Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Good Grooming and Owning a Gun in Armed Region

“crime laboratory found hi-powered firearms and ammunition with PNP, DND and US prints.”

Haller! This is so old news! Ampatuans and most families in ARMM own one or more firearms. Even families of the massacre victims and Christians have guns in the region. Sobrang normal na po yan sa ARMM!! [clinch fist and grits]. AGAIN! sobrang normal na po yan sa ARMM. Kaya nga tinawag sila na ARMM (armed) region.

To put a good light on it. It is a culture—a taboo in some extent—in ARMM. If cars and bungalows project status quo to most of us, weapons are to the region. If the poorest crams to own a TV, poorest family in the region crams to own a weapon. Did you ever know that weapons often are good dowry in the region?

Where did this gritting need to own a weapon in the region start?

The struggle for independence and history of violence in Mindanao are two, but not sufficient causes. How did violence in Mindanao start? Had there been violence in Mindanao in the pre-Hispanic period? Was the popular “bravery” of the Moros true before Spanish came? I only heard of Tausugs as the bravest. Lapu-Lapu is one (nope, he is not from Mactan). The issue of bravery is just even a pigment of the intertwining factors.

Well, the gritting need came from feeling of not being naked, literally and figuratively. It was similar to our gritting need to dress and look good. Kaya nga patok na patok yang mga designer clothes, accessories, beauty spas at lahat ng mga palamuti sa katawan. Weapons, specifically the Kris for the Moros, were key part of the everyday wear of a man’s dress. It was often felt that to be without a bladed weapon was akin to being naked (a sentiment shared by many native groups in the Philippines).The kris was a key symbol of a man's status/rank in society, as well as often bearing strong talismanic properties as an anting-anting (talisman/amulet).

If however other native groups in the country share the same sentiment on having a bladed weapon, then all families in the country could have already owned a weapon now.

Were the Moros un-educated? No! They were just educated late of the new world ideas. Remember, they were mostly un-colonized by Spanish and Americans. They were exposed late to capitalism, where money became a new key symbol of man’s status. They were exposed late to new buying frenzies, especially those from Americans, like owning a car. They were educated late to private ownership (that is why they were stuck to feudal system like having feudal lords). They failed to adopt with the time. After Spanish and Americans left, other weapon-fanatic native groups in the country were already in stage 5 while the Moros were still in the stage 3.

And so, the old culture of grooming a man with a weapon remained among Moros.

This culture is so preserved, it spread to most families in the region. From a symbol of power and status quo, it also became a defense gear against tyrant powerful families. Eventually, some marginalized families earned strength and became tyrants too. Some love peace and left the region. Those who remained helpless…well…stood on guard with their cute rusty guns (at least, they have one) and stayed with the feudal lords.

It must have been Marcos idea to send Ilocanos and Ilonggos to Mindanao to fast-track education of the Moros of the new world ideas. Marcos must have wished Filipinos to be in stage 10 altogether.

I hope those who left the region would go back and re-educate the whole region. I believe these families, including Ampatuans, can stop the old culture of owning a weapon. I believe they are capable of responsible use of weapons, if indeed, guns cannot be stopped immediately. I still believe in our Moro brothers and other families in the region can push peace in Mindanao.


and yes! gun trading of our armed forces is true. it however will stop if the demand for guns will stop

Di na Tatakbo si Erap

Erap on recorded speech (after being ousted) in Juan on 1, Tv Patrol: "wala na po akong balak na muling pumasok sa larangan ng maruming pulitika. ang nalalabi ko pong panahon ko ngayon ay iniaalay ko na sa paglilingkod sa aking kababayan. ngunit ang personal...malubhang kalagayan ng aking mahal na ina..."

** so, di na talaga sya tatakbo?

Erap to Ted Failon: yun nga sabi sa nanay ko, nung pinuntahan ko sa hospital. 2 taon na sya nakaratay...."ano ba nangyari syo,joseph? yung pagkapangulo mo, di mo tinapos. pati ang sentinsya mo, di mo tinapos. e mamamatay na lang ako, wala kang natatapos."

** aba! bigla nakapagsalita ang masakitin na ina

Erap followed through: Wag ka mag-alala, mama. babalik ako pagkapresidente at tatapusin ko

** bwahahahahahahahahaha ginamit pa ang ina sa alibi bwisit!