"Still, the war under the order continues to get dirtier"
By Kat Ulrike
Despite the statements from the government and its apologists, defence and internal security policy in the Philippines has nothing to do with their "Securing the Land" against foreign invaders nor curbing criminality, let along "Uphelding the order" against those who seriously dare to oppose them. It is fundamentally a policy designed to ensure that the people supports policies the government has imposed "in the name of the people"- and that includes programs that the military/police actively involves.
For sure the order would claim "they're upholding democracy", "curbing crime", "attains economic and social objectives" through promoting national defence and internal security. During the early years of the Duterte regime police operations "Tokhang" and "Double Barrel" was launched as part of the campaign to end drug trade and abuse. Statements may claim that this program means "approach and talk" despite news reports caused cops to kill their suspects outright-especially those without search nor arrest warrants. This procedure did extend to the so-called "enemies of the state", of those who voice dissent against the regime and its policies, and be justified as "subversives" if not authorities trying to deny their involvement in such killing.
With this example would say that this decades-old unconventional and undeclared war continues to exist, that the excesses of the Marcos's Martial Law regime continues to do its job "in the name of restoring order" through a multidimensional political, economic, psychological and ideological program "against crime and terrorism" that remains the same as in the past- with oplans Tokhang, Double Barrel, and operations Kapanatagan, Kalasag, as well as the creation of the NTF-ELCAC with its "whole of nation approach" is an application of the decades-old Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) strategy whose intent is "total war at the grassroots level."
It is not surprising, especially when economic aid, or humanitarian assistance, has been treated as tools for this decades-old application of the LIC. With news such as the alleged surrenders to that of captured/or killed rebels due to military operations would say that their "pacification as successful"; along with civic-military missions all acting as propaganda to those of forming civilian paramilitary action programmes "to secure pacified areas"; The creation of counter-groups, misinformation campaigns, all in accordance to this modern-day LIC has ramped up as government sources tell people that "they all given up the struggle." But, with realities such as those of displacement of people, of arrests of oppositionists due to "trumped-up charges", or even deaths brought by extrajudicial killings, this doesn't stop the people from getting concerned especially under a regime whose leader having disdain for human rights.
That disdain reflects the policies and the actions brought by its forces, what more of its apologists who churned comments two and fro in social media- and it is way far from what they claim "they're fighting for democracy/or freedom" as their idol leader Duterte failed to create an atmosphere of democracy/or freedom as such.
Otherwise, these things happened is all but a moneymaking spree using the banner of internal security/or national defence. Speaking of national defence, the administration prioritises in its 2022 budget the AFP modernisation program. Despite mishaps (such as the recent accidents on newly-brought aircraft to that of budgetary problems over procurement), the proposed budget shows that the administration seriously prioritises defence and public order more with the Defence department alone has been allocated php222 million for its operations. Not surprising especially when a regime whose perchance for upholding older has to pour money for the military, worse, to see fatcats in uniform stubbornly eager to get a bigger share of the budget, pretending they're for modernisation/or for peace when in fact seeing an administration, driven by self interest, brought loyalties from these men in uniform in an attempt to rally support such as in this time of popular concern if not criticism towards the regime.
The irony is, the current administration's claim about the country’s defense capability in protecting disputed waters remains in question, given the government’s obvious display of subservience to the continued aggression of China in the West Philippine Sea; if not the 2016 statement how Duterte publicly criticized the purchase of fighter jets from Korea, saying that we cannot use the units in counterinsurgency, and thus a waste of taxpayers’ money. The statement outrightly betrayed the real intention of increasing “defense capability” as being more on counterinsurgency through this ever-continuing LIC rather than on defending national sovereignty especially in the face of ever-aggressive China.
Hence, what kind of priority the order seriously focus on in "securing"? Is it the country, its patrimony, and its sovereignty? Or the ever-prevailing order whose interest trumps over the common people? Remember, this modern-day Low Intensity Conflict comes in various forms- with apologists claiming this as part of their efforts in "winning the peace", "securing the land", or whatsover all at the expense of the people they're supposedly protecting.