Shifting Narrative of #Fallen44: From Marwan's Finger to Crying Generals

February 10, 2015

After today's emotional plea by PNP's Espina, the narrative of #Fallen44 has been shifted from 'why were they there in the first place?' to 'how gruesome the killing was?'.

This shift is very strategic: hitting multiple birds with one stone.

On one hand, it drowns the difference between the leadership of AFP and PNP concerning whether the MILF did coddle Marwan or not. This is a very important if not the most important issue. Because if indeed Marwan was not in Mamapasano this would render this whole BBL-suspending, nationwide mourning, nation-dividing, senate-hearing soap-like unfolding drama , a catastrophic blunder of PNP. Add this the high number of casualty and  to the fact that this high-risk operation was not coordinated with the MILF despite the peace agreement contract, then one can easily imagine that this is blunder upon blunder upon blunder. The agreement stipulates that there is no exception in coordinating law enforcement operations even for high-value targets according to OPAPP.

On the other hand, one issue that's not even being mentioned, except as a side issue to be discussed only as an executive privilege is the role of the USA in the OPLAN: Exodus operation. Is this a part of the US government JSOC operation? Or part of the Dirty Wars or Blackwater (now known as Academi) bounty hunting operation exposed by the award winning journalist, Jeremy Scahill? According to a report, several american planned the operation in a beach resort in Zamboanga City  to neutralize Marwan . As far as government is concerned these entities don't exist although they could have hundreds of covert operations, in multiple continents around the world. In essence, their bounty-hunting missions are targeted killings of high value targets that may at times lead to disasters killing innocent civilians in the process. Due to their covert nature, their missions are not acknowledged publicly and their failures are covered up.

Exposing this alternate narrative is important because the Filipino masses, the voters, and the king makers are still bellowing in the post 911 global anti-terror mindset. Global war on Terror - as defined by both Bushes the father and the son are not accepted anymore. To limit the Bush Doctrine (attacking countries with terrorists and preemptive strikes) , Obama continued a targeted killing strategy such as drone strikes and special operations. The Obama administrate just contracted Academi-Blackwater to provide services for the CIA for 250 million dollars.

There are many questions left unanswered related to Mamapasano clash:

How many times Marwan has to die? Just like the death of Bin Laden, we just have to accept he is dead because the authorities said so, Although unlikely if he turns alive again somewhere, it may turn out that Marwan only left us his middle finger.

Thus the issue of justice and accountability that the Filipino people clamor may end in two directions. Firstly, with the PNP. Senator Meriam could be so justified in blaming solely Purisima and the PNP as a whole. Or it may go even beyond Pnoy and the Philippines and may even reach Obama himself where the buck stop.  Then it started with the US and ends with the US.  

In the meantime, the nation's mood is undulating between the borders of Islamophobia and soap opera like drama in the Senate Hearing. The BBL hearing has been indefinitely stalled.

Now I can understand why a seasoned, battle-hardened police general could cry like Judy Ann Santos in her Mara Clara days. And yes back to status quo.