The war that refuses to go away
THE
BATTLE for control of Marawi City has been going on for a month already, and there is still no end in sight despite the assurances from the Duterte administration and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). It could be remembered that around 87.55 square kilometers. the armed clashes erupted May It has 96 barangays. It is said to be 23 when a joint operation by the the least populated of the highly AFP and Philippine National Police urbanized cities in the country. ( PNP) to capture terrorist leader Marawi City has the second smallest IsnilonHapilon, who is said to be the land area in Lanao del Sur province. leader of the Islamic State or ISIS in Thus, it is a riddle why the Southeast Asia, was met by heavy thousands of AFP troops, with a gunfire. tremendous amount of firepower,
By that evening, President Duterte have not yet driven ISIS fighters away, declared martial law in the whole much less neutralize them. And yet island of Mindanao. By May 25, AFP the battleground is an urbanized declared that there were only 30 to center, not a remote, mountainous, 40 local and foreign ISIS fighters left forested vast tract of land, where in Marawi City. hiding places are aplenty, tanks and
However, a month after, AFP APCs have difficulties traversing the troops still have not flushed out and terrain, and jets and bombers are defeated the ISIS fighters and have rendered blind. not yet gained complete control over Perhaps, what is happening now Marawi City. The first deadline for the in Marawi City should serve as AFP to clear Marawi City was set last an eye opener to militarists that June 2, then June 12 Independence overwhelming superiority in the Day. After failing to meet these, the number of troops and in firepower AFP declared that it would no longer does not guarantee a quick victory. set another deadline. Second, what the government is
The AFP announced on the dealing with is not just a small band morning of June 22 that the ISIS of terrorist fanatics. Otherwise how fighters, numbering around 100, were could this small band of fighters hold holed up in a one-kilometer corner of off thousands of troops with superior the city. firepower and logistics for a month?
Government soldiers deployed What i s c onfronting t he in Marawi City must already be in government and making it hard for the thousands. The AFP troops were AFP troops to swiftly defeat the Maute reportedly being aided by US troops, group and take control over Marawi who purportedly were limited to City is the centuries-old oppression intelligence and logistical support. The of the Bangsamoro people. In the AFP has also been pounding the city first place, this oppression has made with artillery fire and bombing strikes. parts of Mindanao a fertile ground for
Marawi City has a population of recruitment of groups fighting the around 200,000 and a land area of government, including ISIS.
No amount of firepower and military superiority could stop an oppressed people from finding outlets for their anger and ways to put an end to their oppressive conditions. This may also be the reason why despite its proclivity for terror, random violence and mass killings and its extremist fundamentalist ideology and practices, ISIS has been continuously attracting new recruits.
The Duterte administration may win the battle after a few more weeks, but this war will refuse to go away.
Thus, the Duterte administration – instead of focusing all its energies in trying to defeat the Maute group and other Moro rebel groups – should analyze what could be done to uplift the lives and promote the rights of the Bangsamoro people, starting from respecting their right to self determination.
Oppression always breeds resistance; but genuine freedom, democracy, development and prosperity make resistance irrelevant.
Bulatlat.com)