October 19, 2007, when I got home about 7:00 PM, I was so excited to open the television to watch TV Patrol World of ABS-CBN. Watching TV news is really my usual routine every evening but I was just so worried at that time because an unusual video footage surprised me up when I opened the TV. They stated that there was a bomb exploded inside a mall. When I first heard the news, I’d immediately remembered my mom who was in General Santos City at that time. How I wished that the explosion was not in GenSan.
According to the news report, the bombing was happened in Glorrieta-2 Mall in Makati City. “Thanks God,” I said because it’s too far from GenSan. But until when could I be assured that whoever in my family would never be victimized by any terrorism attacks like this? The worst thing was, Sen. Antonio Trillanes stated his presumption that a terrorist group did not do the bombing in Glorrieta Mall but instead, the government did it since they wanted to place the public’s attention to a new issue. The administration has been facing several issues like; the impeachment complaint against Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the ZTE Broadband Bill, and the revelation of Pampangga Gov. Ed Panlilio about the attempt of Malacanan to bribe him in exchange of not supporting the impeachment complaint against Pres. Arroyo. Inline with the statement of Sen. Trillanes, the National Security Council decided to investigate him for they had seen a possibility of his involvement in this bombing attack.
October 20, it was reported that Sheik Omar, spokesperson of Rajah Solayman Revolutionary Movement called to the ABS-CBN, claiming that their group is the one, which is responsible in Glorrieta bombing.
Omar stated that their demand is to free their leader Amad Santos who was also the mastermind in the Super Ferry bombing attack. Another reason was to give a lecture to the government since a lot of Muslims died due to their attacks in Mindanao. Sheik Omar’s real name is Reuben Omar Ravilla, he is also a former professor in the University of the Philippines- Diliman. PNP and AFP are now strengthening the security in Metro Manila, especially in LRT and MRT stations.
I’ve been living here in Mindanao for almost 18 years. I’ve been dealing with several people from different minorities like Muslims. Muslims are good, their principles are just almost the same like what we have Christians. I don’t believe that terrorism is a part of their Jihad, which we usually define as a holy war. Jihad is not a war because there is no such honor in war and death. Jihad is a struggle or a sacrifice for a common good. Those Islamic revolutionaries that kill innocent people are not Muslims in practice. They are just leaving an embarrassment and stigma to their religion.
“Interfaith dialogue is the best solution for this problem and not a violence,” said Bishop Dinulado D. Gutierrez, D.D, during his pastoral visit in the Notre Dame of Marbel University last August 17, 2007.
