A salute to the Boholanos

Those who scoffed at the United States advisory discouraging its citizens from traveling to Central Visayas know better now than to take lightly the Americans’ intelligence information even if it is “unsubstantiated.”

It turned out that while many US critics were frothing in the mouth over its embassy’s alleged irresponsibility in releasing the travel advisory, government forces were already exchanging volleys with suspected Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Inabanga, Bohol.

Don’t expect the US to say, I told you so. First of all, the advisory was not addressed to us but to its nationals. Second, it is not in their character to remonstrate.

In fact, the US warning, which our own police authorities adopted, helped thwart whatever plans the Inabanga “invaders” had in mind. Who knows if the folks there had simply ignored the presence of the heavily-armed men who arrived in kumpits had it not been for the repeated calls by police and civilian officials for the people to be alert in light of the threats that the US intelligence people discovered?

We should all continue to be alert. The incident in Inabanga is the first attempt ever by the Abu Sayyaf to operate in Central Visayas which is far from their base in Jolo. Alas, it may not be the last.

In fact, there are fears that Inabanga was just a ruse to distract our attention and that the bandits have in fact a different target. There is no “credible but unsubstantiated” intelligence information to support this but what if it is true? We have to be vigilant. As the Inabanga folks have demonstrated, even the most powerfully-armed extremist elements are no match to a concerned citizenry.

This is not to belittle the efforts of our brave police and military men, four of whom lost their lives fighting the bandit group. We are grateful for their sacrifice even as we mourn their loss. Their death is a jolting reminder of the risks our men in uniform have to undergo so that we can all live in peace.

We condole with their families, too and wish that this crazy war will finally come to an end. But defeating the enemy should not be a police or a military concern only. It should be a collaborative effort, the kind that we saw in Inabanga.

Thank you, dear Boholano neighbors, for showing us the way.

As the Inabanga folks have demonstrated, even the most powerfully-armed extremist elements are no match to a concerned citizenry