The Heat Is On: Maguindanao Massacre

Di pa man pormal na nagsisimula ang halalan, heto’t nagimbal na tayo ng
isang di matatawaran at kahindik-hindik na gawain ng ilan sa ating mga
kababayan. I personally condemn the people who did the now called,
Maguindanao Massacre. Nakakalungkot isipin na habang mula weekend hanggang
kahapon ay nagdidiwang ang bansa sa pagkapanalo ng ating kababayan na si
Efren Peñaflorida as CNN’s Hero of the Year, biglang may susulpot na
ganitong balita na sadyang nakapanlulumo nga naman talaga.

I am deeply saddened because of the lives that were taken unjustly. Mas
lalong nakakalungkot dahil pati ang mediamen na wala namang ginagawang
masama at ginagampanan lamang ang kanilang tungkulin sa sambayanan ay nasali
sa isang karumaldumal na pamamaslang na sinasabing dulot ng matagal nang
iringan ng dalawang pamilya.

I wonder why and how these people could take their actions. Pano kaya nila
naaatim na matulog ng mahimbing (kung nakakatulog man sila) o nagagawang
mabuhay sa pang-araw-araw habang ang mga puso nila ay puno ng galit at poot
laban sa isa’t isa? I even wonder how could they take these lives just so
they could proclaim that they’re powerful over the other?

I heard in the news this morning na there were around a hundred people who
did the killing. Wow. Don’t they have mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers,
and kids of their own? Haven’t they thought of themselves being on the shoes
of those people they killed (especially those who have nothing to do with
them at all)? Nakakalungkot talaga po, hindi ba?

I have always dreamed of becoming part of the media industry someday, but
how will I continue that dream when I can hear cases such as this? I
sympathize with the family of Mangudadatu and the families of their civilian
supporters who got killed, but I sympathize more with the families of those
people who were just doing their jobs and have nothing to do with this long
overdue family feud.

To the people behind this massacre, I honestly do not know what to say. All
I have are questions. Why did you do that? Why such merciless act? Bakit po
kailangan pang kumitil ng buhay? Bakit po you had to even rape the wife of
the vice mayor and kill her after? Ano po ba ang inyong mapapatunayan sa
paggawa ng mga ito? Hanggang kailan po ba ito?

Originally, the group was reported to be composed of forty persons. As of
this post, twenty-two dead persons were identified. All of them were
brutally killed. Some were even beheaded. Oh my goodness. And you think this
will stop? I don’t think so. I bet, mag-uubusan ang dalawang angkan hanggang
sa kahuli-hulihang tao na nabibilang sa kanila. I wish this won’t happen.
But with what happened, I just couldn’t help but doubt.

I do not know the history of this case, nor of these families. All I know
is, lahat po tayo Pilipino. Bakit kailangan pang magpatayan tayo? Kesehodang
may iringan ang mga pamilya nyo, kailangan po ba talagang may dahas?

As I end this post, allow me to say that as an ordinary citizen of this
country, I am praying that this kind of act ends. I am praying that harm
would be taken away, as well as personal intentions, which primarily is the
reason why some senseless acts such as this happens. I pray that as much as
we could, sana ito na po ang huling mababalitang patayan ng dahil lang sa di
pagkakaunawaan, at dahil lang sa pag-atim ng pwesto sa gobyerno o kahit ano
pang rason. I pray that one day, we’ll wake up na wala nang poot at galit sa
mga puso natin, at tanging kapayapaan at pagmamahal na lamang sa bawat isa.

NOTE: According to reports the families of Mangudadatu’s and Ampatuan’s in
Maguindanao have a long running feud.