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Bombings
Trigger Fears of Filipino Muslims
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Arroyo listens to one of the wounded after a bus explosion in Makati City.
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BY
REXCEL SORZA, IOL Correspondent
ILOILO
CITY, Philippines, February 15 (IslamOnline.net) – A member of the
Philippine Congress Tuesday, February 15, accused operatives of the
Philippine and United States military of staging the bombings in three
Philippine cities Monday that left 11 dead and 130 wounded.
The
bombings did not only draw condemnation across the country, but also
worries, particularly among the Muslim community, as it may renew
police and military raids against innocent Filipino Muslims.
Rep.
Crispin Beltran, a member of the House of Representatives, said the
bombings in Makati City in Metro Manila, and Davao and General Santos
cities in Mindanao, were “too well-coordinated, too-well planned”
that the Abu Sayyaf group which claimed responsibility “could not
have been clever or well-prepared enough to perpetrate such a
well-executed plan of terrorism.”
“It’s
difficult to discount the role of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) in this, or that of the US intelligence and military forces,”
he told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, adding that “hardcore elements in
both parties could well have launched these bombings as part of a plot
to force the public into supporting politically repressive moves.”
Seven
civilians were killed when a bus exploded in the busy Makati City.
Another three died in the compound of a shopping mall General Santos
and a 12-year-old boy was killed in a bus terminal in Davao city.
Claims
The
Abu Sayyaf group (ASG), listed as a terrorist group by the Philippines
and United States, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the
attacks. The Philippine National Police said they are investigating
into the veracity of the claim.
Beltran
said the military logically has the most expertise as well as the
materials, equipment and preparedness to initiate these terrorist
attacks. “If it's not the military and if the ASG was really behind
the bombings - then heads in the military top brass should roll,” he
said.
He
added that US intelligence and military forces “are experts in
sowing political intrigue and launching attacks in countries where the
US has an economic and military agenda. The record of the US in this
sort of thing is dripping with the blood of innocent civilians.”
Purge
Terrorists
Meanwhile,
President Gloria Arroyo Tuesday said the government is pursuing war
against “terrorists” responsible for the Monday bombings as well
as against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, where a skirmish is going on for a
second week now, until the end.
In
an official statement, Arroyo said, “I call on all Filipinos to
unite once more against this renewed threat against our peace and
freedom. The evil of terrorism has only one aim, it is to rule with
absolute power and absolute force. The desperation of the enemy cannot
be underestimated, even as it lies in the throes of defeat.”
She
further acknowledged “the outpouring of sentiments among our Muslim
brethren condemning these despicable acts and rallying the Islamic
community behind peace, tolerance and development.”
Anti-Muslim
Crackdown
The
bombings have raised concerns among the Muslim community, fearing a
repeat of previous witch hunts that followed similar attacks.
Cosain
Naga, Moro Christian Peoples Alliance (MCPA) spokesperson, said, “To
unleash such terror that victimized the innocent is deplorable and
condemnable to the highest degree. Whoever conducted the bombings has
proven that they are not the ‘vanguards of Islam’ that they claim
to be. Instead, they turn out to be an enemy of the people.”
Naga
warned the Arroyo government might use the incident to launch new
crackdowns on Moro [Filipino Muslim] communities both in Metro Manila
and in Mindanao.
“It
is a widely known fact that the military and the police have for many
times wreaked terror in Moro communities in the guise of running after
such bandit groups as the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Pentagon Gang.
“It
is also common knowledge that these operations end up to illegal
detentions, torture, and other cases of harassment mostly among
innocent civilians,” Naga told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, citing
instances in the Basilan crackdown on 2001, which caused more than 100
Moro men, including women to be jailed.
He
added, “We fear that with the ASG’s crimes, our innocent Moro
brothers and sisters will suffer the backlash or retaliation from the
military. Hence, we ask the Arroyo government along with the national
police and military to exercise good judgment and prudence in facing
this matter. Terror will not be solved with terror.”
Another
legislator, Rep. Liza Maza, of the Gabriela Women’s Party, told
IslamOnline.net Tuesday, “We fear that these bombings will be
followed yet again by indiscriminate and unwarranted arrests and
crackdowns on Muslim communities. Worse, this may well be used by the
Arroyo administration to speed up the passage of the proposed
Anti-Terrorism Bill now being crafted in Congress.”
Various
versions of the Anti-Terrorism Bill are being consolidated in on-going
technical working group meetings in the Philippine Congress. An
initial version of the bill expands the surveillance and wire tapping
activities of the police and military.
“The
spate of bombings is no justification for the enactment of a draconian
measure,” Maza said.
According
to the Moro Christian People’s Alliance, the Bangsamoro and the
Filipino people must push the Arroyo government to pursue genuine
peace efforts.
Genuine
Peace Needed
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Arroyo said “there should be no fear of a witch hunt.”
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Cosain
Naga of the MCPO said, “The raging war in Sulu and these series of
bombings root from causes that the government has long failed to
address.
“Unfortunate
it may be to say, we fear that as long as genuine peace efforts are
not shown by the Arroyo administration, there will be no end to the
cyclical pattern of war in Mindanao and to the series of retaliation
attacks from bandit groups which the inutile military and police have
long failed to curb.”
Apparently
anticipating these reactions, President Arroyo said the government is
going to “focus its operations against terrorist cells” and that
“there should be no fear of a witch hunt.”
She
emphasized, it “is not a fight against Islam. This is not a conflict
with the MNLF or the MILF, which are closely keeping to the mainstream
of the peace process. We are dealing with renegades from these two
groups that are abhorred and rejected by them.
“While
keeping terror at bay, we must continue our focus on the economy,
which is central to lifting up the well-being of every Filipino. Our
larger mission is the creation of jobs, cutting wasteful government
spending and investing in our poorest citizens.
“We
must continue to invest in our pro-poor agenda; clamping down on
corruption; weeding out wasteful government spending; and raising
revenues are all key to bringing stability and prosperity to the
nations. As we fight for freedom, so must we fight for the peace and
prosperity of all Filipinos.”
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