediately made some inquiries with the officials of
Camp Crame and I was informed that the transfer of the
prisoner was made by virtue of a court order. I conveyed
this fact to the leaders of the activists who were in my
office and explained that the issue is beyond my control
and my jurisdiction, and that the DOJ has nothing to do
with this affair.
They
appeared satisfied with my explanation and thanked me
for the attention I gave them, to which I said that I am
always open to dialogue with anyone who has grievances
against the government in order to clear the air and get
at the core of the issues. They seemed pacified.
However,
after a few minutes, they merely resumed their rally
outside the gates of the DOJ, which, to me, is already
ridiculous, considering the circumstances after the
dialogue to which they have expressed full appreciation
of the facts.
So what
have I learned from this incident?
That
these leftists can never accept an explanation from the
government? That it is useless to dialogue with them?
That it is a waste of time giving them the opportunity
to air their grievances, inviting them for a dialogue
and explaining to them the facts of their case,
enlightening them of the cause of their troubles? That,
after all the trouble we go through in clearing the
issues and thanking us for the time and the opportunity
to get their message across, they just continue their
harangue outside the gates anyway?
Yes, it
is quite clear that the activists appeared to have
finally understood the facts of the case and the reasons
their leader is under detention, and also why he was
moved from Crame to the city jail. They manifested
genuine concern for their comrade but were also thankful
that they were given the time and opportunity to air
their grievances despite the lack of prior arrangement,
and are thankful, too, that the government is after all,
open to such dialogue despite their obvious apprehension
in eyeballing the secretary of Justice. Clearly, they
were relieved when they finally left my office.
What I
learned is that it was another matter when they returned
to their comrades and received new orders, after which
they resumed their rally as though nothing happened. Who
are giving them instructions? Who are the puppets, and
who are the puppeteers?
****
Incidentally, among the most hard-hit areas in North
Cotabato, which Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
forces invaded in violation of the ceasefire agreement,
are towns and barangays in and around the municipality
of Aleosan.
This
town is peopled by 95-percent Ilonggos coming from the
towns of Alimodian, Leon and San Miguel in the province
of Iloilo whose ancestors migrated to Mindanao and
resettled in that area of North Cotabato decades
earlier. The early settlers were so fond of their roots
that they christened their new town Aleosan from the
first syllables of their hometowns: A from Alimodian,
LEO from Leon, and SAN from San Miguel.
Are
these peaceful Ilonggos who thought they could build
better lives in Mindanao now victims of what appears to
be a Muslim deception?
It is
fortunate that our military and police promptly launched
a military offensive against these renegade MILF
elements, and as of noon on August 12, most of the areas
which suffered the brunt of Muslim aggression were
recaptured and are now under the control of government
forces. I hope it will not reach a situation where our
Christian brothers will be driven to take up arms in
defense of home and family. |
