Osama Bin Laden is dead. Osama is the supreme leader and founder of the Al Qaeda organization. It is a an Islamic terrorist group that was founded in the middle part of 1988 with the purpose of putting an end to military presence of Americans in the Peninsula of Arabia and in the Middle East countries. It also aims to overthrow corrupt and inefficient Arab regimes, put an end to Arabian governments that are lacking in religious faith, stop the support of Americans to Israel, and restore to Muslim rule Kashmir and East Timor.
Tactics used by this terrorist group include hijackings, kidnappings, killings, use of suicide bombers or attacks, and enlisting members online.
In the Philippines, majority of the terrorism activities in the country were perpetuated by Islamic terrorist groups such as the Moro National Liberation Front, Rajah Sulaiman Movement, Jemaah Islamiyah, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Abu Sayyaf. However, previous to these groups, different organizations were already terrorizing the Philippines. Prominent among these was the New People’s Army and other communist organizations. The New People’s Army was founded in 1969.
Osama Bin Laden is just a leader of one terrorist group, nevertheless a global one. There are still hundreds of terrorist groups aside from Al Qaeda scattered around the world. Some of these are already in the Philippines way, way back even before Osama became an adult. For me, it is sufficient to say that terrorism will always be here no matter where we are, what we do, and what we believe in. There will always be groups of people discontented, disillusioned, disappointed and frustrated enough to band together to promote an idea however erroneous the idea is.
Our beloved land has been besieged by foreign occupations and domestic terrorists since the earliest times that I strongly believe it is folly for us not to allow the United States to put up a forward base in our territories just because of a threat or just a possibility of a threat. It is like being afraid to work inside a high-rise building because an earthquake might strike and one might be trapped inside. One chooses to go hungry instead. One is afraid to go ride on a plane because it might crash. One forfeits the opportunity to see other places and to experience different culture.
We even have political terrorism. Just remember the Maguindanao massacre and the martial law disappearances.
Just imagine the windfall it will bring the economy of that region. It will be able to provide jobs to suffering penniless Filipinos. Some of them may not even be forced to enslave themselves working as overseas Filipino workers. Parents will not be separated from each others, and children will not be left abandoned. It might strengthen family life.
The Philippines just need to draw up terms of agreement with the United States before they can be allowed to put up a forward base here. They tried to occupy us before, they put up bases here before, they were kicked out, and again, they want to go back. It just shows that they really need the Philippines as a strategic site. It is up to us on how we can get value from our land.
First, the Philippines should impose that a reasonable number of Filipino citizens residing in the Philippines should be employed in the forward base at all times. Second, the Americans should provide assistance to the region they are in on a regular basis such as providing medical or dental care, help in the building of schools and houses, and other goodwill. Third, the land they will use is not free. They have to pay for its use. Fourth, American offenders if any, should be placed under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Court. Fifth, America should help in securing the safety of the nation’s citizens. Sixth, length of tenancy is limited. It is dependent on the Philippine government if it will extend the base’ tenure or not.
Likewise, the Philippine government should be more vigilant and updated in the search for suspected terrorists.
Our land is not a peaceful land like Switzerland but thankfully not a chaotic land like Israel. We will never go far if we are always afraid. There are ways to conquer being afraid. The most potent is to pray for our land.
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