‘Walk with us’: A Muslim’s sentiments on Mamasapano clash

As details of the tragedy in Mamasapano, Maguindanao begin to unfold, we are faced with the task of sifting through overwhelming information, identifying fact from opinion, propaganda from truth.

What happened in Mamasapano was a tragedy. War is ugly. It brings grief and pain. No one really wins, save for a few who have vested interests. We, the people, especially those who are directly affected lose in the battle.

No one who has seen the face of conflict will tell you they relish the experience. History tells us when conflict is resolved through violence, it begets an unending cycle of hatred, bloodshed, and grief. The parties and personalities in the peace process or war may change, but the culture of misunderstanding, distrust, and violence become ingrained in our nation’s psyche. (READ: SAF44: Soldier stands for brother)

It is frustrating that the Mamasapano incident happened when it could have been avoided. But it happened, and it rightfully angered Filipinos. We should mourn for the fallen, even those we do not know whose stories remain untold and whose names remain unknown. It would be more frustrating if justice is not served.

People from both sides can show kindness, but they are also capable of inflicting harm. This is where command responsibility comes in. In our call for justice, we demand accountability from the government, but we should also demand accountability from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). We should not call for selective justice. If we do, then we are no better than the rest who failed to understand the complexities of the entire situation. (READ: Contextualizing MILF’s ‘self-defense’ statement)

Selective justice is no justice at all. As we demand accountability from those in the government who allowed this operation to take place as it did, so too should we demand from MILF for the bloody outcome. There should be accountability on both sides – whether it is with the troops who did not heed the order to cease and desist when the ceasefire committees ordered them to, or the ground commanders who failed to control his men. It is the only way we can move forward. It is the only way for the government and the MILF to regain the people’s trust.

Again, our grief and anger are justified, but we must open ourselves to sober discourse. We must not let our emotions cloud our ability to listen and understand. In our efforts to exact justice, we must be certain that those who are responsible must be held accountable, and not allow others to be sacrificed for the sake of achieving a semblance of justice.

We, the people, must also do our part if we want peace. As we ask the hard questions to the parties involved, we too must ask ourselves: “Are we affected now because it feels closer to us? Did it feel more real because it was so appalling?”

And as a child of Mindanao, I ask you, where were you when our people were suffering? Where were you when an all-out war was ongoing in our land? Where were you when our people were being killed, our children were being robbed of opportunity, and our lands were being taken from us? Where were you when we were being deprived of the opportunity to live in peace and carve our own political and social development? Did you vent out your anger at those injustices, too? Did you empathize with us? Did you also mourn for us?

Where do we go from there? We move forward to the path of peaceful resolution, of peace-building for our forebears, the fallen, and the innocent. This way, we honor those who shed blood, sweat, and tears for a taste of a peaceful homeland. This is our way of owning the peace process, of owning the peace advocacy. This is not for the government, for the MILF, and other groups. It is for us as a people. So do not just shed tears. Share our burden. Walk the path with us. – Rappler.com

Boggs Tanngol is a law student of Moro-Lumad descent. He works at the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Iligan.