Angelo dela Cruz
July 19th, 2004 at 7:49 am (General)
“As an american filipino I am disgusted at the Filipino Governments actions in Iraq by pulling its troops out at the drop of a hat. I am ashamed to be Filipino at this moment. They should have sent in more troops. Now when the terrorists know how weak they are they will never stop kiddnapping and terrorizing Filipinos because now they know that they can get away with it. Just wait and see. I remember Filipinos sacrificing themselves for freedom, now I see them sacrificing freedom for the will of tyrants,
why did they go there in the first place if they would topple over when the wind blew?” -Steve, a Fil-Am
A life is definitely not what I would call a drop of a hat. This crisis is not some form of chess, where sacrificing a pawn is forgivable. To start with, the US-led war in Iraq is illegal and sending troops there, including the Filipinos was and still is an illegal occupation. The so-called tyrants in this war are not only the extremists who kidnap but more so the Americans and their allies who initiated an unjustified war based on the supposed existence of “weapons of mass destruction” which until now haven’t been found.
Do people honestly believe that this war was started, fought and supported with the aim to liberate Iraq? I believe that it was, more than anything else, a desperate attempt by USA, with its short-sighted leader, to assert itself as a world power. If the intention is really to liberate Iraq from the tyrannical rule of Saddam Hussein, it should have been done years ago. The fact that USA started this war due to the “existence” of “WMDs” only emphasizes the fact that the war is nothing but a pre-emptive strike aimed at thwarting an attack, the possibility of which still remains unsubstantiated. That Iraq is now liberated was not and is still not the primary aim of USA but only a favorable offshoot of USA’s arrogance.
In America, a hostage situation like this might be seen as nothing more than a powerplay, a ploy to cower a nation into submission. But in the Philippines, this situation is something personal. In a country where just about every household has a member working overseas, the hostage of Angelo dela Cruz is not seen as a simple political exercise, but as a personal attack. Angelo dela Cruz represents each and every Filipino working abroad and his kidnapping represents the peril that each of them faces. That’s why it is not surprising that each Filipino feels for him and his family.
Sacrificing a life in exchange for an alliance that was never mutual, in the first place, is not something that I hope would happen. Philippines’ “support” for the war is nothing but GMA kissing up to USA. I don’t think and believe that Philippines needs to be an ally of USA. That we are a Third World country or a “developing country” to be politically-correct, and we need the support and aide of USA is nothing but a falsehood. The USA doesn’t give a damn about our country. What we get from them are no more than surpluses and used up (pinaglumaan) armaments. This country is sovereign and we don’t need any pompous world power dictating our policies in exchange for second-hand dole outs. It’s time that the Philippines start stnading up for itself and its people.
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Nicole said,
July 27, 2004 at 3:58 am
A typical Fil-Am, who never really knows the true values of a Filipino can easily make ignorant commentaries about the recent pull-out. I find it a one-sided view of the decision. I am pleased that the Philippines, in general, has made a definite choice of doing what is right. However, I find that the war in Iraq was not made by the American people, but a planned out attempt to use the country for the president’s greed for oil and hatred for Saddam. I suggest that we all know the facts before we throw out accusations with each other. The American people in general do not like the war. They in fact, call it another Vietnam. Politics is politics. The leaders represent the country, but they are not the country. As much as I love the Philippines and call it my home, I still recognize the fact the America has opened doors to those who could never make it there no matter how hard they labored. I believe it is a matter of choice to the materialistic to be consumed by the imports. A country has to start with itself before it even tries to deal with anthything else. But a country must also make political decisions to protect itself economically and from any future harm it may encounter.