AFP: Learning from Mistakes?

This article was written by Julie S. Alipala of Newsbreak.

This is not the first time that the Marines have been beheaded in Basilan. Why did it happen again?

“It could have been avoided.”

These are the words of some military and Basilan local government officials referring to the July 10 killing and beheading of 10 Marine soldiers and wounding of about 15 others.

Avoided, that is, if the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has learned from past mistakes.

There are past beheadings where the marines met a similar fate and that was in February 1993 when 21 Marine officers and soldiers were mutilated, and four beheaded in an encounter with the Moro National Liberation Front in Tuburan town in Basilan.

Last July 10 incidents could be avoided if the AFP just coordinated with local executives and the MILF.

“Theres a signed Agreement for General Cessation of Hostilities last 10 years ago, on July 21, 1997 in Cagayan de Oro City. But this agreement was nothing but grand height of hyprocrisy because nothing was achieved but a sporadic wars, hide and seek, talks impasse to the detriment of the innocent people.” this is the words from Baibonn Dilangalen Sangid, Chairperson of Young Moro Professionals Network, Inc. (YMPN). This is a YMPN Statement on Basilan Forum at Ateneo Law School.

If AFP just coordinated and play according to the mechanism of the ceasefire agreement this unwanted incidents won’t happen again.