The Manila Times
Saturday, 12 December 2009 21:57
IF the Philippines continues to have its record of massacres like the in Maguindanao last month and the extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances don’t stop—there is a distinct possibility it will be on the list of “failed states” annually reported by the Fund for Peace’s Failed States Index which is published by Foreign Policy magazine.
A failed state has several attributes. Common indicators include the following.
The state’s central government is so weak or ineffective that it has little practical control over much of its territory. It cannot adequately provide services. There is widespread corruption and criminality. There are many refugees from parts of the country to another and involuntary movement of populations. There is sharp economic decline.
The Failed States Index has been coming out annually since 2005 in Foreign Policy.
Right now, the Philippines in the second category of “Warning” states.
We are after all far from having all the bad characteristics of a really weak state. In fact we improved by 7 points from 2008.
But incidents like the Maguindanao massacre will likely push us down.
The 2009 Index’s failed states (Alert! category) are (from order of failure): Somalia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Guinea, Pakistan, Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, Myanmar, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, North Korea, Yemen, Bangladesh, East Timor, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Niger, Burundi, Nepal, Camerron, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Lebanon, Republic of the Congo, Uzbekistan, Sierra Leone, Georgia, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Tajikistan and Iran.
A worldwide list of the bloodiest incidents, now include the Ampatuan massacre.
Among the worst mass killing in the Philippines are:
The Balanginga massacre of a whole American camp by Filipino patriots and the retaliation by Gen. “Howling” Jack Smith in which all adults were killed and Samar was turned into a “howling wildness.”
The Lapiang Malaya massacre in Pasay in 1967.
The Escalante, Negros Occidental massacre owing to labor unrest, in September 1984.
The Mendiola massacre of militant peasants for land reform in 1987.
The 1987 Lupao, Nueva Ecija massacre during a military operation against the National People’s Army (NPA).
http://www.manilatimes.net
