By
REY
O. ARCILLA
‘The
MNLF says it was never consulted, but the government says otherwise.’
Like
most, I am ardently hoping that the framework agreement reached
between the government and the MILF rebel group will prosper. But…
On
August 21 last, I wrote the following:
“When
the Autonomous Region in Mindanao was formed some years back, one of
its consequences was the breaking away of the MILF from the MNLF. Now
that the peace talks with the MILF are nearing conclusion, according
to news reports, there has been no mention of how the proposed
absorption of the ARMM in an expanded autonomous region will be
received by the MNLF.
“Have
both the government and MILF peace panels taken this into account?
Have they been consulting with the MNLF? “Wouldn’t it be
reasonable to assume that any final arrangement will be altogether
resented and objected to by the MNLF if their concerns are not
considered? What role will they be playing in the new entity? Is it
too far-fetched to assume they may resort to armed rebellion again?
Wouldn’t that be a repetition of history with the MNLF fomenting
trouble this time?
“What
about the breakaway faction of the MILF, the BILF? It looks to me
like we are heading to a never-ending vicious cycle, to the amusement
of other countries, particularly our neighbor Malaysia.”
***
Soon
after the present framework agreement with the MILF was announced by
President Noynoy Aquino, MNLF founder Nur Misuari and Habib Mujahab
Hasim, MNLF’s Islamic Command Council chairman claimed that they
were never consulted during the crafting of the framework agreement.
What
is more disturbing is when they also said they may resort to armed
struggle once again for allegedly having been left out of the
process.
On
the other hand, peace adviser Teresita Deles and peace panel head
Marvic Leonen claimed they did.
Who’s
telling the truth?
It
no longer matters. The question is now water under the bridge and
totally irrelevant. We now have a fait accompli of an agreement with
the MILF that will replace the present ARMM.
We
like to think that President Noynoy Aquino and his advisers have
taken this turn of event into account when they ventured into
negotiating with the MILF, starting with Noynoy going to Tokyo to
meet with MILF chief Ebrahim Murad which, to many, was tantamount to
affording belligerency status to a rebel leader. But again, that’s
water under the bridge.
What
needs to be bridged now is the seemingly yawning gap between the
government and the MNLF spawned by the framework agreement with the
MILF which, if not handled properly could lead to the outbreak of
violence once again.
***
Ms.
Gloria Arroyo’s health has reportedly taken a turn for the worse
and is now in the ICU of the Veterans Memorial Hospital. But her
husband, Miguel, seems to be nowhere in sight. Where is he? Did he
ever return from his last trip abroad? Do the authorities know where
he is? Just asking.
***
A
couple of weeks ago, I received via email from a friend the following
insightful composition, author unknown, which I would like to share
with my readers at a time when materialism, greed and lust for power
seem prevalent in our midst:
LIVE
A LIFE THAT MATTERS
Ready
or not, someday it will all come to an end.
There
will be no more sunrises, no minutes, no hours or days.
All
the things you collected, whether treasures or baubles, will pass to
someone else.
Your
wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will
not matter what you owned or what you owed.
Your
grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally
disappear. So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do list will
expire.
The
wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It
won’t matter where you came from or what side of the track you
lived, at the end.
It
won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your
gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So,
what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What
will matter is not what you bought but what you built; not what you
got but what you gave.
What
will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What
will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What
will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, or sacrifice that
empowered, encouraged or enriched others to emulate your example.
What
will matter is not your competence but your character.
What
will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many people will
feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What
will matter is not your memories, but the memories of those who loved
you.
What
will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living
a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It is not a matter
of circumstance but of choice.
***
Reminders
(for Noynoy’s action):
1)
Filing of charges against officials of the National Food
Administration (NFA) during Arroyo’s illegitimate regime. Noynoy
himself said on several occasions that there is documentary evidence
to prove the venalities in the past in that agency; 2) Investigation
of reported anomalies in the GSIS during the watch of Winston Garcia;
3) Facilitating the investigation of rampant corruption in the
military and police establishments; and 4) Expeditious action by the
AFP on the case of Jonas Burgos.
***
Today
is the 163rd day of the sixth year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.
***
From
an internet friend:
An
old prospector shuffled into the town of El Indio, Texas leading a
tired old mule.
The
old man headed straight for the only saloon in town, to clear his
parched throat.
He
walked up to the saloon and tied his old mule to the hitch rail.
As
he stood there, brushing some of the dust from his face and clothes,
a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one hand
and a bottle of whiskey in the other.
The
young gunslinger looked at the old man and laughed, saying, “Hey
old man, can you dance?”
The
old man looked up at the gunslinger and said, “No son, I don’t
dance... never really wanted to”
A
crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said, “Well, you
old fool, you’re gonna dance now!” and started shooting at the
old man’s feet.
The
old prospector, not wanting to get a toe blown off, started hopping
around like a flea on a hot skillet.
Everybody
standing around was laughing.
When
his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger, still laughing,
holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the saloon.
The
old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a double-barreled 12
gauge shotgun and cocked both hammers.
The
loud clicks carried clearly through the desert air. The crowd stopped
laughing immediately.
The
young gunslinger heard the sounds too, and he turned around very
slowly.
The
silence was deafening. The crowd watched as the young gunman stared
at the old-timer and the large gaping holes of those twin 12-gauge
barrels.
The
barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old man’s hands, as he
quietly said;
“Son,
have you ever kissed a mule’s ass?”
The
gunslinger swallowed hard and said, “No sir... but.... I’ve
always wanted to.”
There
are a few lessons for all of us here:
*Don’t
be arrogant.
*Don’t
waste ammunition.
*Whiskey
makes you think you’re smarter than you are.
*Always
make sure you know who is in control.
*And
finally, Don’t screw around with old folks; they didn’t get old
by being stupid.
***
Email:
roacrosshairs@yahoo.com
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