Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Americans are haunted by Mt. Bud Dajo

Yesterday, September 11, we remember that day as the beginning of the “War on Terror”. Not surprisingly, the current US president, George W. Bush, decides to go cowboy on his so-called “War on Terror”. 5 years later…what happened already on his campaign? Nada! Personally, this “War on Terror” is nothing more but a stupid, cowboy rodeo of Bush.

Call this a déjà vu but I just remembered how the big US of A decided to wage war against “terrorist” and “insurgents” here in the Philippines. And what an irony because it was in Mindanao that one of the bloodiest episode of the Philippine-American War took place: the Battle of Mt. Bud Dajo.

100 years ago, 1906 to be exact, Mt. Bud Dajo was the bastion of Muslim Resistance against the American troops invading Mindanao. The Americans succeeded in capturing the mountain but at a terrible price. 600 Muslim men, women and children were massacred who were courageously resisting the Americans despite the odds that they only have bolos, faith in Mohammed and the desire for freedom. Mt. Bud Dajo, therefore, became a sacred mountain to all the Filipino Muslims as a remembrance of the bravery of their ancestors and remembers the fallen that shed blood and tears for freedom.

100 years later, American troops cannot shake the ghosts of their fore bearers and the massacre continues to haunt them. Despite telling natives to “forgive, forget and move on”, how can these people moved on with history when innocent lives were lost to aggressive Americans who dreamed of an empire in Asia? How can Filipino Muslims, terrorist of not, dealt with the fact that the Americans defiled and desecrated Mindanao with their atrocities? It’s hard and history should not be forgotten like a children’s fight of yesterday.

"I think it's just important that we not be held hostage to history," US Army Colonel James Linder, the top American commander in the Philippines, told villagers in Jolo's provincial capital in Patikul. Err…dear Colonel Linder, did your American History textbook deodorized and cut the pages of this shameful past of the US in the Philippines wherein The killings were denounced by many Americans at the time, including Mark Twain?

Of course Colonel Linder’s countered…"I won't stay here and make an excuse for something that happened 100 years ago," he said. "We truly do mean to do good things to the people in this island," he said. Well said but when will your government and the American people will acknowledge this history was America’s greatest blunder and the most atrocious?

A US Embassy officer, Stephen Ashby, said he would convey the apology demand to American officials.” It saddens me that that happened and ... the American people at the time spoke out on that issue," he said, adding that one of the great things about the U.S. is that "when our government or our military makes a mistake, we hold them accountable because they serve us." Linder explained that the American troops who are here now had no involvement in Jolo's war and urged villagers to cast aside biases in judging his men.

I hate to say this but no matter how “humanitarian” it is, the bloody hands of your fore bearers are still fresh on these people. Take it slow Mr. Ashby and in the next 100 years, perhaps, before these people will be your friends again.

(Blogger’s Note: some parts of this blog is taken at Philippine Daily Inquirer “As Americans mourn 9/11, Filipinos bewail 1906 Jolo killings” Sept. 11, 2001.)

12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

nice write up and very informative historical accounts. American government really don't learn from the lessons of their own history...

9/12/2006 09:55:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This article moved me... very nationalistic and well-argued.Sad thing is most Filipinos are forgetful and do not seem to learn from the past.

1/24/2008 03:16:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting subject but the point is badly argued and full of emotional sentiment rather than facts.
The fact that Americans are (were) "haunted by Mt. Bud Dajo" instead of celebrating it as an historical victory should tell you something.

"The killings were denounced by many Americans at the time, including Mark Twain"

Google "Bud Dajo" and you'll find a lot of denouncing and regret on the part of the Americans.
By the way, just where is this American "empire in Asia"? Where is it written that that was ever a goal of the U.S.?
I seem to remeber something about a Japanese goal along those lines that the Americans helped the Philippines get out from under. I believe a few Americans got massacred during that particular episode in world history.

Another fact is that very few people in the U.S. know anything about it or have ever heard of the massacre at Bud Dajo.
Another fact is that although few people in the U.S. really "like" Bush (30% favor him) 85% favor the continuation of some form of a "war on terror". Even Obama!

Yes. The massacre at Bud Dajo was a tragedy and a big black mark on U.S. history. One of a quite a few... but somebody needs to speak up for the thousands of people who died in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. There were Philippine citizens there too. Those people were not combatants and more of them died than did at Bud Dajo.

Think about this the next time Abu Sayyaf decides to bomb a few Philippine infidel civilians. America isn't the enemy of the Philippines although it may sound "cool" to bash it.
A little more study and introspection is needed by the author of this article.

3/08/2008 11:10:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Think about this the next time Abu Sayyaf decides to bomb a few Philippine infidel civilians."

Read:
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=5288

3/11/2008 06:27:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Muy interesante. Si le apetece leer más información sobre este y otros hechos del genocidio filipino, lo remito a mi blog

http://fonsucu.blogspot.com/

5/25/2008 09:41:00 AM  
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12/04/2010 07:17:00 PM  
Blogger Book-Fellers place said...

People often say forget the past, and yet what they are really saying is, let's forget all the uncomfortable memories and leave them out of the history books, it all looks so much nicer that way.
When Western nations find it so incredibly difficult to learn any lesson from even recent history and continue to meddle,but perhaps it's a universal trait-perhaps we have Lemmings in our Genes!

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