On the Bangsamoro

If it were up to me I'd grant the Bangsamoro outright independence and not mere autonomy. There has just been so much pain and injustice over the centuries. For them, Manila is an occupying power the way the rest of the Philippines saw Madrid, Washington, or Tokyo.

I'd like the peace talks to prosper just like anyone, but I can't see it happening under these circumstances. Too much bad faith. I'm also not sure if MILF are the right people to be talking with-- they have too little control over BIFF/PAGs/lost command/etc. (not to mention ASG) that a deal with them will not really end any of the hostilities (cf. MNLF 1996). It's not like MILF are the sole representative of the Bangsamoro, even if they fancy themselves to be such.

I say just let them go. Give them the vote. Give them the right to self-determination.

EDSA, This Noble Fight

Arise, you citizens from your slumber!
Arise, you victims of plunder!
For the rot of corruption has reached the core
And immoderate is the greed of the whore.
For we have had enough of this pretender
For we have had too much of this impostor.

So comrades, with us come rally!
And this noble fight let us face
On EDSA be part of the tally
Our fists and arms let us brace!

Arise, you citizens from your slumber!
Arise, you victims of plunder!
The time is now to finish corruption's dread
Let us start by cutting off the serpent's head.
The time is now to wage battle in the streets
And kick the serpent's minions from their seats.

So comrades, with us come rally!
And this noble fight let us face
On EDSA be part of the tally
Our fists and arms let us brace!

Arise, you citizens from your slumber!
Arise, you victims of plunder!
Cower not in your offices and farms
Believe not her lies, bribes, and charms.
Betray not the cause of our motherland
Against this government take a strong stand.

So comrades, with us come rally!
And this noble fight let us face
On EDSA be part of the tally
Our fists and arms let us brace!

Arise, you citizens from your slumber!
Arise, you victims of plunder!
Let our groups' loud collective will prevail
Let our liberation be the fruit of our travail.
Let us, on EDSA, dictate the nation's fate
To us the country's gratitude will be great.

So comrades, with us come rally!
And this noble fight let us face
On EDSA be part of the tally
Our fists and arms let us brace!

---

* Adapted from The Internationale.

Remembering Burma

Gunpowder and teargas, saffron and blood.



Despite the crackdown, brave souls are continuing the fight, albeit covertly. Here's one through a Valentine's Day acrostic.

Lest We Forget

PROCLAMATION No. 1081 September 21, 1972

PROCLAIMING A STATE OF MARTIAL LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES

x x x

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested upon me by Article VII, Section 10, Paragraph ('2) of the Constitution, do hereby place the entire Philippines as defined in Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution under martial law and, in my capacity as their commander-in-chief, do hereby command the armed forces of the Philippines, to maintain law and order throughout the Philippines, prevent or suppress all forms of lawless violence as well as any act of insurrection or rebellion and to enforce obedience to all the laws and decrees, orders and regulations promulgated by me personally or upon my direction.

In addition, I do hereby order that all persons presently detained, as well as all others who may hereafter be similarly detained for the crimes of insurrection or rebellion, and all other crimes and offenses committed in furtherance or on the occasion thereof, or incident thereto, or in connection therewith, for crimes against national security and the law of nations, crimes against public order, crimes involving usurpation of authority, rank, title and improper use of names, uniforms and insignia, crimes committed by public officers, and for such other crimes as will be enumerated in Orders that I shall subsequently promulgate, as well as crimes as a consequence of any violation of any decree, order or regulation promulgated by me personally or promulgated upon my direction shall be kept under detention until otherwise ordered re- leased by me or by my duly designated representative.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

Done in the City of Manila, this 21st day of September, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy two.

FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines

Terrorism and Armed Resistance

The Philippine Congress just passed the "Human Security Act of 2007", otherwise known as the anti-terrorism bill. According to the Inquirer, it defines terrorism as "those crimes committed with the purpose of sowing and creating widespread and extraordinary fear and panic in order to coerce the government to give in to an unlawful demand". Moreover, the report says, the list of crimes includes "piracy in general, mutiny in the high seas, rebellion, coup d’etat, murder, kidnapping, destruction of property through arson, highway robbery, hijacking, and illegal possession of firearms and explosives".

I will not tackle here the government's propensity to use the law to stifle legitimate opposition-- that issue has been adequately argued by many groups. My problem with this law is that it does not distinguish between legitimate acts of war (or insurgency) and terrorism. It does not distinguish between attacks on military or police installations and attacks on civilians.

Now, I'm not advocating the use of arms against the State (I'll tackle that in another post), but I don't agree that all forms of armed resistance should be clumped as terrorism. Under the above definition, the Katipunan was a terrorist group and the Storming of Bastille was a terrorist act.

Here is how I define terrorism: The use of violence on civilian populations or installations for political ends. By civilian, I mean those not directly involved with the State's apparatus for the use of force; i.e., miltary, police, intelligence operatives, defense departments, and top government officials. Thus, Hezbollah offensives on IDF camps are not acts of terrorism, but Katyusha rocket attacks into Haifa are. Israel's boming of Hezbollah camps is not terrorism, but its carpet bombing of Tyre is. NPA attacks on AFP detachments are not terrorist acts, but those on cell sites and passenger buses are. The AFP's shelling of rebel camps is not terrorism, but hamletting of villages is.

Armed resistance, under certain conditions, can be justified; terrorist acts, under any condition, can not.