The cease-fire had been broken. The fierce fighting in Southern Philippines, Basilan, has started once again early in August after the deaths of 15 marines. It is reported that after an ambush - turned 8 to 10-hour firefight- 10 of the bodies were later recovered- mutilated, said to have been beheaded. Soldiers claim that even the arms and private parts were severed as well. This was an operation in search for the Italian priest-missionary, Father Bossi. The assailants known as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF claimed the ambush but denied the mutilations. The Marines, on the other hand suspected that these are the works of another radical Islamic group known as Abu-Sayyaf, and that the MILF may be harboring these terrorists.
Since August, many government troops have paid their lives. The whole scenario looks somewhat out of the Vietnam War; but unlike the Vietnam War, much of the Filipinos agree to finally put an end to these radical groups.
I recently heard reports that over 100 US Special Forces have arrived in Basilan for advanced counter-terrorism training and not to engage the insurgents. However, the area is now on 'media blackout' and we only get fractions of what is going on there.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-08-19-philippines-fighting_N.htm?csp=34
(US Backed?)
Here's a few videos from the frontlines in the height of the new radical Islamic insurgency and before the military's (AFP) full occupation in the area.
The Phillipines Forgotten War Part I. 03 August 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Street War - Fraternities turned Gangs
It is a sad and even strange to lose someone close to you. I often times think something like this happens to someone else, but last Saturday I lost a friend. It was violence-related, and I find it quiet surreal and almost improbable but not necessarily unpredictable. He was a fraternity member; and in the Philippines, fraternity had a very morbid twist from an ordinary campus based organization to a type of street gang.
I do not know exactly when this distortion happened, but my friend wasn't the first one to fall victim. Many kids, some young enough to even be in a fraternity died tragic deaths. Most deaths range from out of school youths to college students, just like my friend. The killings are usually planned, some are homicide incidents, and the notorious kind probably are the random killings frat members call "O.p." or Operation 'Patay' meaning Kill or just Operation. Operations are headed mostly by rogue frat leaders who plan out to go to certain neighborhoods in search of a rival frat member initiating what is commonly known as 'bira'. Bira or Gibirahan(past tense) is a Visayan dialect in central Philippines. It simply means to pull or drag and is not really a violent word depending on what it means. Bira is initiated in different ways, one is beating a rival usually outnumbering him, another is doing a hit-and-run maneuver. Before, bira was hiting someone by unarmed melee assault without giving him the chance to fight back. In time, some frat members began using knives and guns and actually committing murder on spot and in public places.
Each member killed creates vendetta among the groups. This is how and why the killings never cease and is soaring.
Somehow, the violence between groups specifically like Alpha Kappa Rho and Tau Gamma Phi in some parts of the Philippines is not rampant compared to this region, Cebu. In Cebu, you can actually hear members from both groups get killed weekly on the newspapers, radio, in campus and even on the T.V., some instances involving people mistakenly branded as a frat member or caught between a crossfire.
Sadly, the authorities are doing less to stop the killings since it involves young men who are usually sons of wealthy well-connected families. And they think it would be better off if the members killed each other so no one will be left behind. However, one must remember that not every member of the two "notorious" groups are happy with how this is going. I myself, an inactive member of Alpha Kappa Rho am strongly against it. I am also against the fact that many of my 'brothers' are recruiting high school kids who -honestly to say - ignorant and oblivious to the dangers they are putting their lives into. I also am very displeased with the reality that many out of school youths are recruited, I know many of these members have never even graduated from elementary and are quite the 'hot-headed' bunch seeing the organization as well-built gang they can always rely whatever they do into it and are frankly always the violent types.
My friend who is a member of Tau Gamma Phi- my fraternity's supposed rival gang- was shot around 5 am, Saturday while having drinks with his neighbors and frat-brothers. While on his way to relieve himself a friend joined him and both were shot from the back by an unknown assailant. Unknown, but all leads point to a frat rivalry they have in their area. My friend was shot twice in the abdominal area and while his neighbor sustained a shot in the head. Both died in the hospital.
Hearing the news sometime around noon in Saturday, I honestly did not feel a thing. I was so shocked I was numbed and confused. I was not prepared for something like it. Although, I did imagined such a thing could happen to him knowing that he was quite the aggressive member. I always warned him never to get involved in anything they do...But I have always known him to be a loyal Tau Gamma as well. As of now, I just could not calculate my emotions, a part of me could not accept. I felt sorry for him and his mother who happens to be a teacher in the campus and is quite aged. I hope she is stronger than I imagine - she seems to. He was like a brother to me, and he, who is older than I am, treated me like his young brother in return. I could never even recall a time he actually got irritated or angry at me. I think he set his anger on something/someone else. And it is in the bond we have I fully realized that you really don't need to be a member of anything if you seek a strong friendship. You don't need a fraternity to feel that brotherly or sisterly relation. Everything starts with friendship, even if you or your friends belong to "rival-groups". We just have to look beyond the borders and see people as they are, and not what they're supposed to represent. After all, whether we like it or not, we are all brothers...
Rest in Peace, my friend.
I do not know exactly when this distortion happened, but my friend wasn't the first one to fall victim. Many kids, some young enough to even be in a fraternity died tragic deaths. Most deaths range from out of school youths to college students, just like my friend. The killings are usually planned, some are homicide incidents, and the notorious kind probably are the random killings frat members call "O.p." or Operation 'Patay' meaning Kill or just Operation. Operations are headed mostly by rogue frat leaders who plan out to go to certain neighborhoods in search of a rival frat member initiating what is commonly known as 'bira'. Bira or Gibirahan(past tense) is a Visayan dialect in central Philippines. It simply means to pull or drag and is not really a violent word depending on what it means. Bira is initiated in different ways, one is beating a rival usually outnumbering him, another is doing a hit-and-run maneuver. Before, bira was hiting someone by unarmed melee assault without giving him the chance to fight back. In time, some frat members began using knives and guns and actually committing murder on spot and in public places.
Each member killed creates vendetta among the groups. This is how and why the killings never cease and is soaring.
Somehow, the violence between groups specifically like Alpha Kappa Rho and Tau Gamma Phi in some parts of the Philippines is not rampant compared to this region, Cebu. In Cebu, you can actually hear members from both groups get killed weekly on the newspapers, radio, in campus and even on the T.V., some instances involving people mistakenly branded as a frat member or caught between a crossfire.
Sadly, the authorities are doing less to stop the killings since it involves young men who are usually sons of wealthy well-connected families. And they think it would be better off if the members killed each other so no one will be left behind. However, one must remember that not every member of the two "notorious" groups are happy with how this is going. I myself, an inactive member of Alpha Kappa Rho am strongly against it. I am also against the fact that many of my 'brothers' are recruiting high school kids who -honestly to say - ignorant and oblivious to the dangers they are putting their lives into. I also am very displeased with the reality that many out of school youths are recruited, I know many of these members have never even graduated from elementary and are quite the 'hot-headed' bunch seeing the organization as well-built gang they can always rely whatever they do into it and are frankly always the violent types.
My friend who is a member of Tau Gamma Phi- my fraternity's supposed rival gang- was shot around 5 am, Saturday while having drinks with his neighbors and frat-brothers. While on his way to relieve himself a friend joined him and both were shot from the back by an unknown assailant. Unknown, but all leads point to a frat rivalry they have in their area. My friend was shot twice in the abdominal area and while his neighbor sustained a shot in the head. Both died in the hospital.
Hearing the news sometime around noon in Saturday, I honestly did not feel a thing. I was so shocked I was numbed and confused. I was not prepared for something like it. Although, I did imagined such a thing could happen to him knowing that he was quite the aggressive member. I always warned him never to get involved in anything they do...But I have always known him to be a loyal Tau Gamma as well. As of now, I just could not calculate my emotions, a part of me could not accept. I felt sorry for him and his mother who happens to be a teacher in the campus and is quite aged. I hope she is stronger than I imagine - she seems to. He was like a brother to me, and he, who is older than I am, treated me like his young brother in return. I could never even recall a time he actually got irritated or angry at me. I think he set his anger on something/someone else. And it is in the bond we have I fully realized that you really don't need to be a member of anything if you seek a strong friendship. You don't need a fraternity to feel that brotherly or sisterly relation. Everything starts with friendship, even if you or your friends belong to "rival-groups". We just have to look beyond the borders and see people as they are, and not what they're supposed to represent. After all, whether we like it or not, we are all brothers...
Rest in Peace, my friend.
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