Duterte must do an Assad or he falls

(who was said to have trained IS in Mindanao).

“The source was quick to add the logistic support was so much that it will take a much longer time for the AFP to completely ‘neutralize’ the Maute terrorist group.

“It will be noted that the Maute group has ample issues of Barret Sniper rifles— a special firearm powered by 50 cal. ammo. (It is said that a Barret Sniper can hit a targeted head from a telescope distance of 2 kilometers.)

strictly regulated weapon for exclusive use of US military forces. Not can access or own [ one]. Judging from the number of military casualties who were sacrificed as collateral targets of this highpowered gun, there is no doubt has set back the AFP’s campaign to pulverize the [terrorist] Muslims.

“A fellow journalist has told this writer, ‘ military Muslim terrorists. Abu Sayaff, CIA Maute the Americans are so clever. They are pitting us against one another and using the Philippine military in order to pulverize what they term Filipino Muslim terrorists. Doubtlessly like their formation of the Abu Sayyaf, the CIA

“The alleged CIA handler is a certain Donald Fisher whose cover is that of a treasure hunter who actually transported through

exercises valuable treasures and historical items from Mindanao under Task Force Recovery of the US State Department...

“Due to the blatant ‘ weight’ throwing actions of the US military amid the anti-Maute war in Marawi, no less than President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his confusion as to why the US military has embroiled itself in the

“The President has publicly asked, ‘Who asked them to help us?’”

Despite claims of the Philippine military to the contrary, the Marawi crisis continues to rage. It just challenges logic to say that only a handful of militants – and all foreigners at that – remain put and Abu Sayaff groups are said civilians incognito. The continued use of air strikes against suspected just belies this claim.

So now, here is the nation in its entirety, though not quite having Marawi crisis has deeper than terrorist attack, it is quite outraged by an evident resurgence of extra judicial killings that have been the singular characteristic of the Duterte anti-illegal drugs campaign.

Comments

To serious observers, the wide attention that has been given to the killing of Kian Loyd de los Santos is bothersome. Under the Dutere regime, that killing is just one of some 8,000 already done in connection with the President’s war against illegal drugs, and certainly even less atrocious than the deaths of many of those earlier done in. For instance, in one case nails were hammered into the skull of an alive victim as a way in a knelt position similar to that of Loyd when done in, a situation which President himself called “murder.” Not a whimper of that brain-nailed alleged illegal drugs pusher was heard in the media, in contrast to the loud roars being ventilated widely in protest of Kian’s killing.

Expert observers, like Chairman Jose Manuel Diokno of the a favorable view of the development. “Public opinion is changing, people are more willing to speak out,” he says. “As more abuses come to light, more will oppose it in public.”

And I might add my say, the more throng of protesters register their opposition in public, the more likely that opposition can degenerate into a widespread upheaval. And for that what? The President calls in the armed forces, per provision of the Constitution, to quell the trouble. But trouble is, the more the military quells trouble, the more trouble erupts. In the end, total chaos.

Seven years ago, Syria was far from the mess it is today. But fanned by the revolt in Tunisia in 2010, the Arab Spring swept through the Middle East, crowds pouring out into the streets, calling for regime change. This wave of protests was what brought about the downfall of Muammar in Egypt, and Saddam Hussein in Iraq, among others. Syria, though appearing not to be similarly affected at the start, was plunged into far worse trouble when Assad, or his regime anyway, committed the mistake of arresting two youth a street wall, and then immediately tortured them to death.

That was the spark. People in their thousands showed up in streets in protest against the youths’ killing. It does not matter that those protests were deemed peace is that before long, the peaceful demonstrations developed into an upheaval that beginning in 2012 threw Syria into the seven-year civil war that it has become.

So, here we have crowds reminiscent of the Marcos Martial Law days, ventilating against the police murder of Kian. This should put the nation on the balance. Are we to take this as a genuine campaign for justice, in which case it should deserve our active participation? Or, are we to view it in the context of the heightening tension between the United States and Russia in their respective drive for world hegemony. Initially supported by the United States on the sly, beginning 2011 the Syrian protests degenerated into a violent upheaval in which Assad’s intransigence in holding on to power forced him into committing virtual genocide against the Syrian people. Russian support has enabled him to deal effectively with the people’s uprising.

Has Duterte such intransigence as to put up with a burgeoning civilian unrest, the likes perhaps of in the blueprint he recommended to the US State Department back in December last year? If he has, then pray the Marawi crisis and the worsening campaign against illegal drugs do not bring the disaster they actually forebode.