Showing posts with label moro national liberation front. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moro national liberation front. Show all posts
Monday, January 26, 2015
Is peace elusive in restive South? A look into the Bangsamoro Question
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Monday, September 9, 2013
Zamboanga Seige by MNLF caused by mismanaged peace talks
The mismanagement of the peace negotiations with Bangsamoros in Mindanao is the direct cause of the breakout of violence in Zamboanga perpetuated by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
MNLF elements led by several Suluanons affiliated with Nur Misuari has just occupied some portions of Zamboanga City. Last August 12, Nur has just declared independence and declared himself President and Chief of the MNLF armed forces. The government ignored this overt action and continued ignoring the MNLF.
Probably, the government is under the false belief that Misuari's group is no more and they continue talking with Muslimin Sema faction. The Sema faction has the old guards of the MNLF. What they don't know is that Misuari's group has just consolidated the young commanders.
Abdul Sahrin, Secretary General of the MNLF faction does not support Misuari's armed action. They continue to support the flawed peace talks of the government.
Had the government invested in hearing the sides and viewpoints of all stakeholders in the area, this would not have happened. Blame ideology. The Deles faction is affiliated with the Akbayan which has direct and strong links with the MILF, not the MNLF. This explains why no deal was entered into with the MNLF. First, an erroneous analysis of the MNLF and risks of not negotiating with them and second, a misinterpretation of the entire Bangsamoro problem.
MNLF elements led by several Suluanons affiliated with Nur Misuari has just occupied some portions of Zamboanga City. Last August 12, Nur has just declared independence and declared himself President and Chief of the MNLF armed forces. The government ignored this overt action and continued ignoring the MNLF.
Probably, the government is under the false belief that Misuari's group is no more and they continue talking with Muslimin Sema faction. The Sema faction has the old guards of the MNLF. What they don't know is that Misuari's group has just consolidated the young commanders.
Abdul Sahrin, Secretary General of the MNLF faction does not support Misuari's armed action. They continue to support the flawed peace talks of the government.
Had the government invested in hearing the sides and viewpoints of all stakeholders in the area, this would not have happened. Blame ideology. The Deles faction is affiliated with the Akbayan which has direct and strong links with the MILF, not the MNLF. This explains why no deal was entered into with the MNLF. First, an erroneous analysis of the MNLF and risks of not negotiating with them and second, a misinterpretation of the entire Bangsamoro problem.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
MNLF holding Atyani
This thing is getting more curious and "mysterious" to some, as day goes by.
Yesterday, two radio stations, DZBB and DZMM asked a certain Atty. Immanuel Fontanilla, said to be a trusted spokesperson of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari about the alleged "clash" of the ASG and MNLF fighters in Sulu which resulted in the deaths of 56 Bangsamoros.
According to this man, MNLF forces have already overran the Abu Sayyaf Group lair in Patikul Sulu. They have confirmed the alleged deaths of 11 MNLF fighters while about twenty or so ASG fighters also died. Among those who died were alleged four government agents or troops who fought side by side with the ASG. Fontanilla said ASG fighters, about 300 of them, have fled towards neighboring island of Basilan.
Fontanilla, speaking for and on behalf of the MNLF, even claimed that the MNLF has recovered three or four foreign hostages, but did not reveal their names. Fontanilla even claims that some or several political personalities are interested in these recovered hostages, but the MNLF is wont in turning them over to these people.
Many believe that Jordanian journalist Atyani is now among those recovered by MNLF forces.
Based on his interview, there seems to be an indication that the MNLF is waiting for the return of Nur Misuari, their chairman, before the MNLF will turn over these hostages to the government side. Many see this as a "leverage" to the MNLF considering the fact that the organisation was reportedly left in the lurch by the Aquino administration shortly after the GRP and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) entered into an historic understanding.
The MNLF wants nothing more than a part in the proposed Bangsamoro transitional council which was one of the bodies envisioned to manage the affairs of the Bangsamoro lands prior to the establishment of the Bangsamoro Islamic sub-state.
The MNLF is the recognized secessionist group by the international community since the Organisation of Islamic Conference or OIC conferred to it a belligerency status before. It has since fallen into power after Nur Misuari entered into an agreement with the Philippine government and headed the ARMM, reportedly a failed experiment.
When the negotiations between the GRP and the MILF went into full gear and was publicized, several MNLF leaders bewailed the reported "lack of interest" by the GRP in honoring the peace agreement the GRP entered with the MNLF which was reflected in the 1979 Tripoli agreement.
MNLF even threatened to derail peace talks.
Now, this clash between MNLF and the ASG--what does this mean? Does this mean that the MNLF wants nothing more than a share in the power to be handed over to the Bangsamoro by the Philippine government before the end of Pnoy's administration? Will the MNLF use as leverage, these hostages now under their security?
Yesterday, two radio stations, DZBB and DZMM asked a certain Atty. Immanuel Fontanilla, said to be a trusted spokesperson of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari about the alleged "clash" of the ASG and MNLF fighters in Sulu which resulted in the deaths of 56 Bangsamoros.
According to this man, MNLF forces have already overran the Abu Sayyaf Group lair in Patikul Sulu. They have confirmed the alleged deaths of 11 MNLF fighters while about twenty or so ASG fighters also died. Among those who died were alleged four government agents or troops who fought side by side with the ASG. Fontanilla said ASG fighters, about 300 of them, have fled towards neighboring island of Basilan.
Fontanilla, speaking for and on behalf of the MNLF, even claimed that the MNLF has recovered three or four foreign hostages, but did not reveal their names. Fontanilla even claims that some or several political personalities are interested in these recovered hostages, but the MNLF is wont in turning them over to these people.
Many believe that Jordanian journalist Atyani is now among those recovered by MNLF forces.
Based on his interview, there seems to be an indication that the MNLF is waiting for the return of Nur Misuari, their chairman, before the MNLF will turn over these hostages to the government side. Many see this as a "leverage" to the MNLF considering the fact that the organisation was reportedly left in the lurch by the Aquino administration shortly after the GRP and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) entered into an historic understanding.
The MNLF wants nothing more than a part in the proposed Bangsamoro transitional council which was one of the bodies envisioned to manage the affairs of the Bangsamoro lands prior to the establishment of the Bangsamoro Islamic sub-state.
The MNLF is the recognized secessionist group by the international community since the Organisation of Islamic Conference or OIC conferred to it a belligerency status before. It has since fallen into power after Nur Misuari entered into an agreement with the Philippine government and headed the ARMM, reportedly a failed experiment.
When the negotiations between the GRP and the MILF went into full gear and was publicized, several MNLF leaders bewailed the reported "lack of interest" by the GRP in honoring the peace agreement the GRP entered with the MNLF which was reflected in the 1979 Tripoli agreement.
MNLF even threatened to derail peace talks.
Now, this clash between MNLF and the ASG--what does this mean? Does this mean that the MNLF wants nothing more than a share in the power to be handed over to the Bangsamoro by the Philippine government before the end of Pnoy's administration? Will the MNLF use as leverage, these hostages now under their security?
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
On the Bangsamoro Peace Deal---a complete revision of the 1987 Constitution is in order
This summary is not available. Please
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Sunday, September 18, 2011
The Bangsamoro Question and its 2-fold struggle
I've been to Mindanao several times already and though I am not born there, I know what is happening there. Mindanao is not just rich in natural resources--it is also being enriched by the people who live there.
Many of my friends live in Mindanao. They are both Christians and Muslims. For my Muslim friends, some of them consider themselves as Bangsamoros. Before, the term is exclusive for those who only believe in the Islamic faith and who reside in Mindanao. Now, even Christians consider themselves as Bangsamoros.
Seriously, there is nothing wrong in Mindanao. The entire region is blessed with so much riches, especially natural resources, that, given the chance for self-rule, Mindanao may even eclipse Metro Manila and Cebu as the most progressive and the richest place in the Philippine archipelago. I heard so many foreign investors willing to invest in the place. And I personally know that Bangsamoros will definitely do good not just in establishing strong trade relations with other countries, but also will develop their place as a modern, cosmopolitan place in no time.
I visit General Santos every month and I love the place. There is peace and tranquility there. Christians and Muslims live peacefully there. There is no rancor between the two religious groups simply because every single thing has been provided for every one, regardless of religion, for self-development. You don't see shanties there, a stark difference from the ones in Davao del Sur, Maguindanao and Lanao. Every single resident of GenSan is contented by their lives because the city itself gives equal opportunity to anyone willing to invest her or his time for self-improvement and for commerce.
I wrote here several entries ago, that, the only problem in Mindanao is peace and security. Muslims claim a part of it for themselves which is quite understandable if we are to base it in History. However, though their claims have basis in history, the very question as to who really own Mindanao is still subject of extreme debate.
Muslims have dominated the Western and Eastern hemispheres of Mindanao while the North and the South are predominantly Christian. Now, the question is-is it possible for these territories being claimed to be ceded to their original owners? Yes, it is under a legislative action. Government must change the provisions of the Constitution and refigure its territorial claims to be able to accommodate such a solution.
And who, may I ask, are the original owners of these lands? It would have to be the traditional royal families in Mindanao, most of them, warlords. So, in the event of a reconfiguration, traditional royal families will have to battle it out with both the MILF and the MNLF for political power.
The Bangsamoro question will not be resolved through a peace agreement because even if the government accedes with the demands for self-rule, the entire region will still be beset by violence. A civil war between and among different interest groups will shortly happen once government or the MILF succeeds in its independence claim.
For example, this early, the so-called Sultan of Sulu is making claims of the Jolo Group, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi---three areas within the territories being claimed by the MILF as bangsamoro territorial homeland. The possibility of a clash is very likely there, since the Sultan will not give in to the rebels once an MILF Bangsamoro homeland is recognized.
Really, the Bangsamoro struggle is two-fold: resistence against imperial Manila and once it is achieved, resistance against so-called traditional royal families who will surely claim ownership of several lands under the Bangsamoro homeland territory.
What Mindanao needs is a hegemon---a strong and powerful force able and capable of unifying these groups under one proposition---development. When every single group in Mindanao agrees to keep it safe and simple in the name of development, and not religion, then, every thing will take care of itself, naturally, like what happened in Malaysia.
Many of my friends live in Mindanao. They are both Christians and Muslims. For my Muslim friends, some of them consider themselves as Bangsamoros. Before, the term is exclusive for those who only believe in the Islamic faith and who reside in Mindanao. Now, even Christians consider themselves as Bangsamoros.
Seriously, there is nothing wrong in Mindanao. The entire region is blessed with so much riches, especially natural resources, that, given the chance for self-rule, Mindanao may even eclipse Metro Manila and Cebu as the most progressive and the richest place in the Philippine archipelago. I heard so many foreign investors willing to invest in the place. And I personally know that Bangsamoros will definitely do good not just in establishing strong trade relations with other countries, but also will develop their place as a modern, cosmopolitan place in no time.
I visit General Santos every month and I love the place. There is peace and tranquility there. Christians and Muslims live peacefully there. There is no rancor between the two religious groups simply because every single thing has been provided for every one, regardless of religion, for self-development. You don't see shanties there, a stark difference from the ones in Davao del Sur, Maguindanao and Lanao. Every single resident of GenSan is contented by their lives because the city itself gives equal opportunity to anyone willing to invest her or his time for self-improvement and for commerce.
I wrote here several entries ago, that, the only problem in Mindanao is peace and security. Muslims claim a part of it for themselves which is quite understandable if we are to base it in History. However, though their claims have basis in history, the very question as to who really own Mindanao is still subject of extreme debate.
Muslims have dominated the Western and Eastern hemispheres of Mindanao while the North and the South are predominantly Christian. Now, the question is-is it possible for these territories being claimed to be ceded to their original owners? Yes, it is under a legislative action. Government must change the provisions of the Constitution and refigure its territorial claims to be able to accommodate such a solution.
And who, may I ask, are the original owners of these lands? It would have to be the traditional royal families in Mindanao, most of them, warlords. So, in the event of a reconfiguration, traditional royal families will have to battle it out with both the MILF and the MNLF for political power.
The Bangsamoro question will not be resolved through a peace agreement because even if the government accedes with the demands for self-rule, the entire region will still be beset by violence. A civil war between and among different interest groups will shortly happen once government or the MILF succeeds in its independence claim.
For example, this early, the so-called Sultan of Sulu is making claims of the Jolo Group, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi---three areas within the territories being claimed by the MILF as bangsamoro territorial homeland. The possibility of a clash is very likely there, since the Sultan will not give in to the rebels once an MILF Bangsamoro homeland is recognized.
Really, the Bangsamoro struggle is two-fold: resistence against imperial Manila and once it is achieved, resistance against so-called traditional royal families who will surely claim ownership of several lands under the Bangsamoro homeland territory.
What Mindanao needs is a hegemon---a strong and powerful force able and capable of unifying these groups under one proposition---development. When every single group in Mindanao agrees to keep it safe and simple in the name of development, and not religion, then, every thing will take care of itself, naturally, like what happened in Malaysia.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Balabac Massacre---Gloria's Version of Jabidah
A visually enraged Nur Misuari, chairman emeritus of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) blasted the military for the alleged “massacre” of seven MNLF members during a reported encounter in Balabac Island a few days ago in Palawan.
Misuari, who formed the MNLF in 1972 after the alleged Jabidah massacre perpetuated by military forces in Corregidor Island, said that the deaths of these seven MNLF members, including their leader and his two sons, are suspicious and reminds one of the infamous Jabidah massacre during the Marcos regime.
For those lived during those tumultuous times, Jabidah was the codename of a military project by Marcos. Several Muslims were tapped and trained in the island of Corregidor for the sole mission of invading Borneo and claim the island as Philippine territory. When the plan was discovered, Marcos immediately ordered the massacre of the Muslim volunteers by the military.
Shortly after the Jabidah massacre, Misuari, who was a professor of the University of the Philippines in Diliman at that time, formed the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the precursor of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). After a bloody war which left 150,000 dead, the MNLF and the government went to the peace table. Former First Lady Imelda Marcos used her links with Libya to talk peace with the MNLF but it was only after a few years, in the 1990s, that the MNLF agreed to lay down their arms and enter into an agreement with government.
Misuari said he could not believe those claims by the military that those killed in Balabac resisted arrest. The AFP said the firefight started when army troops tried to serve a warrant of arrest against one of the MNLF members, allegedly for extortion. That’s unbelievable, says Misuari, since those who were living in Balabac Island are all Tausugs and relatives, so they can’t be an extortionist among them. Besides, says Misuari, they have been there since several decades ago.
Misuari vows to meet Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro to discuss this, but the former Bangsamoro leader said, ” The MNLF will never forget this. For every blood spilt, there would be accountability,” says Misuari who once led the Bangsamoro revolutionaries in a bloody war that left 150,000 killed in Mindanao.
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