Are we at war or not?

Like a recurring nightmare, those who actually give a damn, are once again mourning the death of many Philippine Marines, as well as members of the Special Action Force of the PNP. Once again, this tragedy is being milked for all its drama by media and once again reassurances of compensation, scholarships and government assistance are being announced by government spokespersons, just like they did in the Arroyo administration.

While the widows and orphans nod in numbed acceptance of their fate and the announcement of support, I find such publicized reassurance from government in utter poor taste and lacking in intellectual honesty. Is it not the responsibility of the government to see to it that our soldiers and police officers are entitled to benefits that extend to their loved ones, particularly when soldiers and cops are killed in the line of duty?

So why are government representatives talking as if such benefits were special enough to soothe the loss of lives and the resulting tragedy brought upon families?

Housing? Education? Financial assistance? Burial assistance? As tax paying citizens, our soldiers are already ENTITLED to such, just like any tax paying citizen member of PhilHealth, SSS, and Pag-IBIG. As heroes they are already entitled to plots at the Libingan ng mga Bayani complete with a flag draped coffin, an Honor Guard, 21 gun salute and TAPS. These are not the ultimate prizes won through loss of life. They are the least we can do for those who give the most, both the living and the dead.

Whatever good intentions there may be to comfort those left behind, please, don’t dishonor the death and sacrifice of heroes by talking of privileges they already paid for while they were living. However beautiful your words may be it is still a lie. Rather, address the real causes of why we now mourn their death and the many others before them. Address why the turn of events, the victories and losses differ from one administration to another. Then answer the question: Are we at war or not?

Yes, this is the question that needs to be answered because the answer determines our commitment to engage the enemy and the resources we dedicate to that commitment. The fight with enemies of the state cannot be treated as “seasonal calamities” or a mere domestic conflict or a deadly version of hide and seek. Why do we spend so much energy concerning the fight for the Senate Presidency where no lives are lost, only committee chairmanships, while soldiers and police officers are being massacred in a war of the undecided? Why send soldiers and policemen to their death if the government and our leaders can only commit saliva to their cause?

I do not wish to drive a wedge between the administration and our servicemen or disrespect people who are merely doing their jobs as best they can. But who else will speak for those who have been silenced? Who else will call out to the Commander-in-Chief and his entourage of politicians who fail to appreciate the consequences of commitment or the lack thereof in battle? War is the ugly creation of man and we must do everything to avoid it, but so too are pointless deaths and wasted lives cause by indecision and indifference.

We have no right to order, ask or demand men and women to go to battle unless we are willing to give them our commitment of support, unless we ourselves are willing to declare an “All out war”.

So with all humility and respect I ask: Mr. President, are we at war or are we not?

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On a lighter note, I have sat back and read with amusement the barrage of criticism hurled at MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino after he singlehandedly took on fiction writer Dan Brown for allegedly referring to Manila as the Gate of Hell. Clearly Dan Brown was an undeclared Erap supporter.

Whatever his motives, I must commend Chairman Tolentino for sticking his head out perhaps as his patriotic and imagined official duty.

On the other hand, Tolentino’s decision and the repercussions once again gives us a teaching and learning opportunity in the field of communications for people who in the future may find themselves tempted or prodded to doing likewise.

#1 Before taking action first consider if it’s YOUR job.

Was it in Chairman Tolentino’s job description to respond to such matters or would it have been better to refer the mater to a higher authority such as Malacanang or to his Comms people to address? As hindsight teaches us, he should have just passed the buck to one of his assistants.

#2 Before you point out other people’s mistake or fault in public, make sure you don’t live in a glass house or have more faults or shortcomings than Dan Brown. By taking on Dan Brown publicly, Tolentino opened his Pandora’s box of publicly perceived shortcomings and paid a big price in terms of bad PR.

#3  Before taking on an issue, determine first if the issue is relevant or irrelevant and in what way.

Chairman Tolentino must have thought that a slur on “Manila” was unacceptable from “his” perspective, But from the general media’s view, most ordinary Filipinos don’t even know who Dan Brown is, won’t even be allowed by security guards inside bookstores that sell his stupid books, and can’t afford to pay or fully appreciate his fantasies.

On the other hand, media and the general public are more concerned about 1) Traffic, 2) Garbage, 3) Road Discipline, and 4) Flooding or TGRF. These are the top obsessions of people in Metro Manila and traffic is what causes them the most unhappiness. TGRF is relevant, not Dan Brown.

#4 A small mistake is easily corrected by a major accomplishment. But one must be wise in making such a choice or goal. In order to make people forget that you missed the shot, you have to win the game.

When President Noynoy clamped down on “wang-wangs”, the media went to town with the story especially when law enforcers began stripping them off vehicles. When Bayani Fernando demolished illegal structures on sidewalks the media followed him everywhere. Those goals were not “original”, what made them different were the people who actually implemented them.

#5 When you say something, do it. Last pronouncement from the MMDA was a ban on loud and excessive blowing of horns by bus and truck drivers. They are still tooting their horns at the MMDA! Chairman — Just do it.

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