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April 19, 2000, BusinessWorld, Fast Forward: Wednesday worries, Tangoing with terrorists,

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April 19, 2000, BusinessWorld, Fast Forward: Wednesday worries, Tangoing with terrorists

Disappointing. Teddy Casino's column last Friday was disappointing for his failure to dwell at length on his organization's position vis-a-vis unfolding political developments.

I will interpret that to mean that our polemics have come to a close - in my favor. After all, he defaulted on the discourse and took the dive out of the ideological arena. Our intellectual jousting will have to be confined from now on to appetizing on the matter over occasional merienda with his girlfriend.

Our editor will certainly be relieved about this considering that she considers our polemics a private intramural that is best kept out of the pages of a business paper. She's not alone. Some readers texted or emailed me requesting a cessation of hostilities because there's too much going on these days. Besides, one reader said that we're just getting ourselves needlessly enmeshed in a proxy fight between Joma Sison and Popoy Lagman.

Others asked whether Teddy's biting sarcasm against me affected our friendship. Of course not. But had Teddy finished off his piece by saying he's more pogi than me, that would have made us the bitterest of enemies.

Tangoing with terrorists. 

The public's attention is momentarily hostaged by Abu Sayyaf, the dreaded Muslim extremist group responsible for abducting 30 men, women and children in Basilan. After demanding that the government appoint actor Robin Padilla to act as negotiator in the hostage high drama, the band has again issued idiotic demands which the President turned down as preposterous.

Mr. Estrada couldn't be more right. The Abu Sayyaf demand the unthinkable in making the Philippine Government secure the release by the United States of international terrorist Ramzi Yousef who is behind the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 and who plotted to assassinate Pope John Paul II during a visit here in the Philippines. Yousef is a prize catch of the US and there is absolutely no way he would ever be released from prison - except, perhaps, inside a coffin. I'm even surprised that the President dignified Abu Sayyaf's demand with a reply.

Apart from this, the Abu Sayyaf like-wise demanded that Christian wooden crosses be removed from the province, hoping probably to incite a full-blown religious war between Muslim and Christian communities who are relatively co-existing peacefully with one another.

Another incredible demand is for the government to compel Muslim female students to wear traditional Muslim attire and to forbid them from attending parties and wearing shorts during athletic events. If the Abu Sayyaf cannot force their own target constituents into imbibing their religious extremism, what makes it think the government will do it for them?

Members of Abu Sayyaf may do their faith a great service by applying for visas and migrating en masse to Afghanistan. Or they could keep Robin Padilla for good.

argee@guevarra.com.ph

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