A nuclear wall and magnet

Mariano Carrasco

OF all the reasons why we should oppose the use of Lumbia airport as storage facility and transit point for American warplanes, the most important one is that it would serve as a defense wall and nuclear magnet in case of a counter-attack by China or Russia or other enemies of the United States, thus jeopardizing the entire city of Cagayan de Oro, and most especially the residents and subdivisions near Lumbia. Our city and Lumbia would be ground zero in the event of nuclear explosions arising from accidents or intentional attack by American enemy forces. Furthermore, the presence of American military forces at Lumbia would expose the city and the residents around to constant danger because anti-American forces in Mindanao, Muslim or leftists, would likely find the place a nice target for attacks. Cagayan de Oro and its residents will never be at peace with the presence of American military forces and warplanes.

Of course, we know that the presence of American military forces would result in the bastardization of many Filipino children and promote prostitution and promiscuity as what happened in the areas around Subic and Clark. It was only after the departure of the American military bases that these places improved economically and socially.

The Americans were already here during the Second World War, and they were never able to defend and protect our people and cities  from devastation. In fact, it was their presence here that somehow encouraged the Japanese to bomb the Philippines and its cities. It is the pretense and claim of the US that their presence here will serve to protect the country from further Chinese military expansion in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea. What they would not say is that in the event of war with China or Russia, the Philippines and Cagayan de Oro would serve as a wall or magnet for the nuclear missiles of their enemies which otherwise would land directly on Hawaii or on the American mainland. Very clever of the Americans. Cagayan de Oro is far from China, and so why relocate the former American military facilities in Luzon to northern Mindanao?

My great grand uncle, Major Apolinar Velez, brother of my great grandfather, Salvador Velez, Sr. who married Maria Gabor of Opol,  would certainly turn in his grave when Lumbia is finally converted into a US military facility. He and his men had bravely fought off and massacred the American colonizers who assaulted them at the well-defended Macahambus cave near Lumbia. It was the most successful military defense by  Filipino forces in the Philippine-American war. My other grandfather, Mariano “Anoy” Tabique-Bacarro whose wife was Purificacion Cababaros, and who likewise killed so many Japanese invaders as a guerilla sharpshooter, would certainly turn in his grave, too.

Now, as the campaign starts, my wife Atty. Evangeline T. Carrasco, will have Lumbia as the No. 1 platform or issue in her campaign to become congresswoman for the second district of the city.

(Mariano B. Carrasco is a lawyer based in Cagayan de Oro.)