Fear Factor, Martial Law, and Dengvaxiaphobia

There are two sides that are anchored on fear factor in the extension of martial law in Mindanao.

The first is the fear that Mindanao would be engulfed by continuing violence by terrorist groups if martial law is not extended.

The second is the fear by critics of the current dispensation that President Rodrigo Duterte would use the extended martial law as a pretext to perpetuate himself in power.

Which side are you? If you fear terrorists and support the extension, you are a peace-loving Pinoy who trust President Duterte to protect the country from demons.

If you despise the extension, you don’t want Mindanaoans, and your countrymen throughout the Philippines, to live in peace. You do not only inspire or sympathize with the terrorists. You are also a terrorist.

By a vote of 10-5, the Supreme Court has sent to kingdom come attempts by pro-terrorist groups and personalities to derail the extension of martial law in Mindanao.

To whom did the Supreme Court listen to in reaching the decision?

To the woeful voice of the people of Marawi City, thousands of whom fled from their city to escape Maute Group terrorists who terrorized their city in fear and violence for five long months and whose homes were turned into rubbles in the ensuing bloody fighting with government troops.

Coming after the defeat of the marauders, the High Court upholding the year-long extension of martial rule buttressed the people’s trust in government to defend the country from terrorists.

The Supreme Court also gave value to the argument of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that the terrorists remain a threat to Mindanao’s peace.

President Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23 last year, the day after hundreds of Maute Group terrorists – inspired by the international Middle East-based terror group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and backed by the Mindanao-based Abu Sayyaf, the Southeast Asian cell of international terrorist organization al Qaeda --- stormed Marawi City.

It took government forces five months of bloody fighting to free Marawi, a Muslim city in western Mindanao.

Despite the defeat of the terrorists in the Marawi siege that left hundreds of the jihadists, soldiers, policemen and civilians dead, President Duterte and the military knew that the seed of terrorism has not died and will continue to hound Mindanao, if the government is not armed with more teeth by martial law in confronting the terrorists.

Defending its recommendation to extend the martial law for a year, the AFP argued before the Supreme Court that the terrorist threat persists and that public safety requires the extension.

The AFP also argued that the Maute, although defeated is regrouping and its rank now being beefed up by foreign terrorists and local recruits.

Critics of the Duterte administration are deaf and dumb on the military warning and have no heart for Marawi and its people.

The terrorist groups Maute and its allies the Abu Sayyaf, ISIS and al Qaeda do not lack in friends and sympathizers in the Senate, the House, former government of ficials and local militants, who have combined efforts and resources to abort the extension of martial law.

Four groups had filed petitions with the Supreme Court questioning the legality of the extension of martial law in Mindanao.

Their arguments are a cacophony of empty rhetoric and histrionics and legal gobbledygook, with motive solely to shame the Duterte administration: that the extension of martial law in Mindanao is a prelude to place the whole country under martial rule or under a revolutionary government, a shield to commit human rights violations, and to perpetuate a Duterte dictatorship.

It is the height of extreme callousness that in their hidden political motives to discredit President Duterte, these pro-terrorists should disregard the fact that the extension of martial law in Mindanao has as its primordial concern the total defeat of terrorism.

Not a drop of tear for these pro-terrorists for the troopers and policemen and civilians who died in the siege. They want more violence inflicted on the people by opposing the only means that government could stop the terrorists.

It is lamentable that the loudest voices from these cabal of pro-terrorist personalities, alas, come from politicians masquerading as senators and congressmen, the same people who are supposed to protect us from terrorists.

They had hounded martial law declaration from the first time it was declared after the Marawi siege, to its 60-day extension after it expired at the end December 2017, and up to President Duterte’s plea to extend martial law for one year to last up to December, 2018, in view of the continuing threats from the terrorists and for government to have time to rebuild Marawi City.

The Supreme Court has dismissed for lack of merit the four consolidated petitions against the extension of martial law in Mindanao.

The Supreme Court decision is a triumph for the peace-loving Pinoys.

And a testament TO the callousness of people who seek to inflict more harm on the Pinoys by opposing the extension of martial law before the Supreme Court. They should be enshrined at the top of the country’s hate list.

They are former Commission on Elections chairman Christian Monsod and his group, former Commission on Human Rights chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales and his group, Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman and his group of congressmen, and the group led by Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao.

Added to this cabal of terrorist supporters should be Senator Frank Drilon and his company of seven minority senators who supported the petitions against the extension of martial law.

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DENGVAXIAPHOBIA. Doctors and nurses of the Davao City Health Office, backed by employees and barangay health workers, are doing overtime in the measles prevention program in wake of low turn-out in barangay health centers following the anti-dengue Dengvaxia vaccine controversy.

Local health officials implemented a house-to-house measles vaccination after vaccinating only about 60 percent of the city’s young children.

Accordingly, mothers refuse to have their children immunized with anti-measles vaccines following the Dengvaxia scare. The Health Department has embarked on a massive information campaign to clarify that measles vaccines are not Dengvaxia.

The government is conducting a full-blown probe into allegations of bribery in the P3.5 billion purchase of Dengvaxia vaccines involving President Noynoy Aquino and former Health secretary Janet Garin, who cleared Dengvaxia for nationwide implementation despite lack of clinical trial of the anti-dengue vaccine.

The probe is also looking into potential health risk to about 800,000 children vaccinated with Dengvaxia.

Government is currently looking into the allegedly Dengvaxia-related death of a dozen children.

SCARE TACTIC. A teacher in a public school in Davao City has a scare tactic to silence a noisy, rowdy class.

“If you don’t behave and stop the noise, I will bring in Secretary Garin to inject you with Dengvaxia.”