A Fresh Look: Readings in the History of Mindanao

Philippine American Commentary is taking a fresh look at the historical record in Mindanao. Too much of what passes for the history of that troubled island that in our mass media is uncritically accepted as true but is actually merely "politically correct." This first reading is from Thomas McKenna, Muslim Rulers and Rebels (Everyday Politics and Armed Separatism in Southern Philippines, Chapter 3), Anvil Publishing House, Copyright 1998, Regents of the University of California.

Islamic Rule in Cotabato (read by Dean Jorge Bocobo)

European Impositions and the Myth of Morohood (read by Dean Jorge Bocobo)

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INGRID BETANCOURT'S dramatic rescue from Colombian terrorists has electrified the world. Her 2,321 days in jungle captivity certainly dwarves Ces Drilon's 10 days in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf though we must certainly be even more concerned now for those four Basilan Electric Cooperative employees still being held by the Abus and likely to be beheaded unless they are similarly rescued. But the fact that no one now even seems to care about the latter just goes to show the hypocrisy and moral inconsistency of the local media. There's hardly a peep about these latest captives now, no hand-wringing editorials or bleeding heart opinion columns, as compared to the round-the-clock coverage of Ces Drilon's kidnapping. So much for the public's right to know the dedication of Commercial journalism to it.

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MISSIONARY GRACIA BURNHAM, who was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf and held with her husband and several others by the Abu Sayyaf for over a year in 2002, told her story again on Larry King Live today. Martin Burnham was killed during the rescue gunbattle, whose ineptness compares badly to Betancourt's impeccable rescue. She now lives in Kansas.

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LIBEL IS JOURNALISTIC MALPRACTICE: Repeated calls to decriminalize libel in the Philippines are made by the same exact people who would not support the same thing for medical malpractice. Yet the reputation and honor of a person is as unrecoverable as a life or limb irresponsibly snuffed out by a medical malpractitioner. If anything criminal sanctions against libelers in the Press ought to be increased considering how often the pen is used like a sword or blunt weapon by extortionists and blackmailers disguised as journalists. Amando Doronila of the Philippine Daily Innuendo claims that the Courts have handed the Press a major setback with decisions like that convicting Ninez Cacho Olivarez of libel, and the recent Manila Pen decision. Yet how many thousands of libel cases has the Press gotten away scot free on compared to the one or two where they don't.

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MILF to peace groups: "Don't bother us while we are making war!" What they really want is a 1000-barangay ransom reward for holding the whole country hostage all these years, just like the MNLF and Nur Misuari got. It's time to put the MILF and the MNLF on the US, EU and United Nations terrorist list (since the Philippines' Human Security Act is worthless piece of junk, being more like a Terrorist Bill of Rights than anything else.)

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The Convenors of the Black & White Movement have never quite understood why the mighty force of People Power did not long ago topple Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, even though the scandals and corruption in her administration make Joseph Estrada look like saint. But that won't keep them from rubbing the lamp ever more vigorously in hopes a Genie will come out. They cannot accept the fact that it was the Edsa Dos Coup d'etat that Davide, Reyes, GMA and they accomplished which killed the democracy restored at Edsa One (such as it was!). You can't fool the people all the time, guyz and galz! At least Erap knew what to do with Camp Abubakr...