CAFGU 'The Forgotten Heroes'

By Alon Calinao Dy: In a world of battle wherein many Filipinos have lost their lives, in a war wherein there is no real winner or loser, in a fight where people do not exactly know the root causes of an armed conflict, CAFGU that stands as military's Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit, are the first line of defense against rebels and most people called them as "the forgotten heroes."

In the Philippines, CAFGU members are the forgotten heroes. Not only they are the first line of defense, they are the bravest of the brave in the military. So when they are killed in the battle, sometimes, the relatives have been unable to recover their remains. 

Often Filipinos talk about military and policemen, but there are regular military personnel who fight against rebels who receive low subsistence allowance daily in exchange for their lives. They are one of the bravest of the brave in the law enforcement yet Filipinos do not talk about their great contributions.

Like some law enforcers who are involved in drug trade, CAFGU members have been linked to the creation of private goons in some provinces. Perhaps, this is due to a low monthly salary they receive to feed their hungry families.

I think as long as there is corruption in the government, war is not going to end. As long as there are high-ranking officials among military and rebel groups who have personal interests, I believe war is not going to stop. As long as there are leaders who abuse their power for fame and money, those people they oppress are going to wage war against them. 

Lastly, as long as Filipinos do not know how to respect our Muslim brothers, and sisters, discrimination, inequality and poverty can cause conflicts among Filipinos. As long as there are "vultures" media and TV reporters, as what president-elect Rodrigo Duterte said, who continue to poison the minds of people, Filipinos will never see the truth.

In a world of battle, those leaders are the ones who gained the upper hands and those CAFGU members are mostly "the forgotten heroes." They are underpaid heroes yet some Filipinos harshly judge them as illiterate and undergraduates who can't see their big roles in a world we live today.