Malikmata

Kontrobersiyal ang naging pahayag ng celebrity psychic at paranormal investigator na si Ed Caluag hinggil sa mga aswang.

Sa naging panayam sa kaniya ng host at producer ng podcast na Think Talk Tea kamakailan na si Kring Kim, inihayag ng celebrity psychic na personal siyang hindi naniniwala sa mitikong nilalang na kumakain ng laman ng tao para mabuhay.

“It’s more of baka kuwento lang, para sa akin. Kaya lang, at this point in time na ito ginagawa ko (paranormal investigations), it’s really hard for me to believe [in] something na hindi ko pa na-encounter,” ani Caluag.

Krinitiko rin niya ang ilang mga konseptong may kinalaman sa mga nilalang na ito, lalo na ang hitsura at pamamaraan ng pagkuha ng mga ito ng pagkain.

“Iyong manananggal, bakit kailangang iwanan ‘yong kalahati ng katawan mo? Lumilipad ka, na dala-dala mo bituka mo? Pa’no ka kakain? Lulusot lang din ‘yon (pagkain) doon. Bakit kailangan mong tanggalin ‘yong kalahati ng katawan mo? Para magaan?” tanong ni Caluag.

Ipinahayag din ni Caluag na hindi rin siya naniniwala sa tiktik.

“Hindi ako naniniwala dun,” ani Caluag. “Kasi, bakit kailangan mo pang pumunta sa bubong para dun ka kumain ng buntis? ‘Di mo na lang abangan ang buntis sa labas ng bahay nila! Aswang ka, ‘di ba? Definitely, malakas ka, tapos tutuntong ka sa bubong? Mamaya, matinik ka pa ng pako dun, matetano ka pa,” anang celebrity psychic.

Mga Aswang: Pakana ng CIA?

Samantala, may mga nagsasabing ang paniniwala sa mga aswang ay nabuo bilang porma ng pyswar na ipinalaganap naman ng mga miyembro ng Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) ng Amerika upang supilin ang lumalaganap na insureksiyon sa bansa noong dekada ‘50.

Sa isang artikulong lumabas sa Aswang Project noong 2015, sinasabi na bahagi ng psychological operations ng militar ang paggamit sa paniniwala sa mga aswang para maghasik ng takot, hindi lang sa publiko, kundi sa mga miyembro ng Hukbong Bayan Laban sa mga Hapón (Hukbalahap).

“The Hukbalahap Rebellion was a rebellion staged by former Hukbalahap or Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (Anti-Japanese Army) soldiers against the Philippine government. It started during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in 1942 and continued during the presidency of Manuel Roxas, and ended in 1954 under the presidency of Ramon Magsaysay.  Part of the reason this rebellion was able to be ended was the involvement of a famous clandestine commander, Air Force Brigadier General Edward G. Lansdale.  A firm believer in the efficacy of “psychological operations” (or PSYOP, for short — the military’s term for propaganda), Lansdale was a pioneering psywarrior,” ayon sa artikulo.

“Lansdale believed that to successfully implement psychological warfare, you needed a firm understanding of the socio-cultural beliefs and myths of the target. He believed that an exploitation of these mores and beliefs would result in a successful campaign.  Nowhere did Lansdale implement these tactics more ruthlessly than in the Philippines, where he served as the CIA’s chief operative during the early 1950s counterinsurgency campaign against the country’s Huk rebels,” dagdag ng nasabing artikulo.

Ayon pa sa artikulo, bumuo ng pekeng “aswang armies” ang naturang heneral bilang parte ng pagsugpo sa mga aktibidad ng Hukbalahap.

Pagsipi ng artikulo sa diumano’y pahayag mismo ni Landale:

A combat psywar squad was brought in. It planted stories among town residents of an asuang living on the hill where the Huks were based. Two nights later, after giving the stories time to make their way up to the hill camp, the psywar squad set up an ambush along the trail used by the Huks. When a Huk patrol came along the trail, the ambushers silently snatched the last man of the patrol, their move unseen in the dark night. They punctured his neck with two holes, vampire-fashion, held the body up by the heels, drained it of blood, and put the corpse back on the trail. When the Huks returned to look for the missing man and found their bloodless comrade, every member of the patrol believed that the asuang had got him and that one of them would be next if they remained on that hill. When daylight came, the whole Huk squadron moved out of the vicinity.”

Aswang: Sinaunang Paniniwala

Pero kung tutuusin, umiiral na ang paniniwala sa nakikilabot na mga nilalang na ito bago pa man ang panahon ng pananakop ng mga Espanyol.

Gayon man, hindi mga halimaw ang sinaunang aswang kundi mga manggagaway (sorcerers), na sinasabi ring mga Babaylan na nagbabagong anyo upang makapaminsala.

“The eighth creature was referred to as the osuang, a term equivalent to “sorcerer.” According to the account, people claimed to have witnessed this being flying through the air, attacking and killing men, and consuming their flesh. This was found among the Visayan Islands, while such beliefs did not exist among the Tagalogs,” sipi sa salin sa Ingles ng isinulat ng prayleng si Juan de Plasencia na “Customs of the Tagalogs” (Relación de las Costumbres de los Tagalos) na nalathala noong 1587.