Chapter 17
Conscription
"War should all be fought on all fronts. That's what we've been doing all through those years in this endless war. Working with the people to the best of our ability in the community in their socio-economic life building those social support services from farm to market road and other basic social services securing peace and order, this indeed has been our avowed mission too."
"Like any ordinary citizen in other words. But that's not enough. Whether we like it or not we should show our force in times of war or we would be annihilated too ourselves by the enemies."
"We sent volunteers in Vietnam, remember PHILCAG? Though the majority of our men were not directly involved in war zones, we had at least made our presence felt even in a humanitarian capacity there. It was not easy though seeing war at its barest. But that proves to one and all that we have to collectively fight the commies to end this scourge of the earth. Why can't they work and not use people to pursue their end?"
"It was rather weird seeing thousands of Americans and communists killed but that's all-in war. You either win some or lose some.
After all, death is considered the bridesmaid of any soldier. "
"Quiet surprisingly you could hardly imagine the very slim built of Phom Phen, fighting against the Americans making them look like stupid."
"That's the problem we have with the war of the flea. It's practically war of the nerve as you seek to have an upper hand against commies who are a better practitioner of the trade than we are in the jungle."
"The American soldiers could alright wreak havoc during day time but normally the communists could make it even and better in the evening when unexpectedly they strike and ultimately overwhelmed the resting Americans in their bunker for good. They would simulate the same acts in the field amidst forest and wherever places the Vietcongs could strike."
"Meanwhile, Phom Phen secured in his War Room in the cave maintains the momentum calling the shots there. And as later vindicated, the foreign invaders were humiliated. I mean considering the proportions 40,000 died out of 80,000 or something to 30,000 out of 60,000 Phom Phen conscripted, the US gets the severest blow. Not only that they also lost face at home and before International Community. And that is huge humiliation."
"I'm not personally surprised if the Americans would be defeated in the end. Imagine fighting two battles – in war zones and at home. Tell me what are the chances of winning in that situation? Nil almost."
"Alright you might kill all the commies but winning the battle in your home is hard. You can't win a war you know without any moral persuasion. Believe me. That's what the US learns with their experience in Vietnam, same humiliating result in Afghanistan," Major de la Rosa further stressed confidence that he has given his men benefits of their doubts.
"Let's go back where we are – to the Philippines -. So far so good. But we're still far from completing our homework. This might be our last enemy. And this makes this war tough and dirty. It's just like fighting against your own shadow you know. It's really hard to imagine. And what if you're fighting against your brother, father, and or relatives of the same blood, race, and nation. Indeed, one could hardly imagine finding ourselves in this same trap and predicament."
"But what could we do. The Constitution so stipulates that we have to protect people's lives. This war our forefathers fought since Lapulapu when Magellan planted his cross in Mactan till they fought against the Americans, Japs, and all that so far would go unabated until peace in our lives reign supreme. For are not called crusaders of peace ourselves, living in peace with our fellowmen and God. Unfortunately, others would like to court disasters. That our country would not allow happening."
"Okay I repeat, sheer force is needed when reason fails. Never mind, how fast the commies multiply as they normally brainwashed civilians into joining their movement. The faster the better to fulfill completing our job. We can do no less. Our country is all that we've got. We can't afford to have it taken from us by an assuming committee. Even then there's no guarantee they would ever survive if they won this war. They might for a short period but not for too long because by then another group would challenge their legitimacy."
"You can't stay long you know sitting on a power taken by bayonets aptly expressed later by Yeltsin after breaking the backbone of Communism in Russia. True. But that's practically the other dimension of war. If ever they have the will and means in destroying democracy. By all means but nobody thinks it so. You don't think so. And I don't think so," Major de la Rosa thought secured on the synthesis of his struggle against the commies.
"Having said that setting the tone of probably the biggest share we could offer to democracy; we hope that we could recapture Mt. Sungcal without firing a single shot. But that is easier said than done. Never mind we have to kill as many as we could. Let's just charge them as an excess of this big military event. We can't just get rid you know with excesses. It's all part of the equation."
"It's the price we have to pay and to accept defending democracy. If they would recapitulate, then we should cease firing. If not, then better not be the casualties ourselves. Let us try our very best to survive to be living witnesses of our successful defense of the country. If our forefathers were able to suppress rebellion then we should follow suit. We have to continually fly the flag of democracy you know forever and ever."
"Amen," an officer seconded.
"You're right so be it," the Major complimented.
Major de la Rosa went on briefing the terrain of the target, where to stage the air strike etc.
"War should all be fought on all fronts. Sheer force is needed. We should not sit on our laurels. We've got to move faster and faster. Never mind how fast the commies multiply. Let them multiply geometrically. The many our target the better," Major Taklin de la Rosa emphasized before the group of officers. He went on to reveal why we could not trust commies relating to the horror shrouding the movement – the senseless killing, the zombies, the killing fields, and the mistrust feeding among them.
"When mistrust creeps in that's nearing the collapse of the movement. How can you move when somebody is looking after every single step? Before we know it killing one another ensued. And that's the story of almost all terrorist movements like the NPAs."
The junior officers were all attentive to the lecture of Maj. de la Rosa.
"You've got to believe it. You might not have known it. But Pentagon released a paper among others listing the NPA as one of the terrorist groups along with hijackers, kidnap for ransom and several others."
"Does it not run counter to the very principle they're fighting for?" a query from the participant.
"You're right but you should be practical. War involves money. How could you fight without ammunition? How would you feed your battalion without money? In other words, how you would survive? Precisely, we've got to drain the water out from the aquarium to catch the fishes easier."
Satisfaction was written all over the face of the listening soldiers. But the lecturer went on with his bombshell.
"Where does it leave us. Who is behind the movement? You know better than me. Except for Cuba where people through Castro and Che Guevarra successfully drove Batista out and established themselves in power, all other countries I know of North Korea, Mainland China, Vietnam, Nicaragua, and the Philippines had been for one reason or another constant recipient of rainfall from big countries. Think of the training, their leader got from the Communist countries like China and Russia. Think of the big hardware we caught from them."
"Recall the MV Karagatan captured on the shore of Palanan, Isabela many years past. These are the reality we should accept," he reiterated back the story of the past.
"As I said let them multiply fast and let's hope that they would not die their natural death. Incidentally, it would. Know what? What would you get out of rhetoric giving justice to where it's due, poverty, graft and corruption, land reform, and all that? What else if not barely the emotions attached to it and no substance?"
"That is what we should be all aware of. Intellectual dishonesty. Explaining the issues at length until they are explained away. This war is dirty but we should not fall into the trap of adding complexity to the problem. There are the media who handles that and I hope they do their best to report the atrocities committed by both parties. But again, we should not provoke if need be taking any surviving casualties for treatment in the headquarter."
"Let us engage in war but let us be compassionate with life. Time would come they would soon realize that they are fighting a cause on the wrong side, the Major declared recalling the pain some of his men experienced at the hands of the NPAs when they were overrun killing many of his men at will worst the survivors' given coup'd grace: survivors lined up shoot point-blank, hacked dead, eyes gouged out from their sockets, beheaded, shot in the head and all that barbaric form of killing. They are in his own words, the worst defeat that ever happened to the armed forces of the Philippines. Precisely there's a need of rethinking the strategies adopted in containing the pressure of the underground movement," he emphasized. But he's far from his stimulating lecture.
"That's what all we got in the war. Again, we win some and lose some. It's just playing basketball we should not let laxity and complacency lord over us if we have to win. Remember we've got the moral integrity and persuasion in engaging this war. And no less than the great majority of the millions and millions of populations is behind us rallying for peace and the end of this turmoil. When I could not tell where there is division, we would always be on guard."
"What about the ceasefire," a participant interrupted.
"Why not?"
"Indeed, why not," further interjected.
"See. By all means, we've got to. To provide the necessary excuse for the commies to be with their families on holidays and Christmas. Temporary termination of atrocities they said."
"Our men also need the break you're right. But I believe no amount of ceasefire could be the final catharsis to the disease spread by the commies one that could end the fighting once and for all."
"Remember they are ideologues graduate of hard knocks and paperbacks on communism. We can only win them into our side by destroying their ideology. But that's a very tall order and might not be addressed at all. You see a theory is good but unless it's proven sound, we've got to change it with a better workable theory. Unfortunately, the commies don't compromise their ideology."
"And that's bullshit. There is no such thing as a perfect society. You know that. Not even Mainland China and Russia. It's human nature to work hard to give himself additional rewards. You can't just condemn an outright man to work hard to award himself with an incentive. No wonder that equality exists in any communist countries."
"Those who think on the contrary should examine better their minds. So where can we possibly win them back into our sides? In any square table. We've got to contest their ideas with better if not best ideas. Beyond that application of sheer force will do. And that's our primary concern."
"Who said that we cannot kill an idea. They're wrong. By all means. We could. Why not? With a better idea of course," so said Major Taklin de la Rosa wanting that his participants would graduate under his talk with flying colors.
This talk should indeed be in order as many senseless killings have been featured in almost all encounters. The farther they go the harder the challenge. If the commies would go on their way provoking further atrocities, he's more than willing to meet them. No guts, no glory. But he would readily add honor and country after service of course. If there's a need to change this generation we have to, Communism is such a dirty ideology. It doesn't reconcile with God.
"Who, he said. who they are? More than God! True that the Philippines being one of the Christian nations in Asia and not necessarily a Catholic country in Asia has not been true to its name. But what could a Church do? It could not legislate a better world. It's the work of everybody else, not just the Church," Taklin defended.
"Above all else don't forget history. He will be the final judge. When the time of reckoning comes, let it be on our side. That's every Filipino plea and hope for. Let's just do our share we will win this war. No one can stop us. It's a mandate we have to do and deliver." he ended.
. . . . . . . . . . . .