MNLF supports GRP-MILF peace talks

"We are not against the reported draft of peace agreement. We are even supporting it so that the problem in Mindanao will finally have an end."

Thus, the inquirer.net quoted Hatimil Hassan, Moro National Liberational Front (MNLF) interim vice chair, today, referring to the ongoing peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Earlier, MNLF chair Nur Misuari warned the Philippine government against signing a peace agreement with the MILF, citing claims by an American diplomat that a peace pact with the MILF “will be illegal.”

Both the GRP and the MILF are optimistic that they can come up soon with a comprehensive peace pact. (Taher G. Solaiman)

Road mishap kills former ARMM vice governor

Former Vice Governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Mahid Mutilan was killed in a vehicular accident about 5 a.m. Thursday in Sitio Anibongan, Matangkad village in Gitagum, Misamis Oriental.

Reports that reached Taher G. Solaiman On Line said Mutilan, also a former Lanao del Sur provincial governor, was en route from Marawi City to Cagayan de Oro City airport when the driver of his Ford Ranger pickup lost control of the vehicle, causing it to crash. The governor was rushing to catch the first plane flight from Cagayan de Oro City to Manila to meet his wife who was set to leave for a pilgrimage to Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mutilan’s driver, together with another companion and three persons aboard a tricycle were also injured in the incident.

The victims aboard the vehicle of Mutilan were brought to the Cagayan de Oro Medical Center while those aboard the tricycle were rushed to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City for treatment. But the former governor was pronounced “dead on arrival” at the hospital while his driver was in a serious condition.

Mutilan, until his death, was the head of the Ulama League of the Philippines and co-convenor of Bishop-Ulama Conference of the Philippines.

Gitagum town is about an hour by land travel from Cagayan de Oro City.

Kidapawan blast kills 1, injures 5

KIDAPAWAN CITY, PHILIPPINES (11/23/2007) – One person was killed and five others were injured in an explosion that rocked a shopping mall in this city at about 5 p.m. yesterday.
The bomb was placed at the baggage check-in counter at the entrance of the KMCC Mall in Kidapawan City, said Chief Inspector Leo Ajero, the city police chief.

The police authorities, however, claimed they could not say whether the bomb was remotely detonated or was fitted with a timing device because an investigation is still being conducted.

“Police investigators recovered an unexploded bomb in the same area,” Ajero said, without giving details.

Police Senior Superintendent Robert Kiunisala, provincial police director of Cotabato, identified the one killed in the blast as KMCC employee Boyet Alcazar.

While those injured were identified as KMCC employees Francisco Casia, Randy Singson, student Jeralyn Luis, Aniver Cahindig, and Roderick Cahindig.

The victims were immediately brought to different hospitals in the city.

In a telephone interview with a local radio station, Cotabato Provincial Vice Governor Emmanuel Piňol said, "It's most probably an improvised explosive device."

2 blasts kill 6, hurt 24 in General Santos City, Kidapawan City

Six persons were killed and 22 others were injured when an improvised bomb exploded in front of the public market in General Santos City, Southern Philippines, about 6:10 pm today.

General Santos City police chief, S/Supt. Alfredo Toroctocon, told newsmen that police authorities are still conducting investigations to determine who might be responsible for the explosion.

The wounded victims were immediately brought to the Saint Elizabeth Hospital in the said city.

Meanwhile, a sketchy report reaching The Pen Pointers On Line said another bomb exploded in front of a police outpost in Kidapawan City, also in Southern Philippines, at about 8:45 pm today that injured at least two persons.

One of the victims was identified as Boy Rivas, a teenager, whose hand was amputated while being treated in an undisclosed hospital in the city. The other victim was an elderly man.

The identities of the other victims were not yet determined as of press time. (Written by Taher G. Solaiman)

Young Moro leaders air concerns on various Mindanao issues

Aware of the significant roles that they play in shaping the future of the Bangsamoro people, about sixty young Moro leaders attended the Mindanao Young Moro Leaders’ Conference held at Isla Parilla Resort, Bgy. Ladol, Alabel, Sarangani Province on December 20-22, 2006.

Lawyer Musib Buat, a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace negotiating panel, and Dr. Armia Ebrahim, of the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College (CCSPC), served as keynote speakers in the Conference.

Buat, who talked on “The Right to Self-determination and the Role of the Bangsamoro Youth”, claimed that:

“The right of all people, nations or communities to decide their final political state is an exercise of the right to self-determination. It is a universally recognized fundamental right of all people, nations, or communities (specifically historic communities like the Bosque, Quebec, Irish, Acehnese, including that of the Bangsamoro people).”

“The Bangsamoro people consider themselves as a separate nation (Moro Nation) distinct from the Filipinos. Their existence and identity as a nation far antedated the so-called Filipino Nation. Moro land (Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan geographical region) is their homeland and ancestral domain,” Buat noted.

“As political construct, this identity extends to the non-Islamized indigenous peoples who are equally descendants of the original occupants of the Mindanao region prior to conquest or colonization. The latter, however, are given the freedom of choice to opt of becoming Bangsamoro nationals or remain under the neo-colonial rule of the Filipinos,” he explained.
Buat said that while it is true that the Philippine government has extended citizenship to the Bangsamoro people, the issue of allegiance to the Philippine State as the only Christian nation in this part of the world remains an unsettled issue.

“Until now, many Bangsamoro cannot accept being called Filipino for having a derogatory connotation to them being an unconquered people nor under the rule of colonial Spain. They prefer to be called Moro or Muslims or better still Bangsamoro (Moro Nation),” he asserted.
Buat summed up the grievances of the Moro people into one – “injustice”.
He, however, elaborated that by “injustice”, he meant injustice to Moro “identity”, “political sovereignty”, “ancestral territory” and “integral development”.

Buat exhorted the Moro youth to guard themselves against the traditional politicians (Moro or non-Moro) from highjacking or taking over and reap the fruits of the Bangsamoro struggle.
“The poor and the humble are the true beneficiaries of the dividends of peace, not the political elites, the rich and powerful and corrupt politicians. If the Moro youth will allow and tolerate them, the goals of the Bangsamoro struggle will be reaped by their vested interests. It is, therefore high time that the Bangsamoro youth must embrace the ideology of jihad, the continuous struggle to fight all forms of injustices in the land. Not necessarily through armed struggle (jihad sagir or the lowest form of jihad) but through jihad akbar or the highest form of jihad,” he insisted.

What jihad akbar is? Buat explained it, thus:

“Jihad akbar is waged by two principles namely: da’wah (Islamic call) and tarbiyah (education). This form of jihad will lead to nowhere without da’wah and tarbiyah. On the other hand, jihad akbar will not flourish if we are complacent. Thus, defense of the Ummah (Islamic Community), whenever threatened by evil and injustice, will have to necessarily involve jihad sagir (or jihad qital).”

Buat reminded the young Moro leaders that martyrdom or to die in defense of the Ummah against oppression is equally a virtue in Islam.

“The Bangsamoro people have come of age. They want to chart their own destiny. If they are allowed to develop their own country and homeland, they honestly believe that it will sustain its development,” he concluded.

On her part, Dr. Ebrahim said that the future of the Bangsamoro Youth is seen under three possible conditions of the Bangsamoro Nation: 1) “Filipinized Bangsamoro Nation”, which is the present state of affairs of the Bangsamoro. The Bangsamoro Nation is under the ambit and full control of the Philippine government. Though granted autonomy in some parts of Bangsamoro communities, still the system that prevail is one that is crafted by non-Bangsamoro; 2) “Federalized Bangsamoro Nation”, which can be an option or alternative -- one that gives the Bangsamoro Nation some degree of freedom to craft their state of affairs, and 3) “Independent Bangsamoro Nation”, which was enjoyed by the youth of yesteryears, before the coming of the imperialists. This condition is a clamor of quite a large number of Bangsamoro.

Meanwhile, through a workshop, the participants of the Conference identified some issues that affect the Bangsamoro, in general, and the Moro youth, in particular. These issues are: 1) the recent impasse of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GRP-MILF) Peace Negotiation; 2) militarization of the Moro areas that results to violations of Ceasefire Agreement between the GRP and MILF; 3) issues concerning ancestral domain, such as the entry of transnational and multinational corporations that result to the open development aggression, exploration and exploitation of the natural resources within the Bangsamoro areas and, thus, affect the ongoing peace negotiation; 4) rampant human rights violations against the Bangsamoro people within their territories, and 5) non-reparation of the Bangsamoro in areas affected and destroyed by the decades-old war.

In the resolution that the young Moro leaders passed, they submitted the following recommendations:

1. Assert and reaffirm the Bangsamoro identity as a nation;



2. The immediate pull-out of the troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the disbandment of government militias in the areas within the jurisdiction of the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE), and its substitution with the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces or the internal security forces to secure the entire territories and provide protection to the Bangsamoro people. Besides, integration of Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces into the AFP is strongly rejected;



3. There shall be a moratorium on the exploration and exploitation of all natural resources, such as strategic minerals and oil, among others, within the proposed BJE jurisdiction while the peace negotiation is on going and policies are being formulated;



4. The extent of the jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro ancestral domain must include the ownership, utilization, exploitation, conservation and disposition of the natural resources;
   Reparation law shall be enacted by the Philippine Congress to ensure the allotment of budget that shall be utilized for the reparation and payment of human rights violations committed and properties damaged by the Philippine government against the Bangsamoro people right after the signing of Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the GRP and the MILF;



5. Establishment of Bangsamoro Consular offices in South East Asia and the rest of Muslim countries all over the world for economic cooperation, diplomatic and trade relations;
   Assertion of the mandate of the Bangsamoro Development Agency to determine, lead and manage rehabilitation and development projects in conflict-affected areas within the jurisdiction of the proposed BJE pursuant to the provisions of the Implementing Guidelines of the Humanitarian, Rehabilitation and Development Aspects of the Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001;



6. Urging the Philippine Government to FULLY IMPLEMENT all unimplemented provisions of the 1996 GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement; and



7. Appealing to the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to support the GRP-MILF Peace Process which is INCLUSIVE in character and will provide genuine self-governance to the Moro people.

The Conference was sponsored by the United Youth for Peace and Development (UNYPAD) in cooperation with the German Technical Cooperation (GTC) and the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID).

It was participated in by UNYPAD (Cotabato City, Marawi City, Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan, North Cotabato, Lanao Del Sur, Lanao Del Norte, Davao City and Davao Oriental Chapters); United Youth of the Philippines (Cotabato City, Maguindanao, Basilan and Tawi-tawi Chapters); UNYPHIL-Women; Bangsamoro Center for Justpeace (BCJP); Young Moro Professionals Council (General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and South Cotabato Chapters); Peacebuilders Community, Sulu; Islamic Brotherhood Muslim Organization (IBMO), Maguindanao; Bangsamoro Association of Muslim Youth (BAMY); Muslim Student Association (MUSA), MSU General Santos City; Community Initiative Assistance for Peace and Development, Inc. (CIAPDI); Cotabato City Young Moro Professional (CCYMP); Learned Kagan Muslim Foundation Inc., (LKMFI), Compostela Valley and Zamboanga Youth. (TGS)