MIM Notes 211                   June 1, 2000

The Malicious objectives of Mr. Estrada 

by Jose Maria Sison, Exiled founding Chairpersyn of the Communist 
Party of the Philippines 9 May 2000 

It is publicly known that the Abu Sayyaf was originally a creation 
of the Philippine Army to split the Moro National Liberation Front 
and to pressure Nur Mishuari to capitulate to the Manila 
government in the 1990s. Since some years ago, it has run out of 
the control of the Philippine Army. Now, it is a deadly problem to 
its own creator. The Abu Sayyaf is crazy enough to take civilians 
or noncombatants as prisoners for ransom. But Mr. Estrada is even 
crazier for doing the following: 1. As if the hostage problem 
posed by the Abu Sayyaf were not enough, Mr. Estrada ordered the 
Philippine Army to attack the camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation 
Front and ignite hostilities on a wider scale in Mindanao. 2. In 
pretending to rescue the hostages, he has allowed his military and 
police forces to shut off negotiations and undertake operations 
which are lethal to both hostage-takers and hostages. 3. 
Demolition experts of the Philippine Army have been exploding 
bombs and throwing grenades at public places in various parts of 
Mindanao to turn the non-Moro people against the Moro people. 
Obviously, Mr. Estrada is trying to achieve certain objectives by 
expanding the dimensions of the Abu Sayyaf hostage-taking. First, 
he wants to draw attention away from so many corruption scandals 
in which he, his multiple families and cronies are involved. 
Second, he relishes the image of being a toughie and he wants to 
impress everyone that he is ever ready with the military solution. 
Third, he prepares for an undeclared or declared martial law or 
emergency situation by which he can deploy the military and police 
for fixing the results of the 2001 elections. But all the 
cleverness of Mr. Estrada and his advisers of Marcos vintage can 
backfire. First, the broad masses of the people see through his 
malicious objectives. They know that he is desperately trying to 
draw their attention away from the corruption scandals by 
aggravating the situation in Mindanao. Second, the MILF is 
fighting back. With the AFP and PNP concentrated in the Moro areas 
and suffering heavy casualties there, the New People's Army can 
intensify offensives in so many other areas where the AFP and PNP 
have thinned out. The armed resistance can spread and intensify 
far beyond the calculations of Mr. Estrada that the crisis is an 
opportunity for him to benefit from personally. Third, the 
European Union has openly expressed concern that Mr. Estrada is 
pushing military operations that jeopardize the lives of the 
hostages in the hands of Abu Sayyaf. Mr. Estrada is under pressure 
to negotiate for the release of the hostages. He will be in deep 
trouble with his foreign creditors if any of the European hostages 
is killed while being "rescued". Fourth, executives of the 
multinational firms and banks are already complaining about the 
talent of Mr. Estrada for aggravation. With his penchant for 
waging war, he has a peculiar way of assuring his foreign masters 
of an attractive environment for their investments.