Reviewing the Mamasapano incident with Dr. Antonio Contreras

Now many different accounts of the fateful day are heard left and right, causing confusion as each story is followed by the next. Issues start to bubble up to the surface as the country analyzes what went wrong in the operation and what could’ve been done to save the men. In the midst of a he-said-she-said battle, Filipinos seek justice for their fellowmen and an understanding of what exactly happened that day in Mamasapano.

The LaSallian interviews Dr. Antonio Contreras from the Political Science Department to get his thoughts on the tragedy in Mamasapano and its aftermath.

What really happened?

For Dr. Contreras, it’s clear that what happened was no misencounter, saying no misencounter lasts 11 hours. He explains that a TV network had released footage showing that the men were ambushed and massacred by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) while they were retreating. However, Dr. Contreras regards the MILF as something other than a terrorist group. “…They have gone through a process of transformation from a purely rebel group to someone willing to talk with [the] government,” he explains. While the MILF may have the best of intentions, the problem, he believes, is their lack of control of their people.

Besides the “whats” and the “whys” of the issue, a bigger question surfaces: Who is to blame? According to Dr. Contreras, the President should take responsibility for what happened. “…You can blame history, you can blame what’s happening in Mindanao to all these past sins that have been committed to tomorrow, but in the final analysis, it will have to be always be a question of who was the person [who] could’ve stopped this from happening and [who] could’ve, you know, would probably be the President,” he says.

Dr. Contreras agrees, though, that the MILF are not entirely innocent in the affair. “At the same time, yung mga MILF naman kasi…it’s hard not to blame them because, parang, andun sila sa lugar, nakita naman nila na police yun, di sana nung unang nagkabarilan tapos nakita na police tinigil na nila, diba? But the fact that it’s coming out talagang nakahiga na, duguan, pinatay pa nila. It’s so barbaric.”

What went wrong?

“I think this is one tragedy leading to another tragedy,” Dr. Contreras says of everything that has happened post-Mamasapano. He believes that the initial incident was bad enough, but the way the Filipino government has reacted In the midst of all this confusion has made it even worse.

For one thing, the President should have taken more responsibility for the issue rather than staying silent most of the time. “I think the President should be man enough to come out into the open. He is on top of it, and he should stop hiding because, ang nangyayari, his government’s been eroded.” Dr. Contreras explains that President Aquino’s entire administration is trying to cover up for him, but the difference in stories and alibis has caused confusion and disarray. “…We have an inept, immature, mentally-unstable President. A President made of steel would have come out.”

In the controversy of whether PNoy was informed of the operation or not, Dr. Contreras says that it is not even a question, saying there is no doubt that the President already knew of it. “During his (Aquino’s) speech to the families, he said—and it was captured on TV—he said that he knew already in the morning about it, right? So he knew already.”

In light of this issue, Dr. Contreras cites the President as one of the root causes of this entire controversy: “…Our President doesn’t know how to control his people. We have a problem with MILF not being able to control [their] people. We— also have a President who isn’t able to control his own people. ‘Yan ang problema natin sa ngayon,” he explains.

What could’ve been done?

On whether or not the SAF should have coordinated with the MILF, Dr. Contreras understands why the details of the operation were not disclosed. “Well, [baka mawala] yung huhulihin mo dahil merong isang nag-leak ng information. That’s the risk of coordinating with them, diba? Siyempre sasabihin ng pulis, ‘O, sige pupunta kami diyan para hulihin si Marwan.’ O sasabihin ng MILF sa mga tao sa mga tauhan niya na ‘huwag kayo gumalaw ha.’ Eh, may isa doon na kamag-anak ni Usman, o kaya’y kaibigan ni Marwan kasi nakatira na si Marwan ng matagal doon sa lugar, diba?”

However, despite the blood spilt, he hopes that the MILF are able to contribute to the search for justice. “Mindanao is a very complex problem, but in fairness naman, I wish the MILF leadership will really help in finding out the truth.” Their cooperation, in his opinion, would be a good way to show the government and the people that they are sincere.

What now?

Dr. Contreras firmly believes that the peace process is the correct option in the current situation, but explains that the government is still not taking the necessary steps towards resolving the conflict. “If we’re going to have a peace process, it will be a process that will be more comprehensive, i-rethink natin not to compromise the constitution.”

He believes a major flaw in the current process is that it is not inclusive of other rebel groups, such as the BIFF. “O, diba, pipirma tayo ng kasunduan sa MILF, pano natin masisiguro na ang BIFF ay susunod, di naman sila kasali, diba? That will not solve the problem. Anong peace? It’s not the lasting peace.”

So what can the Philippines do? He goes back to the duty of the Head of State. “The President should come out and apologize to the people, own up to the responsibility. Galit ang mga tao.”

Beyond this, Dr. Contreras hopes that the ones responsible for the massacre of the Fallen 44 are eventually given justice. “Mag-persecute, hulihin kung sino ang may kagagawan, isuko. And even MILF, it will be to MILF’s advantage on credibility if it’s going to help the government [look for] Usman, isuko yung mga may kagagawan ng pamamaril ng nakahiga na binaril pa. That’s going to help the peace process as well.”

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This is the second of three articles wherein we ask faculty from DLSU’s Political Science Department for their take on the Mamasapano Clash. This is an issue that is currently unfolding, and each day more information comes to light. Because the professors in this article were interviewed at different points in time since the clash, the opinions expressed here may not necessarily reflect the interviewees present views on the issue.

READ MORE ON THE MAMASAPANO INCIDENT:

Reviewing the Mamasapano tragedy with the Dr. Ador Torneo

Reviewing the Mamasapano tragedy with the Political Science Department

sue that is currently unfolding, and each day more information comes to light. Because the professors in this article were interviewed at different points in time since the clash, the opinions expressed here may not necessarily reflect the interviewees present views on the issue.