Filipino Suicide Bombing and Extremism

Jemaah Islamiya Flag

ABS-CBN just reported in their update that a Filipino suicide bomber is probably behind the dastardly bombing attack at the Zambo airport which killed 2 people and injured 22 others. Sulu governor Abdulsakur Tan claims that he is probably the target of the attack. However, if you study what is happening in Mindanao, attacks against Tan have always been either grenade attacks or car bombs. In this case, an alleged Filipino was reportedly the one who blew himself up.

If this is true, then, this is the first case of a suicide bombing in the Philippines. This is very dangerous. This indicates that the level of commitment for the cause of Jihad had reached maturation. And this also shows that training of Filipino extremists have reached a higher and very dangerous level.

Several studies have shown that Filipino extremists are least likely to be converted into suicide bombers. With this, this is extremely dangerous precedent since it shows that indoctrination of prospective Filipino terrorists have gone up and probably have deeply imbedded itself within the Bangsamoro rebel ranks.

Prior to this, an arrest was made on an alleged Jemaah Islamiya member in Davao. There was scant information on the arrest but this shows that JI members are actively moving in the outer and inner fringes of Mindanao. If this is true, then the JI had already widen the scope of their operations, and this pose a very dangerous development for Philippine security agencies.

Jemaah Islamiyah enjoys a very wide network of supporters in the triangle area of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Singapore is also an active supporter of JI, with several of its members using the state island's investment laws to generate funds and distribute to several of its active cells in the Asia-Pacific region.

Why is it that several Bangsamoro rebels have shifted their struggle, from the MILF, to the JI? Simple. Most of the MILF rebels oppose the peace initiatives. Most want nothing of government. They want an independent Bangsamoro state.

Mindanao is also a very ideal safe haven for JI and other terrorists. First, the economy of the region is extremely bad. Sixty seven percent of Mindanaoans, especially those living in Muslim communities are considered extremely poor. This is a fertile ground for active recruitment of adherents to the JI regional cause of world jihad.

Mindanao will only be free from extremism if the following conditions occur:

First, the total overhaul of the entire socio-economic structure, which leads to the domination of a few elite groups. This will only be possible through the democratization of state institutions and socio-cultural groupings.

Second, the Bangsamoro people be granted total independence from the national government.

and third, the obliteration of all so-called "royalty classes" which hamper the democratization of the Bangsamoro society and leads to the perpetual enslavement of most Bangsamoros. Scant economic opportunities are available to Bangsamoros because these so-called royalty classes and armed warlords deprive the people of their God-given economic rights. Free trade should be encouraged in Mindanao.

Lastly, several findings have shown that the present Abu Sayyaf Group is now heavily infiltrated by military agents, and this is not the original ASG anymore.

A new group has emerged, more lethal and more doctrinally sound than the former ASG. This new group, according to sources, is linked with the JI leadership, yet enjoys operational independence. A very covert urban hit squad, Fisabillillah, has been re-activated and now morphs into the true form of ASG. This, however, should be thoroughly investigated.

Teodoro denies plans to institute Martial Law

Defense secretary Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro says that government does not plan to declare martial law for one obvious reason---it is legally unjustified.

First, he says that there's no insurrection or rebellion. And second, public safety, at this point, is simply not compromised, as yet. He also indicated that Malacanang does not plan to even declare a State of Emergency, since, he considers these as counter-productive.

While I'm writing this, a bomb exploded in Jolo, injuring one policeman. This is the 39th time a bomb exploded in Mindanao.

Now, Teodoro said that if these bombing incidents are being perpetuated even by one single member of the government, he'll prosecute them. Teodoro likewise said that he'll disassociate himself with those who want to further confuse and sow terror. For Teodoro, these acts are counter-productive.

The AFP has blamed a certain Baja Usman, an alleged member of the MILF special ops group as the mastermind behind the bombings. The military even connected the regional terror group to the MILF, which the MILF immediately condemned in a statement.

What Teodoro, however, failed to say is what if government, particularly those hawks within Arroyo's inner circle plan a self-coup, similar to previous God Save the Queen plans? Will he stand up and condemn it when it happens? That's obviously the plan of some ideologues within the regime---to launch a coup and institute a "revolutionary government". This is what National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales suggested a few weeks ago. Shortly after Bertgon's statement, bombs subsequently went off in successive fashion in Mindanao and Metro Manila.

Will Teodoro also disassociate himself and condemn this coup if it ever happens?

Important also to note that Teodoro's statement now contradicts the statement made earlier by Executive secretary Eduardo Ermita. Ermita said that Malacanang will not tarry a minute longer in declaring a State of Emergency if violence breaks out in the SONA. Is this indicative that Teodoro no longer enjoys exclusive privilege as a member of Arroyo's inner circle?

Patient Patriots

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Dark clouds loom at the OIC meet in Philippines

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On the Bangsamoro Question (again!) and the Need for Understanding

There's an interesting discussion (and quite heated, I should say) over at Filipino Voices, following the uploading of MILF Commander Ameril Kato's YouTube video. Kato, as you may well know, is being tagged as a "rogue" MILF commander on a warpath. The AFP said, Kato's video is part of MILF propaganda, which, for all intents and purposes, it is. Nothing wrong with that except that it has injured the ego and pride of the AFP--or those who want Kato captured--because he has eluded their dragnet for quite some time now. Despite the bombs, the forced evacuation, the massacre of Moro families and the obvious militarization of the entire Mindanao, Kato and his followers continue what they call their "jihad".

Those who want to understand the problem, I can only describe it in two words: real estate.

Who owns this vast prime lands that we call "Mindanao"? Who owns the seas, the oceans and the rivers comprising the territory that is Mindanao? Easily, you may say, the Philippine government. Under the Treaty of Paris, this entire region was included in the lands transferred by the Spaniards to the Americans by virtue of war booty. When Independence was declared in 1946, the Americans by right, transferred ownership of these lands to the Philippine Republic which now exercises dominion over these lands by virtue of law and armed aggression.

You may then ask me--what about the Sultanate of Sulu and those territories under it? Were they included in the transfer of property? Obviously, these territories being claimed as under the Sultanate is now, part and parcel of Philippine territory. The Sultanate does'nt exist anymore and has been conquered by the Philippine state. So, even those territories are now integrated into the Philippine territory.

Now, here we are, Mindanao-based Muslims claiming the right of dominion over these lands we call Mindanao. Do they have the legal and legitimate right to claim ownership of these lands? 

Yes, they can, being that the Philippine State recognizes the individual right to claim and exercise ownership over a thing, which in this case, these lands. The claim, though, can only be recognized under the property regime that is the Civil Code of the Philippines.

But, can these Muslims claim sovereignty over these lands by right? No. They don't exercise sovereignty because they don't occupy a territory and they have'nt established a government that maintains power over the inhabitants of those lands. The very fact that they are now on the run, technically, has rendered their belligerency status ineffective.

(more on later posts..)