You can condemn this to death until you’re blue in the face, and you can release tons of press releases on how many laws have been violated … but in the quiet of your situation room (i hope you are already working in your situation room and I hope it is orderly) you’ll still need to draw up scenarios and how to resolve each of them.
Just some notes:
ISA LANG ANG MAGSASALITA! [rough translation: there should only be one pointman as far as releasing the public statements are concerned – the English translation is more modulated]. Here, you have a local AFP spokesperson releasing info on hostages, a national AFP spokesperson talking about the captors, a local mayor talking about the instructions given by the President, a local governor talking about the peace talks, a Palace spokesperson talking about lawlessness, etc. etc.
Since lives are at stake here, it might be a good idea to assign only one spokesperson, and this policy should bind all officials. Pagsabihan mo yung mga nagsasalita nang hindi authorized.
This one pointman should clear whatever he/she will say with the crisis committee. Please. Hwag kayo bara-bara at magulo.
Second, for the flow of information, this situation can be considered as — to use the words of the Supreme Court in a case on prior restraint– “tantamount to war” , such that you are authorized to establish a liaison with the news media to ensure that… lives are not put at greater risk (i can’t use certain words so i hope you’ve caught on… ok, i hope you got this.) You need to appoint a pointman (another pointman for liaison aside from the crisis spokesperson) who is not stupid and who is respected by the news media. Liaison ito. The release and flow of information on the following can be controlled in a situation “tantamount to war”: number and location of troops, troop movements, oplan, details of talks, etc. etc., this is a list, you can ask media law students, i don’t want to be too talkative where hostages are involved.
The rest are operational and I probably should not write about them (like… you should not assign grandstanding politicians as negotiators, etc. etc…).
News flash: Unknown to news editors, the MILF official website luwaran.com banner news said today that the appointment papers of the GRP-MILF transition committee members had already been signed by President Aquino. The transition committee would oversee the socio-economic programs launched today with Aquino’s visit to the communities just outside the MILF main camp in Maguindanao. The MILF source said that the transition committee included three from Sulu, one from Basilan, two from Maguindanao, both women, one of whom is a member of the T’duray tribe, one from Lanao, a Christian woman of Muslim descent, and three more representatives of other sectors; as follows:
From luwaran.com : “February 11, 2013 News: No less than Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and MILF Chairman Al haj Murad Ebrahim will lead officials of both Parties in the launching of socio-economic development today for civilian communities in Mindanao especially highly depressed ones including those of indigenous communities and migrants.
“The venue for this launching, code named Sajahatra Bangsamoro, will be at the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) Training Center in Crossing Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
“Sajahatra, which means peace or blissful, is a word common to most Moro ethnic tribes with some minor variations in pronouncement. The word has Malayo-Polynesian root. In Malaysia, it is pronounced as sejehatraan.
“These socio-economic program for Bangsamoro communities in Mindanao is one of the functions of the Transition Commission (TC), whose membership is expected to be named very soon.
“According to a well-placed source, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to speak on the issue, disclosed that President Aquino has already signed the appointment papers for the 15-man TC and will be announced soon.
“The source further said that three members of the TC come from Sulu, two men and one woman, one from Basilan, a Christian woman with Moro blood, two from Maguindanao, one of whom is a member of the T’duray tribe, and one from Lanao. Both TC members from Maguindanao are reportedly women.
“According to Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras and Esmail Pasigan, a member of the MILF Peace Panel Secretariat and coordinator of the project on the part of the MILF, the program signifies the partnership of the government (GPH) and the MILF in working towards peace and development of Bangsamoro communities.
“Sajahatra Bangsamoro will focus on health, education, and livelihood services. Xxx”
