Thursday, November 26, 2009

"EXOTIC" FIREARMS....




Before I share what's on my mind, let me first say something about the picture posted here. To those who are in the know, that's barrett sniper rifle and it's a long distance rifle that should only be in the hands of elite units in the Armed Forces or the Philippine National Police. Gun dealers refer to this kind as "exotic" firearms because of precision and sophistication. Sama na ang price tag siyempre.

The PNP's Special Action Forces procured several pieces of this kind for anti-terrorism purposes.

But guess what? The Ampatuans bought one like this and one powerful mayor in Southern Philippines knew this and I hope he confirms this information because the barrett model seen in this picture was first offered to him at a price of P1.2-million pesos. Namahalan si mayor. And gun dealers knew just where to offer it next, the one person in Mindanao who would not even ask for a discount on buying this kind of firearms.

Binili ang barrett sa halagang inalok, walang tawad-tawad, paid not in check---but in CASH!

Where did I get this story? Sa mga mismong nakakaalam ng transaksiyong naganap.

Now---aside from the "surrender" of Andal Ampatuan Jr. and the "arrest" of policemen involved in the carnage of 57 last Monday in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao---the other photos you'll probably see in all newspapers are the firearms surrendered or confiscated from the Civilian Auxiliary Forces in Maguindanao---all 357 firearms issued accounted for. Wala akong problema sa impormasyong iyon, di ko nga pagdududahan sa katunayan...eh kasi...tignan ang mga tipo ng baril na nakumpiska o isinuko ng mga civilian forces...di ba GARAND lang?

May nag-do-drawing na naman yata.

Now---this is what happens when media unites and when the constitutionally mandated role and function of media in a democratic society is attacked with total disregard and with the highest form of brutality and barbarism: WE DIG MORE. WE INQUIRE MORE. WE INVESTIGATE MORE. WE EXPOSE MORE.

If the intention was to cow the messengers, then the opposite was achieved.

The give justice to November 23-Maguindanao carnage victims --- civilians, lawyers and journalists --- is to continue unearthing everything that they have desperately concealed in the last few years.

Bigla---naalala ko muli si Lintang Bidol (Bedol)...asan na nga kaya siya?

May dapat kayang HUKAYIN kung nasaan na siya ngayon? O baka IBINAON na nga siya sa limot?

No doubt that Maguindanao carnage placed the country on the world map again---recognized for something that placed our ranking on top of Iraq as the most dangerous place on earth for journalists.

The massacre of 57 individuals, relatives of a political clan in the province of Maguindanao, their lawyers and supporters and journalists covering their intention to file for Certificate of Candidacy in next year's election exposed the ugly truth about the country's political system especially in a province like Maguindanao, where warlords are considered allies and partners of government for "peace" and "security". I qualified the statement...especially in Maguindanao because the other ugly truth here is that warlords do not only enjoy demi-god status in that part of the country, in every region, there exists one.

There were many inhuman acts that journalists like myself have witnessed in the last 20-years but nothing compared to this and this I say not because journalists are among those who were brutally killed with no reason at all! The very act itself is beyond any human comprehension. Minsan sa dami ng mga karahasang nakita ng isang mamamahayag, akala niya, hindi na siya magugulat pa. Akala lang pala namin...hanggang sa dumating ang araw na maging ang buong mundo ay nagulantang. Nangyayari pa pala ang ganito sa lugar na tulad ng Pilipinas? Teka, mali ang hanay ng salita: Puwede palang mangyari ang ganitong uri ng kahayupan sa lugar na tulad ng Pilipinas? Teka, ayusin uli natin ang kamada ng mga salita: Pinapayagan palang mangyari ang karumaldumal na krimeng tulad nito sa Pilipinas?

What was shattered in the Maguindanao incident is the very essence of law and order and of governance in this country. Hindi lang sa panahon ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo nagsimula ang mga private armies at kalakaran ng warlordism sa bansa. Hindi lang ito kahapon nangyari. Dati na, meron na, marami pa.

Huwag na tayong maglokohan, hindi lang sa Maguindanao may private army ang mga pulitiko. Huwag na tayong lumayo, sa Kamaynilaan, meron din, ang tawag nga lang minsan, private security.

Kung sasabihin sa atin na nabuwag na ang armadong suporta ng mga Ampatuans---tignang mabuti ang mga ihaharap na mga armas na umanoy nakuha sa kanilang mga taga-sunod.

Alam na alam ng mga gun dealers kung anong mga uri ng armas ang naibenta nila sa mga Ampatuans at wala sa mga naibenta nila ang garand. Dati nang nasa Mindanao yan...please lang, do not insult our capacity to comprehend.

Kung sa presentasyon ng mga armas na nakumpiska---may nakita kayong mataas at makabagong uri ng armas na tulad ng nasa larawan---may chance na maniwala akong binubuwag na nga ang puwersa ng mga Ampatuans. Pero hanggang garand pa lang ang ipinapakita....walang maniniwala.

And while I'm at it...kung seryoso talaga ang pamahalaan na buwagin ang mga private armies---bakit kaya di tignan din ang mga malalaking personalidad na may koleksiyon na rin ng mga matataas na kalibre ng armas? Yan ay kung SERYOSO nga ha. Sabi ng isang retired general na kausap ko kanina, "(Blank) is the next big warlord in Mindanao...lalo na kapag nanalo...and no doubt he will win."

Papangalanan ko pa ba? Wag na, baka mabigwasan pa ako ng isang malakas na KALIWA.

The point here is, to fully salvage the shatterred credibility of governance and law enforcement in a place like Maguindanao, the reactionary campaign against private armies should not stop with the Ampatuans alone.

For years, the system of warlordism in this country has been tolerated, patronized and re-engineered and re-invigorated to conform and to comply with political agendas and interests.

Nakatingin na ang buong mundo. In this day and age, why are we allowing this kind of political patronage to exist?

After the condemnation, call for justice, what comes next?

Tignan na natin ang mas malaking larawan na naipamukha at nailantad ng naganap sa Maguindanao. Doon tayo tunay na makapagsisimula.

1 comment:

  1. Even foreigners which have a string of criminal cases in their home countries can have guns licensed under their name and have their permit to carry too here in the Philippines.

    "So, I pull out my Eagles ID, my PPSA ID, my gun club ID, my firearm license card, my permit to carry card, and a couple of law enforcement related ID cards, and she tells me these are not good enough. So I showed her my Florida Drivers license"

    http://www.michaelturner.us/2008/07/02/philippines-drivers-license-issue/

    A blog about the person below

    http://sexpatswallofshame.blogspot.com/2010/11/michael-turner-psychopath.html

    ReplyDelete