By Rick R. Flores
DAVAO CITY – Peace votes from Mindanao are crucial in winning the 2010 national elections. And these votes may well account to more than 600,000, a huge number of internally displaced persons, who are keeping their collective support for a candidate who can provide a clear political platform in ending the conflict in Mindanao.
This is the gist of the Mindanao Leaders Forum with the May 2010 Presidential and Senatorial Candidates slated on March 16, 2010 to be held in this city, in time with the celebration of the 73rd Araw ng Dabaw.
Organized by the Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC) and the Citizen’s Coalition on ARMM Electoral Reform (C-CARE), the event will bring in multi-sectoral groups, especially the bakwits (internally displaced persons) from Maguindanao and Lanao, face to face with the standard bearers of ten official political parties competing in the first-ever automated polls in the country.
Lawyer Mary Ann Arnado, MPC secretary general, said the “goal of the discussion is to present the Peace Platform of the Mindanao stakeholders to the presidential candidates and elicit from each one of them his or her policy directions and programs on how Mindanaoans will be able to achieve genuine peace and development.”
“We would also be interested on how they view the situation of the IDPs, who until now, are camped in evacuation centers in Maguindanao and Lanao del Norte,” Arnado said.
C-CARE chairperson Salic Ibrahim added that there will be 200 people’s organizations from all over Mindanao who will attend the forum together with 500 leaders from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and neighboring towns and provinces which are directly and indirectly affected by the armed conflict.
“This event is intended to provide a venue where leaders of civil society , peace networks, representatives of IDPs, humanitarian workers, indigenous and Bangsamoro communities, women and youth will be able to listen to the platforms for peace and development in Mindanao given the longstanding armed conflict that besieged the island for over four decades now,” Ibrahim said.
Arnado added that the participants would be interested to listen to a presidentiable’ s views on critical issues that have direct impact on the day to day survival of communities in conflict areas, war and displacement, ancestral domain, environment, mining and the peace process.
C-CARE is a poll watchdog accredited by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) specifically in monitoring the elections in ARMM. It has been instrumental in opening formal mechanisms for people’s participation in ensuring fair and clean elections in the region.
MPC, on the other hand, is a broad movement of grassroots organizations which pioneered the Bantay Ceasefire, an independent ceasefire monitoring mechanism in the GRP-MILF talks. It recently joined the expanded International Monitoring Team (IMT) under the Civilian Protection Component (CPC).
Among those invited are Sen. Benigno Aquino II (LP), Sen. Manuel Villar (NP), Gilberto Teodoro, (Lakas), Eduardo Villanueva (BP), Richard Gordon (Bayan-VNP), Joseph Estrada (PMP), Nicanor Perlas (Ind.), and Jamby Madrigal (Ind.).
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
TAF holds ‘Forum on Sustaining a Peace Process: Lessons from Peace Processes in Hard Times’
By The Asia Foundation
The prospect of forging a final peace agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) within the current Arroyo administration is getting slimmer as the national May 2010 presidential elections draw nearer. Talks have resumed but only after a tumultuous 18 months that almost shattered every single gain that the peace process managed to build. Time is not on the side of the Peace Panels as they face the challenge of forging something concrete and actionable. The idea of an interim agreement has been floated to reflect the need to transition the talks safely from the current to the next administration.
In this critical period for the GRP-MILF Peace Talks, The Asia Foundation is organizing a public forum entitled “Sustaining a Peace Process: Lessons from Peace Processes in Hard Times on February 24, 2010 Wednesday, 3:00-5:00 Pm at the Pacific Heights Hotel in Cotabato City.”
In partnership with the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies (http://www.morostudies.com/) headed by Professor Abhoud S. Lingga, the Forum will have as its resource persons the Deputy Country Representatives of The Asia Foundation in Nepal, Mr. Sagar Prasai (http://www.asiafoundation.org/about/profile/sagar-prasai); and in Afghanistan, Mr. Zoran Milovic (http://www.asiafoundation.org/about/profile/zoran-milovic).
Mr. Prasai and Mr. Milovic are in the country for an internal Asia Foundation training but have agreed with the Philippine office to share their time in bringing the experience of these two places down to Mindanao. Both country offices of the Foundation in Nepal and Afghanistan have been helping the governments of both countries to roll out some post-conflict mechanisms and facilitate democratic institutions.
The Forum on February 24 in Cotabato City is consistent with The Asia Foundation’s commitment to regularly provide opportunities for Asian dialog and learning. Back in 2008, also a critical year for the GRP-MILF Peace Process, and exactly 3 days before the supposed signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA AD) in Kuala Lumpur, The Asia Foundation also collaborated with the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies to conduct a Forum on the Aceh and the Mindanao peace processes in Cotabato City (http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2008/07/30/event-in-cotabato-city-forum-on-aceh-and-mindanao-peace-process/).
Mr. Ky Johnson (http://www.asiafoundation.org/about/profile/ky-d-johnson), the Deputy Country Representative for the Philippines will also join as a resource person in the Forum.
Mr. Tom Parks (http://www.asiafoundation.org/about/profile/thomas-parks), the Foundation’s Director for Conflict and Governance who is based in Bangkok, Thailand also agreed to provide his regional perspective on peace processes.
The forum is open to everybody interested.
RSVP: Windel Diangcalan, Asst. Program Officer, windel@asiafound.org or mobile: 0928.711.9404
The prospect of forging a final peace agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) within the current Arroyo administration is getting slimmer as the national May 2010 presidential elections draw nearer. Talks have resumed but only after a tumultuous 18 months that almost shattered every single gain that the peace process managed to build. Time is not on the side of the Peace Panels as they face the challenge of forging something concrete and actionable. The idea of an interim agreement has been floated to reflect the need to transition the talks safely from the current to the next administration.
In this critical period for the GRP-MILF Peace Talks, The Asia Foundation is organizing a public forum entitled “Sustaining a Peace Process: Lessons from Peace Processes in Hard Times on February 24, 2010 Wednesday, 3:00-5:00 Pm at the Pacific Heights Hotel in Cotabato City.”
In partnership with the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies (http://www.morostudies.com/) headed by Professor Abhoud S. Lingga, the Forum will have as its resource persons the Deputy Country Representatives of The Asia Foundation in Nepal, Mr. Sagar Prasai (http://www.asiafoundation.org/about/profile/sagar-prasai); and in Afghanistan, Mr. Zoran Milovic (http://www.asiafoundation.org/about/profile/zoran-milovic).
Mr. Prasai and Mr. Milovic are in the country for an internal Asia Foundation training but have agreed with the Philippine office to share their time in bringing the experience of these two places down to Mindanao. Both country offices of the Foundation in Nepal and Afghanistan have been helping the governments of both countries to roll out some post-conflict mechanisms and facilitate democratic institutions.
The Forum on February 24 in Cotabato City is consistent with The Asia Foundation’s commitment to regularly provide opportunities for Asian dialog and learning. Back in 2008, also a critical year for the GRP-MILF Peace Process, and exactly 3 days before the supposed signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA AD) in Kuala Lumpur, The Asia Foundation also collaborated with the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies to conduct a Forum on the Aceh and the Mindanao peace processes in Cotabato City (http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2008/07/30/event-in-cotabato-city-forum-on-aceh-and-mindanao-peace-process/).
Mr. Ky Johnson (http://www.asiafoundation.org/about/profile/ky-d-johnson), the Deputy Country Representative for the Philippines will also join as a resource person in the Forum.
Mr. Tom Parks (http://www.asiafoundation.org/about/profile/thomas-parks), the Foundation’s Director for Conflict and Governance who is based in Bangkok, Thailand also agreed to provide his regional perspective on peace processes.
The forum is open to everybody interested.
RSVP: Windel Diangcalan, Asst. Program Officer, windel@asiafound.org or mobile: 0928.711.9404
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Investigate the Killing of Edwin Bandila, We Pray
By: TAHER G. SOLAIMAN
CARMEN, NORTH COTABATO – “Edwin Bandila, 48 years old, of Ugalingan, Carmen, North Cotabato, cultivated one hectare and harvested 35 cavans . . . With Mal-Mar, now he cultivates five hectares and produces 97 cavans per hectare. Mabuhay, Edwin!”
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, thus, in her 2008 State of the Nation Address that she delivered on July 28, 2008, cited the case of Edwin Bandila as an example of how farmers benefited from the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project (Mal-Mar) in the provinces of North Cotabato and Maguindanao.
Yes, Edwin came from his farm in Barangay Ugalingan and was on his way home to downtown Carmen aboard his motorcycle with his wife when he was shot to death by a lone gunman near the Carmen municipal cemetery at 5:30 p.m. last February 11.
Edwin, together with his wife, Dolores, just passed by – and were, in fact, barely a hundred meters away from – a checkpoint jointly manned by elements of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army, when the assailant shot him with a .45 caliber pistol hitting him fatally on his shoulder and chest. He was declared dead on arrival at the Kabacan Medical Specialist Hospital in the neighboring Kabacan town.
The gunman fled toward the rubber plantation along the national highway.
Dolores, a teacher-in-charge of the Kibayao Elementary School in the nearby Barangay Kibayao, also in Carmen town, was unharmed.
Until his death, Edwin was the president of the Maridagao River Irrigation System Irrigators Association (Division 6), Inc. based in Barangay Ugalingan.
While the police and the military authorities claimed that “elements of the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion and members of the Carmen PNP pursued the assailant along his supposed exit route but they failed to establish contact,” the relatives of the victim maintain that same authorities could have done better considering the proximity of the crime scene to the police and army checkpoint.
Besides, Camp Lucero, the base of the Philippine Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade, is just about 500 meters west of the place where the crime was committed.
Sadly, certain unscrupulous politicians in the province of North Cotabato use the killing of Edwin in attacking their political opponents without the benefit of having conducted first a thorough investigation.
In the interest of fairness and justice, we call on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate thoroughly the killing of Edwin and prosecute whoever will be found responsible for the dastardly act.
Likewise, we call on those who try to use the killing of Edwin to bolster their own political ambitions to refrain from doing so, lest they can inflict uncalled-for harm to his bereaved family. These politicians should rather help the family attain justice speedily.
CARMEN, NORTH COTABATO – “Edwin Bandila, 48 years old, of Ugalingan, Carmen, North Cotabato, cultivated one hectare and harvested 35 cavans . . . With Mal-Mar, now he cultivates five hectares and produces 97 cavans per hectare. Mabuhay, Edwin!”
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, thus, in her 2008 State of the Nation Address that she delivered on July 28, 2008, cited the case of Edwin Bandila as an example of how farmers benefited from the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project (Mal-Mar) in the provinces of North Cotabato and Maguindanao.
Yes, Edwin came from his farm in Barangay Ugalingan and was on his way home to downtown Carmen aboard his motorcycle with his wife when he was shot to death by a lone gunman near the Carmen municipal cemetery at 5:30 p.m. last February 11.
Edwin, together with his wife, Dolores, just passed by – and were, in fact, barely a hundred meters away from – a checkpoint jointly manned by elements of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army, when the assailant shot him with a .45 caliber pistol hitting him fatally on his shoulder and chest. He was declared dead on arrival at the Kabacan Medical Specialist Hospital in the neighboring Kabacan town.
The gunman fled toward the rubber plantation along the national highway.
Dolores, a teacher-in-charge of the Kibayao Elementary School in the nearby Barangay Kibayao, also in Carmen town, was unharmed.
Until his death, Edwin was the president of the Maridagao River Irrigation System Irrigators Association (Division 6), Inc. based in Barangay Ugalingan.
While the police and the military authorities claimed that “elements of the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion and members of the Carmen PNP pursued the assailant along his supposed exit route but they failed to establish contact,” the relatives of the victim maintain that same authorities could have done better considering the proximity of the crime scene to the police and army checkpoint.
Besides, Camp Lucero, the base of the Philippine Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade, is just about 500 meters west of the place where the crime was committed.
Sadly, certain unscrupulous politicians in the province of North Cotabato use the killing of Edwin in attacking their political opponents without the benefit of having conducted first a thorough investigation.
In the interest of fairness and justice, we call on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate thoroughly the killing of Edwin and prosecute whoever will be found responsible for the dastardly act.
Likewise, we call on those who try to use the killing of Edwin to bolster their own political ambitions to refrain from doing so, lest they can inflict uncalled-for harm to his bereaved family. These politicians should rather help the family attain justice speedily.
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