tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52911542867689833892024-03-13T13:45:45.282-07:00Mindanao Peace ObserverThe Bloggers' Incisive Insights on Mindanao Conflict in the PhilippinesMindanao Peace Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656187731095299225noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291154286768983389.post-34947563030187665062011-08-20T07:34:00.000-07:002011-08-20T07:34:26.334-07:00Peace advocates hopeful about Aquino counter-proposal to MILF substate<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wzCIOXw3OC4/Tk_E5h3jgOI/AAAAAAAAAFo/w-044Zm6O5E/s1600/presscon16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wzCIOXw3OC4/Tk_E5h3jgOI/AAAAAAAAAFo/w-044Zm6O5E/s320/presscon16.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maradeka Sec-General Nash Pangadapun speaks on peace</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/41597/peace-advocates-hopeful-about-aquino-counter-proposal-to-milf-substate">Inquirer News</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">MANILA, Philippines—With a week to go before the peace talks resume, negotiators for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are interested to know one thing: Is the Aquino administration willing to compromise over the proposed substate?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Peace advocates, on the other hand, are decrying the public quibbling over the proposed Bangsamoro substate as counter-productive at this crucial stage of the peace negotiations.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Negotiators from the government and the MILF are returning to the table on Monday next week in Malaysia, with the government panel expected to present its counter-proposal to the creation of a substate. “Is he (President Aquino) willing to cast his political capital for this problem, for this process?’’ MILF senior panel member Michael Mastura said in an interview Thursday.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mastura believed that the government panel, headed by former UP College of Law dean Marvic Leonen, would be ready with its counter-proposal by Monday next week. “The issues are clear. If they will accede to using our draft as a working draft, that will fast-track everything,’’ Mastura said. After Aquino’s secret meeting with MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim in Tokyo over a week ago, the MILF declared it had dropped its bid for a separate Islamic state and was settling for a substate.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">As a substate, it will exercise powers over its political and economic affairs, and enforce security within the Bangsamoro territory, but remains under the Republic of the Philippines. It would have “asymmetrical relations’’ with the national government, similar to Hong Kong’s relations with China, MILF consultants said. Raissa Jajurie, member of the MILF’s board of consultants, expressed the rebel group’s hope that the government would meet it halfway and agree to grant the substate status.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Bangsamoro wants to have its own responsibility in governing Bangsamoro lands. It’s a compromise. Just for the sake of having peace, they’re agreeable to a substate at this point,’’ Ms. Jajurie said. “They’re hoping that the Philippine government will be ready to compromise their position and grant this to the Moro, given the historical injustice through the years,’’ she added.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The MILF has contended that a provision on the substate could be appended to the 1987 Constitution by legislation, and without going through the politically divisive process of a constitutional convention or constituent assembly. UP Law Prof. Harry Roque and former Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said the proposed substate would likely require an amendment to the Philippine Constitution.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maradeka secretary general Nash Pangadapun also cautioned the public against such premature comments pending the government’s submission of its counter-proposal, and called for sobriety.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Hyper-reactions can hurt confidence-building measures of both sides, while spoilers are feasting on the recent development,’’ he said in a text message.”Let us make the peace process work.’’ Pangadapun said that it would be premature to comment on the proposed substate since the government has not articulated its counter-proposal.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The more immediate concern has been to bring to the mainstream the group of MILF commander Umbra Kato, who has declared breaking away from the MILF over its frustrations with the peace process, he said. “We don’t believe that future talks can be possible without the MILF resolving first its internal conflict, and fighting and dislodging Kato and his forces cannot either be the solution,’’ he said.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maradeka is an alliance of pro-democracy Bangsamoro civil society groups that sat as an official observer in the 2006-2008 talks. Despite the high-level meeting between Aquino and Murad, there’s still work cut out for both panels, peace advocates conceded.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">“This is a breakthrough move. You need something dramatic to show goodwill and sincerity. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">This move was quite important,’’ Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute executive director Karen Tañada said in an interview. “It’s still not easy. There are a lot of issues that need to be threshed out – this aspect of the Constitution, the issue on the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front), the issue on territory,’’ Ms. Tañada added.</span></div>Mindanao Peace Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656187731095299225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291154286768983389.post-28951341975658023602011-08-08T21:42:00.000-07:002011-08-10T07:15:50.651-07:00MILF eyes new state<m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7nODGdb7E-M/TkC5a5G_xOI/AAAAAAAAAFM/pSDJZFwd9qk/s1600/PNOY+Murad.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7nODGdb7E-M/TkC5a5G_xOI/AAAAAAAAAFM/pSDJZFwd9qk/s1600/PNOY+Murad.jpeg" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">COTABATO CITY—A senior Moro rebel leader on Monday demanded a genuine Muslim autonomous state not subservient to Manila, and President Benigno Aquino III indicated Christians and Lumad would be given a choice of whether they would want to join a new autonomy setup.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">Civil society groups warned against a military-civilian “third force” which, they said, could sabotage a peace deal between the Aquino administration and the Moro insurgents.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">Ghadzali Jaafar, vice chair for political affairs of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), denounced the 21-year-old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as a “fake” autonomy symbolizing mendicancy. Jaafar reiterated the current MILF leadership would no longer push for a separate Islamic state and was ready to settle for a “Bangsamoro state” under the Philippine government.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">For the first time after he met with MILF chair Murad Ebrahim in Tokyo four days ago, the President gave some details of what he and Murad talked about in their secrecy-shrouded meeting in Tokyo. Talking with reporters in Manila, Mr. Aquino made it clear that a future peace deal would not be a purely executive agreement but “probably will take congressional action also.” He also said “one of the things agreed upon is, how do we define territory.”</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">“At the end of that is a plebiscite, which is also my point,” Mr. Aquino said in Filipino. “The people who will be affected should be the one to say if they want to be part of [an autonomous region] or not.” He added: “We will come up with a proposal that we will present to the people.”</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><b>Third force</b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">In the face of scanty details released by the Palace, the leader of an alliance of pro-democracy Moro civil society and political groups— Maradeka—said the government and the MILF should be wary of military officers and local officials who might try to undermine a final deal.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">“We’re wary as this new development unfolds about the third force—the spoilers of the peace agreement in the ranks of military officers and local politicians,” Maradeka secretary general Nash Pangadapun said in a phone interview. Maradeka who hailed the Tokyo meeting as the initial step forward in sealing Bangsamoro sub-state also sat in as an official observer in the 2006-2008 talks between Manila and the MILF.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">Another group, called the Mindanao Peaceweavers, also warned against such “spoilers. “We pray that the peoples of Mindanao and the rest of the country become ever more vigilant against ‘spoilers’ from all sides who will brook at nothing to scuttle anew the peace at hand,” it said in a statement. The Peaceweavers is an alliance of peace advocacy groups composed of Christians, Muslims and Lumad.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><b>System of mendicancy</b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">“We do not recognize the ARMM as a solution to the problem of the Bangsamoro people,” Jaafar said in an interview. “We want a Bangsamoro state where its people are empowered to decide for themselves, charting peaceful ways and means to improve their social, economic and religious life.” Jaafar said the ARMM was a “fake” setup because it “does not have autonomy, power… Up to now the region is still poor if not the poorest in the country.” “(We) would demand empowering Muslim Mindanao, unlike the present setup of mendicancy,” Jaafar added. “We rely too much on the national government for practically all the region’s needs. This is an insult to… autonomy.”</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">Jaafar said the Bangsamoro state that the MILF was proposing would cover the present ARMM region with possible expansion. “That’s the content of the Proposed Comprehensive Compact Agreement we submitted to the government. It’s good that President Aquino believes that we are sincere in talking peace,” Jaafar said. He refused to give details of the MILF proposal.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><b>Splinter group</b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">MILF negotiators previously proposed the setting up of a so-called “substate” similar to a US federated state. It would perform all government functions except those pertaining to national defense, foreign affairs, currency and postal services, which would be left to the central government.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pinggoy expressed concern about the emergence of an MILF splinter group. “Are we assured there will be no group organized after the signing?” Pinggoy asked, referring to groups like that headed by Umbra Kato.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">Kato severed ties with the MILF early this year, accusing the Murad-led group of veering away from the struggle for self-determination espoused by founding chair Salamat Hashim. Kato, who has formed a group called Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), had expressed hope the Aquino-Murad meeting would conform with Salamat’s battle cry of an independent Moro homeland.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">Kato doubted any agreement with Manila would be acceptable to everyone. Kato has been the target of a manhunt for leading attacks on civilian villages in 2008 after the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a government proposal for a Bangsamoro homeland as part of a peace package with the MILF.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><b>Aug. 22-24 talks</b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">Palace officials said the envisaged peace agreement would not be like the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain—or MOA-AD—that was forged during the Arroyo administration.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">The MOA-AD, which detailed the areas belonging to a so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2008. Mr. Aquino said the two sides agreed on the need to define what “territory” means in their talks to be held Aug. 22 to 24 in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">Mr. Aquino also said the ARMM would figure in the talks. “The best thing I heard from Murad was when he said that our negotiating panels should be problem-solvers and not adversaries. We are here to solve the problem,” he said.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">Mr. Aquino said no agreement had been reached so far, when asked how much autonomy the government intended to give the MILF. “The bottom line is, we will make known to all stakeholders and even prospective ones as this is not a Muslim problem alone,” he said, pointing out that these included the Lumad and the Christians living in the so-called Bangsamoro homeland.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">“Will it (ARMM) be expanded or will it be contracted? This will be discussed by the negotiating panel,” the President said. (Inquirer)<a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/38543/milf-eyes-new-state"> http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/38543/milf-eyes-new-state</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><br />
</div>Mindanao Peace Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656187731095299225noreply@blogger.com0Mindanao, Philippines7.8556805999999986 124.862416599999965.7283910999999987 122.51031259999996 9.9829701 127.21452059999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291154286768983389.post-5177057821770394242011-08-03T07:42:00.000-07:002011-08-03T08:14:36.472-07:00After 22 years, ARMM needed Muslim reformist<strike></strike><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJczRMisLgM/Tjlb31tnikI/AAAAAAAAAFI/ROKZjVm-jYI/s1600/maradeka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJczRMisLgM/Tjlb31tnikI/AAAAAAAAAFI/ROKZjVm-jYI/s320/maradeka.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Moro CSOs belonging to the Maradeka and PAAC in action</i> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Manila Muslim civil society groups and the Muslim community joined hands in observing August 1, 2011 as the 22 years existence of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) since its creation by the passage of Organic Act 6734 in Aug. 1, 1989. This remembrance come with people's dissent after past governments waywardly failing to deliver people expectation in 22 years.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As this date coincide with 1st day of Holy Month of Ramadhan, Maradeka, pro-democracy Muslim alliance advocating peace, Moro self-determination, and good governance and the anti-corruption group, People’s Action Against Corruption (PAAC), responded with message to make this religious observance of fasting, or cleansing of personal sins and spiritual renewal as another way of cleansing too societal sins and political wrongdoings, </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The Maradeka in a turnaround makes an affirmative action to support the president after affirming in his SONA </span><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Totoo po: Personal talaga sa akin ang paggawa ng tama, at ang pagpapanagot sa mga gumagawa ng mali</i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> in gesture to critics that he’s getting personal in going after crooks allied to former president Arroyo. “Muslims too make it personal to support the president for as long as he looks for the welfare of the Muslim constituents in the ARMM.” </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is timely as the call of the Pres. Aquino III to pursue ARMM postponement to bring about atmosphere conducive for peacebuilding and a window of opportunity for reforms in 21 months.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The Muslim civil society groups resoundingly stood to be behind leaders whose policy of governance will look up to the welfare of Muslims in the country and put away without qualms the Bangsamoro people from the ravages of war. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> If the president will find the good wisdom to get his reform plans in ARMM, they must look for non-politicians and no-nonsense Muslim official cum administrator with peace and development expertise. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"The Muslim CSOs has seen these criteria with the Muslim reformist, Usec. Dimas Pundato, who also helped the late Pres. Cory Aquino, mother of the Pres. Aquino III in support for her return of Philippine democracy after toppling the Marcos dictatorial regime," as explained by Nash Pangadapun, Secretary-General of Maradeka. He added, "Enough of the local traditional politicians because they’ll be understandably not focused to deliver reforms in 21 months but certainly will be pre-occupied preparing for the 2013 elections."</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> During the remembrance of the 22 years of the first Organic Act 6734, the Muslim civil society groups, anti-corruption groups and the Manila Muslim community staged their symbolic public burning of effigies in front of the Manila golden Mosque in Globo de Oro, Quiapo, Manila. This effigies represented the societal sins, graft and corruption, massive poll cheating, dominance of the traditional politicians and transactional politics, extra-judicial killing and right abuses that had engulfed the ARMM for miserable 22 years. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is lamentable that for so long as there will be no reforms that can be instituted and the right person can selected to carry on these reform agenda, the rotten political system cannot possibly democratically elect genuine leaders and legislators and perpetually frustrate our people’s expectation for Islamic reforms.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> In the run up to choosing the ARMM Officers in Charge, the Muslim alliance wanted the selection process opened up for public scrutiny all aspirants to look into their credentials and their vision for good governance in ARMM. It is also batting for the ARMM Screening Committee (ASC) to admit representative from the NGO, civil society or Muslim religious groups. As this developed, it is endorsing the person of Aleem Said Acmad Basher, president of Imam Council of the Philippines to ably represent the Muslim non-governmental sector.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gmanews.tv/story/223108/nation/palace-favors-appointing-a-muslim-reformist-as-armm-oic">http://www.gmanews.tv/story/223108/nation/palace-favors-appointing-a-muslim-reformist-as-armm-oic</a> </span></span>Mindanao Peace Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656187731095299225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291154286768983389.post-21812319529458269082011-01-31T19:55:00.000-08:002011-01-31T20:01:33.087-08:00Full, delegated sovereignty & people's justice system for Muslim Mindanao<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q-952n17kfM/TUeDPaJFAZI/AAAAAAAAAE4/WuXxtXoygP0/s1600/maradeka-presscon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="252" width="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q-952n17kfM/TUeDPaJFAZI/AAAAAAAAAE4/WuXxtXoygP0/s320/maradeka-presscon.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8045772-full-delegated-sovereignty-peoples-justice-system-for-muslim-mindanao"></a>By BERTENI “TOTO” CATALUÑA CAUSING<br />
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Full but delegated sovereignty & people’s justice system in Moroland<br />
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If I were to decide what peace pact should be done in Mindanao, I will insist that the Muslims be granted full but delegated sovereignty over their territories and its justice system should be what I could call as “people’s justice system.”<br />
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By a legislative fiat, or an act of the Congress, this can be done without going against the principles of the present Constitution. This proposal will answer the long story of blindness to pay for the sins committed for at least four centuries and give recognition and respect to the humanity and religion of the Moros who have long deserved to be heard by the deafness in us Christians.<br />
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These sins were constituted in part by the tens of thousands of natives killed by the Spanish conquistadores who used Visayas and Luzon natives to invade them. These sins were constituted in part by other tens of thousands of Moros killed by the American occupation forces that also used Visayas and Luzon natives as part of their infantries in their bid to subjugate the Datus and their men. Furthermore, these sins were constituted in part by the hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by the invasion by the national government when Marcos sent in soldiers from Visayas and Luzon to stop the call for freedom of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by Nur Misuari.<br />
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These types of sins were repeated when then President Joseph Estrada staged all-out war against Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that led to the recovery of Camp Busra. Tens of thousands were killed in this particular official action of the national government. These deaths were aggravated by the Japanese occupation forces during World War II.<br />
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Past is past and those lives lost can never be resurrected to life once more. We can never repay for these sins but we can repent and beg for forgiveness from the Moros and hope they will forgive us Christians. But giving them full but delegated sovereignty whereby they can determine their own fate with only the Constitution as the limitation will reinforce the faith in the virtue of forgiving.<br />
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Sins of the past were also constituted by other acts. The American colonial government in the 1930s sent in Christians from Visayas and Luzon to occupy lands in Mindanao, Palawan and Sulu through homestead patents of 24 hectares each. After independence was granted by the USA on July 4, 1946, the national government again sent in Christian settlers from the Visayas and Luzon, massively, during the presidency of Magsaysay by means of luring them out of Hukbalahap rebellion with homestead patents of 12 hectares each.<br />
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As a result, the Moros and the indigenous people lost substantial part of their ancestral domains to waves of migration of Christians from the Visayas and Luzon. Yes, we can no longer give back the lands they lost to Christian Filipinos, but the national government can always deliver an official statement of apology through the Congress of the Philippines to be reiterated in flag-ceremonies in all schools in Mindanao, particularly in lands now belonging to Christian settlers.<br />
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As men of hearts, too, the Moro people will embrace the virtue of giving in order to make life worth living. And I believe that if the national government will pass a law to give reparation payments for all the lands lost to Christian settlers, the Moro brothers will always be ready to embrace us Christians as their brothers in blood and brothers in need.<br />
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And giving them full but delegated sovereignty over what remained of their territories will always be a welcome road to peace. And if this is a road to peace, we all must take that path. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “There is no road to peace. Peace is the path.” Along with these enumerated and irreversible sins of the past, the national government dominated by Christian politicians and the Christian settlers exhibited discriminatory acts and behaviors embodied in the laws, acts in the actual implementation of laws, policies and rules that the benefits given just trickle down to the Muslims, acts and discriminatory stereotypes of belittling dignity when Moro people come passing by, and other acts of bias that are revolting to conscience. Yes, we Christians have never thought: “What if we Christians were born Muslims and the Moros were born Christians?”<br />
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These deeply-rooted biases are the general explanation why you can hear extremist Abu Sayyaf beheading Christian marines whenever they would have the opportunity. These are the reasons why you can hear Christian hostages also got their heads falling on the ground, too. These are the reasons why you can hear brutalities done by them whenever they would have opportunities. We condemn these acts because they are truly revolting. But have we Christians ever condemned Christians doing the same to Moros?<br />
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Nevertheless, if we compare these brutalities done by the Moros to the centuries of madness that had bedeviled them we can readily see that the former pales too far in comparison to the latter. In the present, we hear full details of brutalities brought forth by the high-technology communication facilities. But it is very reasonable to conclude also that the brutalities of the past could have been worse had they been reported.<br />
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Yes, it is very sure that the Spanish officers and their soldiers composed mainly of Christian Filipinos must have committed detestable and despicable acts against the fighters and residents of Lanao, Cotabato and Sulu archipelago. Yes, I also believe that the American soldiers must have also committed acts that are revolting to conscience when they invaded Mindanao and Sulu. Remember that the .45 pistol was invented because of the “juramentados” of the Datus, when kris swords even cut into uselessness the rifles the Yankees used.<br />
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Yes, I also believe in the stories of Ilaga (a militia of Marcos composed mainly of my fellow Ilonggo settlers in Mindanao) eating the ears or whatever flesh of their Muslim captives in the 1970s. Can we Christians now stand up and have an uncommon bravery to ask for forgiveness although we see our marines beheaded and pastors or priest brutally killed and although it is almost impossible for them to forgive us?<br />
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Yes, I believe there is such a thing as love that springs eternal for one who knows how to repent and ask for forgiveness. And if this full but delegated sovereignty is given the Muslims in the South, the act of great peace will open the door.<br />
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The full but delegated sovereignty<br />
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The full but delegated sovereignty I am proposing to give to the Muslims is one where the people of the Bangsamoro land will have full discretions of what they would do with respect to all aspects of governance, civil and political rights, rights to explore and develop and utilize the national wealth and other forms of natural resources, rights to impose and collect taxes, rights to have own police forces, rights to education curricula, and almost all other rights.<br />
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An organic act for Bangsamoro may be passed by the Congress to give it the right to pass its own laws and for it to be exempt from the application of the laws supposed to be for the entire Philippines with only the Philippine Constitution as the limit. Thus, with this organic act it can now have the power to create provinces, towns, cities and barangays and it shall be governed by a Governor General they themselves choose. It can supervise its own elections through the delegated power form the Commission on Elections. It can have its own judicial governor under the delegated powers from the Supreme Court. It can determine its taxation and customs schemes with only the Constitution as the limitations. It can do almost endless acts with only the Constitution as the limitation.<br />
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In terms of military, the national government will still be the one that will provide them external defenses against foreign invaders and terrorists because the Constitution wills that there will only be one armed force in the Philippines. Now, for every income the Bangsamoro will get from taxes, fees, customs and utilization of the national wealth and other natural resources, it will be shared with the national government on the proportion acceptable to both parties. Of course, the Moros shall retain the right to vote for president, vice-president and senators in national elections and will still retain the right to send their own district congressmen to fight for their welfare in the national government.<br />
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People’s justice system<br />
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Since it is not repugnant to the Constitution, I will put in place a justice system where the present courts, including the Shari’ah courts, shall be peopled by the representatives chosen by raffle from the Muslim people themselves. These people shall form as a group of laymen who will adjudge who are telling the truth and who are not in all cases. The judges in these courts, including Shari’ah courts, shall perform the job of applying the laws on the truth found by the laymen-jurors.<br />
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To ensure that the non-royal blooded Moros have fair fighting chance in every criminal complaint to be determined to be brought to court for trial or not, the fiscal’s or the Ombudsman’s job of saying who should be tried in court shall also be given to the representatives chosen from Muslim voters.<br />
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Each group of those picked to perform the duty of saying who should be charged in court in every Muslim province shall serve for a term of six months and their faces and names shall be hidden from the Moro communities so as to ensure their independence of deciding who should be charged in court and who should be spared.<br />
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Recommendation to MILF panel<br />
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The proposition I state here is being earnestly recommended to the MILF panel headed by Mohaqher Iqbal. I strongly believe that if I am given the full opportunity to explain this idea to the MILF panel, I believe I can convince the Moro people to embrace this as their main talking point when the peace negotiation begins on February 9, 2011 in Malaysia.<br />
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I also believe that the Filipino Christians will embrace this idea as their official act of repentance for the past sins, recognition of the Moro blood and lands, and respect for the way they worship. When this is accepted, I can see the whole land singing the song, “There is not a Christian Filipino. There is not a Muslim Filipino. There is not an indigenous Filipino. There is one Filipino.”Mindanao Peace Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656187731095299225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291154286768983389.post-61864723684047643522010-12-10T04:36:00.000-08:002010-12-17T00:29:14.164-08:00Moro civil society group urge PNoy to break Impasse "Wants Montesa Formula Adopted"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q-952n17kfM/TQsQ5_lZE8I/AAAAAAAAAEk/laLkbw2pSAA/s1600/presscon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q-952n17kfM/TQsQ5_lZE8I/AAAAAAAAAEk/laLkbw2pSAA/s320/presscon2.jpg" /></a></div>“They must have the way to break this impasse between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Certainly, not at the expense of the poor people in Mindanao.” Maradeka sees in the wisdom of the former member of the GRP peace panel, Bong Montesa a formula to break this deadlock. As the Bangsamoro Civil Society groups will be joining the 62nd Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights dubbed, it is pushing for the adoption of the Montesa formula as the practicable option to get both sides return to peace negotiation.<br />
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Early on Atty. Camilo "Bong" Montesa put on objectively his observation and recommendations after a deadlock over the Malaysia facilitator and the facilitation process. Though MILF was definitely it is supporting Malaysia government as Third Country Facilitator, but the Philippine government was intent on changing the Datuk Othman Razak by iniating request via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, which Malaysian themselves took it as diplomatic insult.<br />
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But the current state of stalled peace made all forces of the civil society sector became wary of its repercussion and a common ground to join hands in the Call to Action to urge the government and the MILF to resolve the diplomatic impasse and caution them that the rising political tension in the ground can flare up again armed conflict. The groups urge also the PNoy gov't to release all Moro political prisoners and MILF leader Edward Guerra from his detention in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig as a good will gesture in keeping for confidence building.<br />
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Let it be recalled that our brother in Sultan Kudarat and Marawi staged their rallies and issued the Ranaw Manifesto urging MILF to pull out from the peace talks. In solidarity, we will re-echo their voices in Metro Manila by saying that we don’t this scenario to happen and urge the government to act responsibly and put above all the concern of the many would be thousands of people who will be affected should hostilities ensues. If the situation continue to be so, then we will have no recourse but to join solidarity and take once more a hard line stand.<br />
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All peace advocates most especially leaders of the various Muslim organizations and Bangsamoro civil society groups put on their own Manila solidarity statement as an expression of their collective voice and reach out to the government and MILF to come to term toward the resumption of peace negotiation to avert any conflict that in the end the victims are the ordinary people. The organizers expect the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace Process (OPAPP) and the palace to receive the consolidated position paper of various multi sectoral groups. <br />
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This Manila Solidarity Statement put forward with its Tent Points Muslim Position as it deemed necessary to collectively contribute in broadening the perspective and scope of Mindanao peace process and press for it to the benefits of all stakeholders in the Mindanao peace process. Briefly in the first three major points, 1) it strongly propose the adoption of the Montesa Formula to the Aquino government and as well as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to finally break the diplomatic impasse over complaint Philippine government over the Malaysia as Third Party Facilitator, 2) it demands from the Aquino government and Armed Forces of the Philippines to stringently observe the joint cessation of hostilities agreement, desist from all unnecessary provocations and incendiary statements that can seriously impede the ongoing peace process amidst the current impasse.<br />
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On the participatory rights of the various Mindanao civil society groups the salient points are in the point number 3) it put forward a proposal that in the peace exercise, the active participation of the Bangsamoro masses must be guaranteed and represented by its recognized and legitimate civil society sector and people organizations in the peace negotiations. In respect to early official pronouncement of His Excellency President Benigno C. Aquino III during his presidential inaugural speech on transparency in Mindanao peace process by adopting a policy of inclusive peace in Mindanao involving Moro, Lumad and Christian settlers, we demand for the institution of workable mechanism of representation by civil society sector and people organizations; 4) demand the Aquino government to fully exercise its political will and presidential prerogatives to bring to an end the prevalence of political patronages that caused local politicians, businessmen, landlords, political clans and government officials to obstruct peace in Mindanao.<br />
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On the IDPs the point 5) demand in the strongest term the security and protection of the civilians from harm and destruction resulting from the armed confrontation by the contending armed forces of the government and the MILF, so that we propose a rather more effective multi-lateral peace keeping force mandated by the United Nations Security Council to thwart forcefully violent armed conflicts and hostile elements and provide emergency response, security and protection, humanitarian aid, evacuation and shelters to non-combatant civilians instead of a limited mandate of an international monitoring set up.<br />
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Finally, it demanded from the Aquino government to respect Moro civil and political rights by releasing the senior MILF leader, Edward Mohandis Guerra and all the Moro political prisoners charged in relations to political activities and unconditionally drop suits on all leaders of the MILF and MNLF officials and members before the peace negotiation commences.<br />
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(A JOINT STATEMENT during the press conference on Maradeka’s March for Peace and Human Rights December 10, 2010)Mindanao Peace Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656187731095299225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291154286768983389.post-69090641319850110852010-11-04T05:48:00.000-07:002010-11-04T05:48:49.201-07:00Maradeka Condemns Violence in Mindanao “Caution PNoy Gov’t from Peace Saboteurs”<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q-952n17kfM/TNKq3aVd5II/AAAAAAAAAEg/TvmvCTCGgYA/s1600/edward+guerra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q-952n17kfM/TNKq3aVd5II/AAAAAAAAAEg/TvmvCTCGgYA/s320/edward+guerra.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Arrested MILF Leader, Edward Guerra</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">The recent spate of violence in Mindanao may thus far spurn the hopes of the Mindanaoans for meaningful peace under the Aquino administration. Police authorities’ early accusations against the Moro rebel group in the absence of clear evidence shadowed doubt on the conduct of probe on all incidents, thus, many civil society groups suspected possible sabotage of the Mindanao peace process.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">We joined many Mindanao organizations and religious groups in condemnation of the recent spates of violence in Mindanao such as the bus bombing in North Cotabato, ambuscade in Maguindanao town and extortion activities. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">It is our belief that the perpetration of these acts of violence worried many peace advocates that the repeat of this cycle of violence followed its usual pattern similar from the past experience whose perpetrators’ sole objective is to sabotage peace in Mindanao. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">Weeks earlier, our allied Mindanao civil society groups denounced the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the arrest of the leader of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Edward Mohandis Guerra as an affront of the Mindanao peace negotiations and a clear violation of the GRP-MILF ceasefire agreement under which its observation and compliance covered the immunity of every MILF officers and members for their safety and security involved in the peace process. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">At the same time the MILF leadership was outraged by the arrest, the local PNP’s malicious implication of MILF following the recent bombing in North Cotabato and ambuscade without the benefit of thorough investigation suggest that </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">the timing of these series of incidents could perfectly well creates a scenario meant to obstruct the conduct of peace negotiations. “It behooves us to think that those unhappy of the peace talks to resume could yet have the hands in the perpetration of these crimes,” said Nash Pangadapun, secretary general of Maradeka.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">We urged the PNoy government to treat with circumspect the Mindanao issue and cautions of the possible “peace saboteurs” that will hinder his administration’s commitment to pursuing peace in Mindanao inclusive of all the peoples, groups and stakeholders and let alone not to put in harm ways many innocent lives and their economic prosperity and the peace and order to detriment. <a href="http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/30238-muslim-alliance-hits-recent-violence-in-mindanao">(read more...)</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span>Mindanao Peace Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656187731095299225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291154286768983389.post-80705054945293466942010-07-21T06:37:00.000-07:002010-07-21T06:50:49.506-07:00Incisive Views:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q-952n17kfM/TEb5iRbBxOI/AAAAAAAAAB4/IdQUOt46FoY/s1600/26636_101393173230723_100000801232257_37229_4285581_s.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 86px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q-952n17kfM/TEb5iRbBxOI/AAAAAAAAAB4/IdQUOt46FoY/s320/26636_101393173230723_100000801232257_37229_4285581_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496354762439902434" border="0" /></a>Few Objectionable Points on Aquino Peace Policy Direction<br /><br />By: Maulana R. Alonto<br /><br />The Moro Question has always been an international issue because the conflict in Mindanao is a sovereignty-based conflict basically created by foreign colonialism and imperialism. The international community's current involvement in the resolution of this conflict provides the necessary environment for the parties-in-conflict, i.e. the Bangsamoro people and the Philippine state, to dialogue over this problem on the negotiating table and arrive at a peaceful political settlement of the conflict. Now the Aquino regime wants to remove the international community from involvement in the peace process? What, then, does it want? The continuation of the war? For this would be analogous to a boxing match without a referee. And this would be tragic for the new Aquino regime which promises a clean departure from the mistakes of the past. Those who have access to Noynoy Aquino should tell him this!<br /><br />But what we heard from informed sources is that the GRP is reviewing the participation of the International Contact Group (ICG) with the end in view of limiting and perhaps eliminating altogether its involvement in the peace process. As I said, international community involvement is necessary for having an environment that allows both parties to seriously do problem-solving on the negotiating table, not on the battlefield. Our opinion is that doing away with the international community would be a monumental blunder on the part of the Aquino regime. I hope President Aquino does not listen to the likes of Frank Drilon and Mar Roxas who may be his loyal partymates but who stand opposed to any just political settlement of the Mindanao conflict.<br /><br />Moreover, there is a suggestion that President Aquino will tap Indonesia to facilitate the talks. This means the elimination of Malaysia as the current facilitator. We know that Indonesia is the closest ally of the GRP in Southeast Asia. Indonesia also presided over the political defeat of the MNLF in the MNLF-GRP peace talks. Indonesia is likewise the main sponsor of the GRP's bid for observer status in the OIC. Aquino is now reconfiguring the MILF-GRP peace process by eliminating Malaysia and limiting, if not doing away, with international community involvement beyond the OIC. The implication of this is that the ICG will have to eventually go. Malaysia did a good job at facilitation and is head of the IMT. Problem is, Aquino listens to people like Ging Deles of OPPAP who are hostile to Malaysian facilitation.<br /><br />Earlier, DND Secretary V. Gazmin said the "rebels" should lay down their arms first. If this is the mindset of the Aquino regime, then Mindanao is in for the prolongation of the conflict. Aquino knows practically nothing of the Moro Question. As to belligerency status, this is no longer applicable in the current resolution of international sovereignty-based conflicts. The international dimension of the peace process underscores the need to resolve a conflict through a political compromise at the negotiating table; meaning, insofar as our case is concerned, that both parties in conflict can arrive at a political formula that would both satisfy the Philippine state's ideology of 'national sovereignty and territorial integrity' and the Bangsamoro people's right of self-determination. But if the Philippine state stubbornly insists on the primacy of its position and that the same should be the framework of any negotiation and, therefore, should dictate the rules of peace engagements, then peace talks are useless.<br /><br />As such, the Bangsamoro nation has no recourse but to fight for political independence! This is what happened to Algeria when the Algerians fought for their independence from French colonialism. Remember, the MILF never demanded for a separate independent state in the negotiations. The MOA-AD was not asking for Moro independence but merely for the return of what is left of the Moro ancestral domain where the Moro people can exercise self-rule as a sub-state of the larger Philippine state. This is the best political compromise to the colliding positions of the GRP and the Bangsamoro. But this was "killed" by the Filipinos even before it could leave the table.<br /><br />Now, with the unraveling mindset of the Aquino regime, the prospect for resolution is dim. Independence now seems to be the only practical way to liberate ourselves from Philippine colonialism in the light of Filipino obduracy over the historical and current injustices perpetrated on the Moro people. Let Allah (SWT) be the Final Arbiter in our struggle for liberation!Mindanao Peace Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656187731095299225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291154286768983389.post-78231646696523676662010-06-29T01:58:00.000-07:002010-08-31T18:49:29.322-07:00ARROYO LEAVING A LEGACY OF FAILED PEACE IN MINDANAO<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q-952n17kfM/TCm8J1Cb2cI/AAAAAAAAABw/uqBiK_YWkOE/s1600/nashpan1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488124497969797570" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q-952n17kfM/TCm8J1Cb2cI/AAAAAAAAABw/uqBiK_YWkOE/s320/nashpan1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 249px;" /></a><br />
As euphoria intensified at the inaugural of the 15th Philippine President Noynoy Aquino, thousands of well wishers throng to see gleefully the new dawn in Philippine politics while onlookers see the outgoing Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo come up to end her term of office not with flying colors to speak of but rather the widespread public dissatisfaction over her graft and scandal ridden government, rights abuses, question of illegitimacy as president after the exposé of Garci-Arroyo tapes revealing massive cheating in 2004 Polls involving top elections officials and military officers. All she earned from the “Filipino masses” was public scorn for disgracing the Presidency, the highest office in the land finally vacating the palace with the lowest ever popularity rating. As she step down, Many civil society groups and opposition groups wanted the new president to see Gloria Arroyo in jail. <br />
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Nonetheless, the Philippine Muslim community won’t let the pages of Philippine history come to pass without stating their case of how Pres. Arroyo treated the Mindanao Problem and reneged from her ‘all-out-peace policy” announced officially during her catapult to power in the 2001 EDSA II People Power. After nine long years in power, she will be leaving “a legacy of failed peace policy.” All high hopes of peace activists and peace loving Mindanaoans died in vain. Most critics blamed her government for insincerity and “double talk policy” reminiscent of Marcos Era. The MILF leaders accused the Arroyo regime had employed the peace negotiations not in the pursuit for genuine peace but as part of its instruments to further its national security strategic objective of containing all forces from national security threats of NPA’s insurgency, Moro secessionism leading to the dismemberment of the Republic, and expanding its role in the South East Asia as strategic partner in the US led War against Terror.<br />
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How could she fail? In fact, she had all the windows of opportunity to seize the moment of bringing to fold the Moro rebel group into an accord and embrace a just and meaningful peace. In my opinion, she could have taken strategic advantage of major contributory factors shaping up the new prospect and adequate opportunity for peace such as 1) the readiness of the MILF to talk peace, and the cooperative role of the Malaysian Government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad as Third Country Facilitator and under their auspices hosted several rounds of peace parlays for nine (9) long years in power.<br />
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Most well-wishers from the civil society sector were jubilant then that after her pronouncement of renewed “primacy of peace policy” in 2005, more civil and peaceful approach will reign in difference to the “iron fist policy” that former Pres. Estrada carried along from the very start of his presidency. But again, we were all proven wrong and the “no peace, no war situation” persisted. <br />
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From a vantage point, we already hinted and saw all these coming. From the very start, Pres. Arroyo had been beholden to the military and acceded to Military generals led by Gen. Angelo Reyes successfully insinuating her to reverse the “all-out-peace policy” if only to sustain the military gains from the previous 2000 All-out-war campaign under Mr. Estrada and avoid AFP turning their back on her administration. After all these years, that she’s really up to, not for peace or but her survival? From then on she treated all related issues for Mindanao and peace differently. <br />
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In 2008, she showed the apparent lack of political will in forging with MILF an ad interim agreement. the controversial Memorandum of Agreement for Ancestral Domain soon to be signed in Malaysia, She could have invoked an executive privilege, a prerogative Presidential power vested under the presidency to reasonably quell the uproar from local executives opposed to the deal but instead of honoring its commitment to MILF and the Malaysian government, she had chosen to accede to the High Tribunal. Later, it reached unfavorable ruling on a much emotionally charged political not judicial issue against the backdrop of lost lives caused by the ensuing firefights between MILF fighters and Philippine military troopers in North Cotabato. In November, 2008, the deadlock resulted in humanitarian crisis with record high internal displacement of 733,000 (UNOCHA) persons drawing concern from various sectors and international community.<br />
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What legacy is she is boasting about peace in Mindanao? After all these, she had just proven she really catered only to patronage politics and will be remembered as inept and the penchant to protect the interests of most landed politicians and warlords at the expense of the peace and the oppressed landless Muslims in Mindanao. Thus, peace advocates are giving her a “FAILED MARK” and a scorn for her failure in the genuine pursuit for peace, human security and national reconciliation. <br />
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Now, that P-Noy is in and Cong. Gloria Arroyo is out, she has left the new administration inheriting the peace effort “deadlocked” by the Supreme Court ruling declaring ‘unconstitutional’ the MOA AD. In my analysis, any renewed peace negotiations will have tough sailing with MILF keeping its hard line position and an antagonistic Supreme Court under Chief Justice Corona. For another six years, the Mindanaoans leave the fate of the troubled land of Mindanao on the stewardship of Pres. Noynoy Aquino.<br />
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<blockquote></blockquote>Mindanao Peace Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656187731095299225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291154286768983389.post-89245834327067859172010-04-07T02:46:00.000-07:002010-04-07T02:47:51.378-07:00Beyond Being Just Spectators, Bystanders in the Mindanao Conflict“War or peace,” they come and go just like any other conflict elsewhere in the world, say in Kashmir, Sri Lanka, or Gaza in Palestine. Small wars it may seems. But the graphic images of deaths and destructions shown world wide by international and local TV networks touches our hearts and shakes our thoughts to witness in our very own eyes. All this long, we are ordinary bystanders, spectators, or onlookers to how brutal and ruthless these mighty nations who claim to be protectors their lofty ideals of democracy and freedom but trample defenseless peoples’ lives and dignity. Ancient warriors fought wars for glory and conquest of vast lands but in our days United States and its allies including the Philippines profit from wars at the expense of their hapless victims.<br /><br />We knew they make peace whenever convenient for them and they wage war whenever beneficial for their interests. Aptly described by Prof. Maulawi Calimba in his Quadrant Theory of “No War, No Peace” treatise. The truth is they hang in the balance the complete resolution of these festering conflicts because it’s good for the business of those interest groups, they anyway profit the highest in the scheme of things. Land lords get to grab more lands, politicos gains more votes in elections in their new found turfs, junior military officers in Mindanao get fast promotions to generals and increase military financing more and more from annual government budgets and US military aid, and worst of all war industry boost huge profits and generate employment and opportunities. <br /><br />Lest we forget at the domestic front, Philippines have got its own endless quagmires of four decades long of armed struggle of Mindanao’s native people called the “Bangsamoro” since 1968. The widespread Muslim revolt that intensified in early 1970s in Mindanao has brought ten of thousands of deaths and destruction with it already reaching billions worth of properties, economic opportunities not to mention the loss of billions of pesos from the government coffers as costs of wars for more than forty years and still counting until this moment. <br /><br />The lessons in Gaza thought many of us that we cannot care less for all these troubles in our own backyard, we cannot be so naïve and continue acting as bystanders. Many Filipino leaders play rhetorics to bring peace the soonest possible time but refuse to make concessions and while embracing peace but with no readiness to take reasonable compromise and sacrifices. Especially for Mindanaoans, we cannot be forever leaving our fate to our selfish leaders and detractors of Mindanao peace. <br /><br />Inspired b<a href="http://"></a>y the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Michael Ahtisari, I am of the opinion many peace advocates, my colleagues in Maradeka in the Philippines and people all over the world with conscience look into the humanitarian crisis in Mindanao and act as critical observer. Though many may not be truly aware and understood the roots of the Mindanao conflict but it’s not really that too far away to be concerned and take stake responsibly in building national consensus for peace. <br /><br />I felt it my personal responsibility then to launch and open this blogsite, Mindanao peace observer to serve the purpose. Before it reaches the level of intensity as those in the experiences in Kashmir, Tamil, Tibet or Palestine, we hope to join in spirit of bonding many like-minded bloggers without biases and prejudices in link up to share insights in ending these endless cycles of violence that breeds more violence and extremism. Be one of us in collectively doing the right thing.Mindanao Peace Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656187731095299225noreply@blogger.com0