Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada (UNTV News)
MANILA, Philippines – Justice for the slain PNP-Special Action Force troopers and peace in Mindanao can only be attained if government wages war to end the existence of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
This was the pronouncement of former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada after the bloody encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that killed 44 members of the PNP-SAF, 7 civilians and 18 MILF members.
“What kind of government do we have if we can’t impose our own laws in our own land. My heart goes out to our young policemen. In order to get justice for them we really need to wage war,” he said.
For Mayor Estrada, entering into a peace agreement with the MILF was already pushed by past administrations but these did not prosper.
“I have that experience with them and they are not true to their words… When the peacetalks resumed, Kauswagan was set on fire, 6 children were burned to death, 2 soldiers were killed. How many more lives must be sacrificed.”
Estrada said, under the 40 years of the MILF’s existence, kidnapping had been taking place and many civilians have died because of attacks.
For Estrada, what happened to the 44 SAF troopers is too much.
“Just like what I did when I was the president. We have exhausted all remedies to make peace with them and to no avail. So what is next? I think the only solution there is to wage war to earn peace,” he added. (Victor Cosare, UNTV News)