Guns Goons and Gold

Well 'tis the season, and there is no fa la la la la to this story.

The election season is upon us and the first reported election violence has hit the nation in a big way. Last week 57 civilians, many of them women, including more than 30 journalists, were massacred in southern Philippines. Apparently this is the deadliest single slaughter of journalists ever reported in any country in the world.

There is a saying  in the Philippines that politics here is characterized by "Guns, Goons and Gold".  Gold being the money to bribe the voters, guns the alternative method of persuading those voters and goons being the thugs who wield their guns. Guns are also a means of dissuading political rivals from running, which was the scenario last week. Another way to describe it is, simply, fraud and terrorism.

The sitting governor of this southern province is being challenged for the position in the coming elections by another "warlord" as some call them. This challenger had been warned about proceeding with his plans so he put together a plan which would enable him to file his election papers without getting blown away. He sent his wife, and other female family members and supporters as well as a bunch of journalists in a convoy to do the paperwork, in the belief, mistaken as it turned out, that women would not be targeted and the journalists were there as witnesses. Paperwork.

He also asked for convoy protection from the local police, which was denied. Local police are clearly in the pockets of the sitting governor and are themselves implicated in the massacre.

The convoy set out, was stopped on the main road by about 100 armed men, and diverted down a sideroad to a site where a backhoe sat. This backhoe had been taken to this remote site 4 days previously and had dug the holes where the bodies and vehicles were to be buried. Premeditation? Oh, and the backhoe was government property and just happened to have the name of the sitting governor's clan on it.

All the people were murdered and dumped in the mass grave.

The stakes are high in local politics. Political office is a way to amass huge wealth, through bribes, favours, kickbacks. Private armies are common. Buying votes likewise. Family political dynasties are the way things work. Once Dad has completed a term limit, Mom takes over, or the son or daughter and this continues through the generations. Other family members hold other local political posts. Local political challengers are often threatened or shot.

But apparently this latest massacre goes way above and beyond in recent history. President Gloria is - as usual - being criticized for not moving very quickly to bring the perpetrators to account.  Apparently Bad Guy Sitting Governor is her political ally and in the last election delivered the votes in his province for her election. Delivered them so well, in fact, that in many ridings there were zero votes counted for her opposition candidates. Zero. Job well done Mr. Governor. As of now, his son who is a mayor in the province has been charged and is in custody. He has been identified as having been at the massacre directing operations. Government prosecutors and judges as well as the Justice Secretary are now receiving death threats, being told to "go easy" on the members of the clan.

Reports in this morning's paper are that the demand for custom fitting of bullet-resistant vehicles has doubled as the 2010 elections approach.