Trying to accept the fact that your country is in the center of attraction, once again, but, in a terrible manner. How would you like that? Just a couple of weeks ago, my country was celebrating the win of one of the best boxers to ever set foot on earth, then, this news came. From being happy, to being horrified and scared. One question circles my mind all the time --- When will my country, The Philippines, ever change? Just that simple.
I don't want to focus on this blog about the win of Manny Pacquiao in boxing a few weeks ago. It's about the violent killing of civilians and journalists in Maguindanao, that prompted the head of state to declare Martial Law in that province.
November 23, 2009, Town of Ampatuan, Maguindanao Province, The Philippines.
One of the darkest days in the Philippine History, or worse, One of the darkest days in the world history. (I may sound far fetched, but, I DO MEAN IT.)
The Maguindanao Massacre.
Para sa kapangyarihan, kailangang ang mga sagabal ay patahimikin. Siguro ganyan ang iniisip ng mga nagsagawa ng kawalangyaang ito. Dagdag mantsa na naman 'to sa dati nang namantsahang imahe ng bansang Pilipinas. Hindi pa nalilinis ang isang dumi, nagdagdag pa ng karumal-dumal na basura. Political rivalry is the main problem. Ampatuans ruled Maguindanao since 2001, and ever since then, no one ever dared to challenge for political positions in that area. Parang gusto nilang mangyari, eh, sila na lang ang mamayagpag sa lugar na yun, hanggang sa mga susunod na salinlahi ng kanilang pamilya. But one day, there's this one Esmael "Toto" Mangundadatu, dared to challenge the Ampatuan Clan and tried to file his certificate of candidacy for gubernatorial position, opposing Andal Ampatuan, Jr, son of the imcumbent governor, Andal Ampatuan, Sr.
But one day, all of their fates changed.
Mangundadatu wants to file his candidacy, but the Ampatuans sent him a warning, that if ever he files it, they'll chop him into pieces. So to deter such attack, Toto invited 37 journalists to come with him to COMELEC Office province in Shariff Aguak. But his plan backfired, as their convoys was put to a halt by at least a hundred men, 10 kilometers from the city of Shariff Aguak... And all hell breaks loose. Nalaman ko na lang na umabot sa 60 ang casualties of the massacre, maybe 30 of them journalists. Among that 60 casualties are Toto's younger sister, aunt, and his own wife. They were not just killed, but ridiculed as well. Ridiculed in a way how they were dispatched. And only a soulless person can do things that happened to the victims. They were really out there to punish those person into oblivion. Mutilation is the word that can describe what they did. And there were those civilian casualties, who were just passing by, mistaken to be a convoy as well. Unfortunately for those civilians, everyone that went to that path took all tha havoc of the ignorant peasants.
And the journalists.
Maguindanao Massacre was recorded as the single deadliest attack to the press for a long time. No wonder why Philippines placed second among the most dangerous country for journalists, trailing to Iraq. And it's not funny anymore. We're always on the hot seat in a very undesirable way. But no matter what those low-life people do, no one can stop the power of media to uncover the truth... EVER..
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace."
- Jimi Hendrix.
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