A Soldier’s Frustration

I was channel surfing earlier tonight when I chanced upon the national TV news. Brig. Gen. Mark Antonio Supnet was talking animatedly, was very upset and walked out of the room in reaction to accusations from local politicians. Allegedly, his unit, the 104^th Brigade of the Philippine Army did not react fast enough to the MILF attacks last Monday. Full story here.

I understand the frustrations by the local executives but to put all the blame to the soldiers is quite unfair and quite heartbreaking for me considering that the soldiers themselves lost some of their comrades during that attack while some were even badly injured. Interviews made to the locals indicated that there were already tell-tale signs of the attack a few days before but the local executives were unable to coordinate or report them with the military to immediately prevent the attacks.

Further, these attacks could have been prevented if the current government did not allow the MILF to return to their camps, which were seized by the military last 2000.

One of the local executives, a congressman, was even quite indignant and did a grandstanding act after the frustrated general walked out of the room. I wonder if this congressman can do his grandstanding act if he is the one facing the MILF out there in the battlefield.

He should know that the soldiers have been up on their feet without let-up fighting the insurgents since Monday and the least he could do along with his co-politicians is to thank the soldiers for protecting their spoiled bums. Better yet, they can stand with the soldiers side by side (he should be in the frontline) and fight the insurgents. I wonder if he and the other politicians can have the balls to be in the battlefield.