TIME TO BURST THOSE INFLATED EGOS

The situation in Zamboanga have kept the whole nation perturbed for the past days. We are all praying for a peaceful negotiation to end this crisis. Everyday we wake up anxious to find out if a truce had finally been declared between the two adversaries.

It is so sad to see our men in uniform taking an offensive and risking their lives for the country. What makes the situation even worse, is the scarcity of food allotted for them. It was so depressing to see a picture of three soldiers sharing a meal consisting of one cup of rice and a piece of dried fish (tuyo). Our gratitude goes to good Samaritans out there for donating food for our soldiers. Such is the sad plight of our soldiers, while those in the top brass of the AFP wallow in luxury. ( I wonder what happened to the Garcia and Ligot cases.)

A possible ceasefire could have taken place yesterday, but failed to materialize due to lack of proper coordination and communication, so the government claims. Was such really the case, or was it because the people in charge of the situation and negotiation simply did not want to be outshone by the other? Was it because they belong to different political parties, not to mention that the top two protagonists have set their sights on the 2016 Presidential election?

Does it really matter who will emerge as the hero in the eyes of the people, or is it more important to save lives? After all, the number one criterion is that the negotiator must be someone the MNLF trusts. It could be you, me or an ordinary Juan dela Cruz. We are talking about lives here. What makes it doubly sad is that it is a case of Filipinos pitted against fellow Filipinos. We must remember that the MNLF maybe our antagonists here but they are Filipinos just the same, much more human beings too. We must try to save as much lives as we can regardless of whether they are on our side or on the other side of the fence.

I am sure both the government troops and the rebels do not want to be in this situation either. They also long for peace, but they have no choice but to obey orders from their commanders just like good soldiers do.

To our leaders in government, it is time to make a stand and burst your inflated egos. Put aside your political differences and ambitions for a while, and make saving lives your top priority. Give way to whoever is the better peace negotiator, so once and for all a ceasefire can be declared in the earliest time possible. Time is of the essence and we can no longer afford to lose more lives, be those of our soldiers, rebels and more importantly, innocent civilians.