The Peace and Reconciliation Program of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) celebrated its ten years of peacebuilding work in Mindanao on December 12-13, 2006 at the Rend Convention Center, Vales Beach Resort, Toril, Davao City.
Recognizing that the efforts to promote and build the culture of peace in Mindanao is a journey made with a number of enriching collaborations with various non-government organizations (NGOs), the CRS invited the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS) and other partner NGOs to the celebration dubbed as “Partners’ Encounter.”
The celebration adopted as theme, “Ten Years of Peacebuilding Work in Mindanao: Appreciating the Past and Envisioning the Future.”
The Partners’ Encounter focused on the consolidation of the collective peacebuilding work in Mindanao for the past ten years; generating lessons learned in the work; identifying current challenges in peacebuilding vis-à-vis the current context in Mindanao and in the country; articulating the collective direction for the next decade of peacebuilding work and strengthening relationships between the CRS and partner organizations.
Mike Kulat, CBCS program officer for peace and development, and Taher Solaiman, staff, attended the celebration. (TGS)
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
MSU officials, Marines connive to cover-up rape case
A reported rape of a Muslim woman involving the Philippine Marine detachment guarding the National Power Corporation (NPC) installation at the Mindanao State University Campus (MSU)in Marawi City is being covered-up by officials of the university and the military, hence, obstructing the investigation currently being made by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front - Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (MILF-CCCH) and the Local Monitoring Team (LMT). This was the report reaching Luwaran today.The incident occurred on the night of Sunday, December 10, 2006, when Muslims residing in the vicinity of the main entrance to MSU where the Marines have their detachment just a few meters away from the security checkpoint heard a very loud hysterical female voice repeatedly crying for help in Maranaw dialect.
The cry came from the direction of the Marine detachment guarding the NPC installation inside the campus. When the Muslim residents tried to respond to the cry for help and approached the Marine detachment, they were prevented by armed Marines guarding the entrance to the MSU campus. The following day some of the Muslim residents contacted and reported the matter to the MILF-CCCH and the LMT.
Early morning of December 11, four members of the MILF-CCCH and the LMT in Ranao led by Mangotawar Macacuna, head of the Ranao MILF-CCCH, went to the Marine detachment where said incident occurred and tried to investigate the matter. The Marines told them roughly, “Huwag kayong makialam!” (Do not interfere!) and uttered some other words to the effect that the matter was a private affair, which was of no concern to the MILF-CCCH and LMT. Rebuffed by the hostile actuations of the Marines, the MILF-CCCH and LMT members launched an investigation to dig deeper into the report of the Muslim residents.
The first thing that they did was to establish the identity of the rape victim so as to determine if the crime of rape has indeed been committed. This was quite difficult considering the cultural idiosyncrasies of the Maranaw society. Rape is a source of extreme embarrassment for the family of the victim, and what normally happens when rape occurs is that the victim’s family would never admit openly that a female member is a victim of sexual abuse. Usually, the family seeks redress by taking justice into its own hands as maratabat (pride) requires.
Nonetheless, the initial findings of the investigation revealed that on the night of the incident, a Muslim female student of MSU never returned to the dormitory where she was staying. Until now, her whereabouts cannot be accounted for. It was also learned through the one-way radio that a Muslim policeman who did not divulge his identity vowed to take vengeance for the abuse of her daughter by a Marine soldier.
In the afternoon of December 13, Moro youth students of MSU held a rally in front of the MSU administration building which houses the office of the university president to urge MSU officials, specially MSU president Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Ricardo Gen. de Leon, to launch an official investigation since the reported incident happened right at the campus and involves military personnel. The official response, however, frustrated the Moro youth demonstrators because the MSU administration vehemently denied that any rape had been committed even before an official investigation could be launched. A Muslim former provincial official who is a known friend of the MSU president spoke to the demonstrators and echoed this official line. This was the beginning of the official cover-up which involves officials of MSU, the Marines and some elements of the media.
On December 15, the local TV stations of the ABS-CBN in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro came out with a news report featuring the live interview of a female MSU Christian student who claimed that on the night of the incident, she was drunk and bellicose and so she slept with her Marine boyfriend at the military detachment from where Muslim residents heard the cry for help by a Maranaw woman. The student alleged that there was no rape and there was no Muslim woman in that detachment that night. She said that because of her inebriated state she was probably mistaken for the Muslim woman allegedly being abused. Her story, however, had no ring of truth because the loud cries for help as heard by the residents were distinctly in Maranaw even in intonation. This female student is a Visayan and not a Maranaw. In extreme distress, she would have cried out spontaneously in Visayan, not Maranaw.
At any rate, several residents who live in the vicinity of the Marine detachment and who heard the cries for help in Maranaw have come forward to testify and execute affidavits as to what they have heard and observed that night, notably the defensive agitation and hostility that the Marines demonstrated when inquiries were made by the residents. The Ranao MILF-CCCH and LMT are currently pursuing the investigation and gathering more information and testimonies as basis for the filing of protest in the coming joint CCCH meeting with representatives of the Philippine government. (www.luwaran.com)
The cry came from the direction of the Marine detachment guarding the NPC installation inside the campus. When the Muslim residents tried to respond to the cry for help and approached the Marine detachment, they were prevented by armed Marines guarding the entrance to the MSU campus. The following day some of the Muslim residents contacted and reported the matter to the MILF-CCCH and the LMT.
Early morning of December 11, four members of the MILF-CCCH and the LMT in Ranao led by Mangotawar Macacuna, head of the Ranao MILF-CCCH, went to the Marine detachment where said incident occurred and tried to investigate the matter. The Marines told them roughly, “Huwag kayong makialam!” (Do not interfere!) and uttered some other words to the effect that the matter was a private affair, which was of no concern to the MILF-CCCH and LMT. Rebuffed by the hostile actuations of the Marines, the MILF-CCCH and LMT members launched an investigation to dig deeper into the report of the Muslim residents.
The first thing that they did was to establish the identity of the rape victim so as to determine if the crime of rape has indeed been committed. This was quite difficult considering the cultural idiosyncrasies of the Maranaw society. Rape is a source of extreme embarrassment for the family of the victim, and what normally happens when rape occurs is that the victim’s family would never admit openly that a female member is a victim of sexual abuse. Usually, the family seeks redress by taking justice into its own hands as maratabat (pride) requires.
Nonetheless, the initial findings of the investigation revealed that on the night of the incident, a Muslim female student of MSU never returned to the dormitory where she was staying. Until now, her whereabouts cannot be accounted for. It was also learned through the one-way radio that a Muslim policeman who did not divulge his identity vowed to take vengeance for the abuse of her daughter by a Marine soldier.
In the afternoon of December 13, Moro youth students of MSU held a rally in front of the MSU administration building which houses the office of the university president to urge MSU officials, specially MSU president Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Ricardo Gen. de Leon, to launch an official investigation since the reported incident happened right at the campus and involves military personnel. The official response, however, frustrated the Moro youth demonstrators because the MSU administration vehemently denied that any rape had been committed even before an official investigation could be launched. A Muslim former provincial official who is a known friend of the MSU president spoke to the demonstrators and echoed this official line. This was the beginning of the official cover-up which involves officials of MSU, the Marines and some elements of the media.
On December 15, the local TV stations of the ABS-CBN in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro came out with a news report featuring the live interview of a female MSU Christian student who claimed that on the night of the incident, she was drunk and bellicose and so she slept with her Marine boyfriend at the military detachment from where Muslim residents heard the cry for help by a Maranaw woman. The student alleged that there was no rape and there was no Muslim woman in that detachment that night. She said that because of her inebriated state she was probably mistaken for the Muslim woman allegedly being abused. Her story, however, had no ring of truth because the loud cries for help as heard by the residents were distinctly in Maranaw even in intonation. This female student is a Visayan and not a Maranaw. In extreme distress, she would have cried out spontaneously in Visayan, not Maranaw.
At any rate, several residents who live in the vicinity of the Marine detachment and who heard the cries for help in Maranaw have come forward to testify and execute affidavits as to what they have heard and observed that night, notably the defensive agitation and hostility that the Marines demonstrated when inquiries were made by the residents. The Ranao MILF-CCCH and LMT are currently pursuing the investigation and gathering more information and testimonies as basis for the filing of protest in the coming joint CCCH meeting with representatives of the Philippine government. (www.luwaran.com)
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
MILF sees hard bargaining ahead in talks
After the one-day “question-and-answer session” in Kuala Lumpur last December 1, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel predicted a hard bargaining ahead for both Parties, as they are still glued to the four strands of ancestral domain especially territory. Aside from territory, the other strands are concept, resources, and governance, which the government and MILF peace negotiators have succeeded to sign at least 29 pertinent consensus points.
Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, after returning from the talks in Malaysia Tuesday, told Luwaran that the prospect for the Parties to forge an agreement is still possible, but the road to that is full of twists and turns.
“Negotiation is not an easy undertaking that only few people have the perseverance and right attitude to withstand the challenges, pressures, and uncertainty surrounding the whole process,” he clarified, adding that to know what you want even if you are rebuffed many times and how to get it is very important.
He described the latest meeting in Kuala Lumpur as very important for the peace process, which enabled the two Parties to have full grasp of the other party’s position, framework, and thinking.
He said the two Parties have not agreed on anything formally in the recent meeting, but mere understanding. Nevertheless, it was recorded officially in the minutes by the Malaysian Secretariat.
Both the MILF and GRP refused to call this meeting as exploratory talks or back-channeling talks.
Asked what the main sticky point is in the present impasse, he said it is still territory, saying the government has not yet presented a proposal good enough to interest or accepted by the MILF.
The MILF wants “more or less contiguous, viable, and wide enough territory” to sustain the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) or State. The recent meeting is described by one member of the MILF negotiating team, who requested anonymity, as very cordial, friendly, and issue focused. (www.luwaran.com)
Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, after returning from the talks in Malaysia Tuesday, told Luwaran that the prospect for the Parties to forge an agreement is still possible, but the road to that is full of twists and turns.
“Negotiation is not an easy undertaking that only few people have the perseverance and right attitude to withstand the challenges, pressures, and uncertainty surrounding the whole process,” he clarified, adding that to know what you want even if you are rebuffed many times and how to get it is very important.
He described the latest meeting in Kuala Lumpur as very important for the peace process, which enabled the two Parties to have full grasp of the other party’s position, framework, and thinking.
He said the two Parties have not agreed on anything formally in the recent meeting, but mere understanding. Nevertheless, it was recorded officially in the minutes by the Malaysian Secretariat.
Both the MILF and GRP refused to call this meeting as exploratory talks or back-channeling talks.
Asked what the main sticky point is in the present impasse, he said it is still territory, saying the government has not yet presented a proposal good enough to interest or accepted by the MILF.
The MILF wants “more or less contiguous, viable, and wide enough territory” to sustain the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) or State. The recent meeting is described by one member of the MILF negotiating team, who requested anonymity, as very cordial, friendly, and issue focused. (www.luwaran.com)
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