As hard as the Arroyo administration tries to show its concern over the escalating conflict, it cannot avoid the blame being laid at its doorsteps. All the elections that were held during Mrs. Arroyo’s reign have invariably been tainted with reports of cheating in Maguindanao. But nobody went to jail and understandably so, if we believe her critics, because it was she who, directly or indirectly, benefited from the fraud.
By refusing, or at the very least, failing to prosecute the offenders, this administration has created a culture of lawlessness. As oaks grow from acorns, big crimes start as little ones. One who cheated and threatened during the elections and got away with it will eventually believe that he can get away with murder, too.
A Palace adviser is now proposing placing the entire Maguindanao under a state of emergency. Let’s hope that the Draconian measure will be used for the purpose that it has been proposed, which is to restore law and order and that there is no hidden agenda behind it such as influencing illegally the results of the 2010 elections.