Bukatot
From the Inquirer, June 16, 2006: President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday ordered the release of one billion pesos to fund intensified operations against communist rebels, calling the money “an investment that will yield peace dividends to the economy.”
Sure, sure. Increasing the allocations for military operations, that’s something that will benefit the people, particularly those living in the provinces, the areas where the most human rights violations take place. The Armed Forces of the Philippines are genuine peacemakers, and the citizenry love and respect them even as they conduct their hamletting operations.
I am reminded of a story written by Gelacio Guillermo titled ‘Bukatot’ (click here for link) or a basket-type trap for fresh water fish. In it, soldiers act as the personal body guards and army of a landowner, and they’re the ones who get the farmers and farmworkers in line. When the landowner becomes displeased by the refusal of a poor farmer to sell him his tobacco crop for an insultingly low price, the landowner orders the soldiers to shoot the farmer and his wife.
The young son, because he was fishing in the small stream when the soldiers arrived, escapes the fate of his parents. He comes home in the late afternoon’s stifling heat and sees the bloodied bodies of his parents slumped in front of their bahay kubo.
The boy runs, blindly, runs wherever his feet chooses to take him, and soon the sun goes down and the boy does not return.
The next day, the neighbors come for a visit to see their kabaranggay — the farmer whose life was ended by m14 bullets. They are met with a gruesome sight. As they gather around the bodies, somebody else comes and announces: "May mga bangkay din sa paanan ng bundok, mga sundalo, lima. Basag ang kanilang mga bungo, parang tig-iisang bala ang pumasok sa bawat isang ulo. "Kasama sa mga bangkay si Don Enrique…"
It’s not a mystery, what happened. The villagers felt deep sadness and anger at what has been done to their neighbor who has always been a good friend, a man who helped built the village school and stood up against the landowner and his unreasonable demands; but they were silent and indifferent to the deaths of the soldiers. Inside they knew what took place: the exercise of justice by who knew how to wield weapons, but with a clear knowledge on whose name these should be used and for what purpose.
From January 21, 2001 to May 31, 2006, there are 679 victims of political killings, 350 victims of frustrated killing and 168 persons were abducted and remain missing to this day.
Macapagal-Arroyo with the support of the US government, has been implementing Oplan Bantay Laya that has targeted civilians – dissidents and ordinary Filipinos alike. Of the 679 civilians arbitrarily killed, 301 were activists and 378 have no known political affiliations.
