December 08, 2009 20:12:00
ON behalf of all loving and God-fearing people from Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, we condemn the people who committed the barbaric act of killing defenseless men and women, including journalists, in Maguindanao last Nov. 23.
This incident is a wake-up call to all concerned namely:
1. Malacañang—as an appointing authority.
2. The military and the police—for allowing themselves to be used by politicians and warlords who are close to Malacañang, just to protect their personal interests and their ranks.
3. The Commission on Elections—for assigning partisan officers to those provinces.
Last Oct. 20, 2009, during the registration of voters in one of the Sulu towns, a massacre could have happened if cooler heads had not intervened. The witnesses swear in their affidavits that there was a private army of more than 100 men (armed with mortars, bazookas and machine guns and M203s), led by a certain Hadji Peping Halun of Barangay Pitogo. Reportedly, it was ordered by Rep. Munir Arbison to go to Barangay Karungdong to snatch the Comelec machine used for registration; they threatened to massacre all civilians (about 80 men and women), if they insisted on continuing with the registration. A case against the members of this private army is now pending in one of the local courts in Sulu.
Malacañang should move now and direct the military to investigate and verify this incident and to demand the surrender of all the firearms in the hands of private armies—for permit and license verification, otherwise the authorities should confiscate them all. The military can take the lead by inviting Halun for inquest.
Also according to reports, Representative Arbison’s armory is now as “heavy” as the Ampatuans.’ The arrogance of Arbison and his outlaws is mind-boggling and causes sleepless nights among civilians in this part of the country.
Let us not wait for another massacre to happen or for a clan war to erupt in this part of Mindanao. While there’s still time, Malacañang should order the military, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police to swiftly act on the problem, now, so people in these areas will not have to worry anymore about private armies on top of another barbaric group, the Abu Sayyaf.
—JUAN A. DIAZ,
Juan.diaz196@yahoo.com
