It is facile to conclude that martial law has been a failure in Mindanao simply because of Sunday’s bomb attack on a Catholic church in Jolo, Sulu that killed 20 people and wounded scores of others.
There can be no doubt that there was a serious lapse in police and military intelligence in this case, as well as in the New Year’s Eve bomb attack at a Cotabato City mall. But to leap to the conclusion that martial law is a failure based on these two incidents seems illogical and premature.
After all, can we say with any certainty that there wouldn’t have been more attacks without martial law?
On the other hand, the government’s statement that the bomb attacks show that martial law must remain in effect in Mindanao is simplistic and a little too convenient.
Somewhere between these two positions lies the truth, and we can only hope that the inevitable congressional investigations that will follow provide more answers than questions.
In the meantime, Sunday’s bomb attack is a clear challenge to the police and the military. It highlights the weaknesses in their security measures and the need to improve their capability to prevent similar attacks.
The measures taken immediately after the Jolo attack—increased checkpoints and heightened security in public places—will help to an extent, but they are extraordinary steps that clearly emphasize that things are far from normal. A more effective solution would be for security forces to quickly identify the bombers and neutralize them with the same mercy they showed the churchgoers who died in Jolo.
From a broader perspective, Sunday’s attack is a challenge to the administration, flush with the success of the “yes” vote in the recently concluded plebiscite to ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The product of peace talks between the government and Moro rebels, the BOL sets the stage for the creation of a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that would give Moros greater autonomy, which has been seen as the way to peace after decades of war in the south.
An attack on a Catholic church is obviously an attempt to fan religious hatred that has fueled the conflict in Mindanao—and can only be the work of those who oppose the BOL and the BARMM. These forces clearly must be stopped.
This, too, is a challenge to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which will have a key leadership role to play in the new BARMM. It is not enough for the MILF to deny any involvement in Sunday’s bomb attack, as it has done. Given its stake in the new order, it needs to bring its considerable influence and resources in the region to help remove the enemies of peace.
