IF demoralization is sweeping the Armed Forces, there is no one to be blamed but the commander in chief himself.

Thus said Lakas-Kampi-CMD Rep. Maria Milagros Magsaysay of Zambales even as she scored President Aquino for prejudging the military in favor of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the ambush in Al-Barka, Basilan, that resulted in the death of 19 Army soldiers, four of whom are officers.

Magsaysay also assailed the sacking of the commander of Special Operations Task Force Basilan, Col. Alexander Macario, and the Army spokesman, Col. Antonio Parlade Jr., for allegedly issuing unnecessary statements drawn from their own personal opinion, which she said only added insult to injury.

“Why sack them when they are just expressing their constructive opinion? Mas nakakaalam sila sa mga pangyayari dahil sundalo sila. Our soldiers should be given support and gratitude for defending our country. Disappointment and blame are misplaced,” Magsaysay said.

“Compounding the fact is the President’s public expression of displeasure over the military for its involvement in the clash, without first knowing what led to the encounter in the first place. It would seem that this early, the President has already made a prejudgment in favor of the MILF,” she added.

Magsaysay said the President issued these statements without factoring in reports that Abu Sayyaf bandits may have been working together with the MILF to stage the assault or the military’s account that they were overwhelmed by the separatist rebels.

 

Soldiers as sitting ducks

MAGSAYSAY said everybody wants peace but “making our soldiers sitting ducks, no!”

“We all want peace in Mindanao but those who are responsible for the deaths should be held accountable to give justice to those who were slain by this blatant violation of the cease-fire.”

Magsaysay lamented that instead of giving his soldiers moral support, the commander in chief was the one causing them to have low morale.

“As commander in chief, ikaw dapat ang nagpapalakas ng loob ng mga sundalo mo, hindi iyong ikaw pa ang pinanggagalingan ng kahinaan ng loob,” said Magsaysay.

Pro-administration Sen. Franklin Drilon, however, backed Mr. Aquino’s rejection of calls for an all-out war against the MILF, saying a peaceful solution to the conflict is the long-standing answer to ensure peace in Mindanao.

“I fully support the President in his decision to thumb down proposals to scrap the peace process and wage an all-out war against the MILF owing to what happened recently which killed several soldiers,” Drilon said.

He suggested that “the government must exhaust all means to pursue peace process with the MILF.” He also asked the public to support the President in his decision to continue with the peace process.

Saying Mr. Aquino will exercise strong political will in pursuing a lasting peace in the region, Drilon appealed for support for the President.

“We believe that in time, we will succeed in our efforts to attain peace,” he said, even as he noted that “the path to a lasting peace is treacherous but achievable if all government efforts are focused on it.”

 

Educational benefits

SENATE President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada is pushing for the early passage of a bill that will ensure educational benefits for orphaned children of soldiers and policemen who die in the line of duty, including those killed in recent clashes with Moro rebels in Mindanao.

Under Senate Bill 753 introduced by Estrada, minor children of members of the Armed Forces and of the National Police who are killed by insurgents or slain in the line of duty shall be entitled to benefits which include tuition and allowances for books, school supplies, transportation, clothing and food.

“The death of a soldier or a policeman does not only mean that the country lost one of its brave warriors and defenders. It also means the loss of a father or a mother. The tragedy continues on to his or her children, who may have to stop schooling due to the breadwinner’s demise. The soldier’s or policeman’s poor family is pushed deeper into poverty, and this is because that gallant soldier or policeman put his life on the line for the sake of the country,” Estrada explained.

The proposed educational benefits shall cover school-aged children whose father or mother died prior to and upon the approval of the bill.

Estrada’s bill also provides that beneficiaries who reach the age of majority while enjoying the benefits but have not completed their secondary education shall continue to be entitled to the benefits until they complete the secondary education.

“Such assistance is a small token a government can offer the family of patriotic agents of national defense and public safety,” Estrada added. “This is in recognition of their contribution to preserving the national integrity and security of the country.”

He acknowledged that while a financial grant “cannot match their priceless act of sacrifice, it intends to secure their family’s welfare even when they are gone.”

 

Groups back peace process with MILF

CHRISTIAN and Muslim multisectoral and cause-oriented groups, including representatives of the Quezon City government, conducted the “Solidarity Barefoot for Peace’’ calling for support for the continuing peace process between the government and the MILF.

Walking barefooted with thousands of peace advocates, former Party-list Rep. Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel of Akbayan said “peace is the only option’’ stressing that an all-out call for war is counterproductive that will do more harm for humanity.

She cited President Aquino’s firm perspective on the resumption of the peace talks between the MILF and government peace panels despite being heavily criticized for his alleged “soft stance’’ in the wake of the recent Basilan ambush where 19 soldiers were killed by MILF rebels and their allies.

Baraquel condemned the ruthless killings of the soldiers but maintained that the MILF and the government should conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the masterminds and perpetrators of the “merciless butchery.’’

Former Party-list Rep. Mujiv Hataman of Anak Mindanao noted that “emotions should not rule over reason’’ in unjustly declaring all-out war against the MILF until the brains behind the murder are positively identified.

Hataman noted that millions of pesos are wasted in unnecessary clashes stressing that the money is better of used in the delivery of basic services like the relocation of squatter families.

Supporters of Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte and Councilor Rannie Ludovica expressed support and jubilation for Hataman’s call stressing that the money spent for war should just be diverted in the government’s meager resources.

Karen Tañada of the Mindanao Solidarity Network in Metro Manila said even former strongman President Ferdinand Marcos who opted to engage in all-out war against the MILF failed miserably, stating that after more than 40 years the government is still at war with the MILF. (With Nonoy Lacza)

In Photo: Members of several groups advocating peace in Mindanao walk barefoot in Quezon City to press their call for the continuation of negotiations between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the government.