By: Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS)
The Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), a network and conferential body of some 168 Moro civil society organizations in mainland Mindanao and island provinces, has been actively sharing its part in advocating the rights and welfare of the more than a half million persons displaced by the ongoing war launched by the Philippine government in Mindanao.
The CBCS has also been consistent in unity and solidarity with the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in calls to stop the war and to pull out the military so that they can return to their respective places of origin and start to rebuild their lives ruined by the war, as well as in urging both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to resume their peace talks and sign a meaningful peace agreement.
The government’s unilateral declaration of suspension of military operations (SOMO) on July 23 and the MILF’s issuance of order on suspension of military action (SOMA) on July 25 - barely a week after the “Bakwit Power 2” - are laudable as both give great relief to the IDPs whose lives have been razed by war even before the aborted signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) on August 5, 2008 and may pave the way for the realization of their great yearning to be back home to start a good life anew.
While the government’s SOMO appears to be rhetorical and full of flaws and the MILF’s SOMA seems to be sketchy, both deserve appreciation and commendation. We call on the two parties to explore all venues for the immediate resumption of the peace talks and to effect the reactivation of the Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), the Local Monitoring Team (LMT) and the re-firming up of the fielding of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) to ensure smooth implementation of the SOMO and SOMA for only then the circumstances would be meaningful in the lives of the Bangsamoro, in general, and the IDPs, in particular.
As this developed, we call on concerned government agencies, international non-government organizations, humanitarian groups, civil society organizations and religious groups to continue in providing relief assistance and in sharing their parts to the IDPs for their humane rehabilitation.
We are calling all the peace-loving people of Mindanao to vehemently condemn in the highest possible terms the deceptive acts of the detractors and spoilers of peace. They are not yet contented in blocking the signing of the MOA-AD. They are all-out yet again to discredit the SOMO and the SOMA to mislead again the people in order to conceal their personal motives. They are selfishly unmindful of whatever costs the ordinary people will pay just to attain their personal interest in the Bangsamoro Ancestral homeland.
As said, “You can fool some people sometimes, but you can't fool all the people all the time.”
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
MPC welcomes SOMA, SOMO; appeals to politicians to support timely truce
By: Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC)
MALACANANG’s order of Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO) last July 23, 2009 and the reciprocal declaration by the MILF of Suspension of Military Action (SOMA) last July 25, 2009 signify both parties’ compassion and due consideration to the plight of the hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who had been yearning to safely return home. Both SOMO and SOMA are the IDP’s tickets to return home, rebuild their communities, reopen their schools and resume normal lives.
We thank the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for taking this very crucial and important step towards ending the hostilities in Central Mindanao. As aptly said by Archbishop Orlando B. Quevedo, “Enough is enough. For the sake of our evacuees and in the name of our one God of Peace, end your war! Go back to the negotiating table. Let the thousands of evacuees return safely to their home. Collaborate with one another towards this objective. Together, rehabilitate their destroyed properties. Give them another chance for a truly human life”.
We also appeal to our national and local politicians who are incidentally gearing up towards the 2010 election to heed the cry of the poorest of the poor in our society. In the context of Central Mindanao, these are the IDPs who badly need our support and cooperation. Let their situation put into real test our sincerity to help uplift the poor, defend the weak and fight for the oppressed. Contrary to the pronouncement of a self-serving politician that the SOMO will trigger more hostilities, the MPC strongly believes that with rebels and soldiers alike silencing their guns, there can be no better condition to end the hostilities and isolate the so called saboteurs, spoilers and war profiteers.
We call on all leaders to support the SOMO and SOMA and let this truce fully ripen into a ceasefire and formal resumption of talks. We also appeal to politicians to avoid any threatening statement that will only weaken this fledgling truce. We appeal for restraint on the part of those who would rather sustain the armed hostilities in Central Mindanao. For the sake of peace, in the name of God and for sake of precious innocent lives of our children, we beg you to give the SOMO and SOMA a real chance to take off and develop into a full-blown operational and functional ceasefire.
No less than Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command, acknowledged the government’s SOMO as “the government’s way of showing sincerity on the resumption of peace negotiations with the MILF”. Indeed this “will bring about an environment that is suitable for mutual understanding.” Such faith in the SOMO was expressed by a top ranking officer who personally witnessed the horrors of war and is personally convinced that the military solution will not be able to resolve the root causes of the armed conflict. Even the soldiers in Datu Piang are also happy over the SOMO. At last, they too could go home.
Let us not stop, let us not give up on whatever opening and opportunity to reclaim peace. It is possible. The SOMA and SOMO, came after 11 months and 2 days of untold suffering, loss of loved ones, deaths of the innocents, starvation and violence. Yet, the IDPs did not give up. They did not stop until their cries are heard – after 11 months and 2 days of running, scampering and mourning for every death of a loved one.
The Bakwit Power is a testament to the limitless possibilities that Muslims, Christians and Indigenous Peoples can achieve when we all work together for peace and justice. The power is within us, our strength lies in our unity. More power to the Bakwits!
MALACANANG’s order of Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO) last July 23, 2009 and the reciprocal declaration by the MILF of Suspension of Military Action (SOMA) last July 25, 2009 signify both parties’ compassion and due consideration to the plight of the hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who had been yearning to safely return home. Both SOMO and SOMA are the IDP’s tickets to return home, rebuild their communities, reopen their schools and resume normal lives.
We thank the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for taking this very crucial and important step towards ending the hostilities in Central Mindanao. As aptly said by Archbishop Orlando B. Quevedo, “Enough is enough. For the sake of our evacuees and in the name of our one God of Peace, end your war! Go back to the negotiating table. Let the thousands of evacuees return safely to their home. Collaborate with one another towards this objective. Together, rehabilitate their destroyed properties. Give them another chance for a truly human life”.
We also appeal to our national and local politicians who are incidentally gearing up towards the 2010 election to heed the cry of the poorest of the poor in our society. In the context of Central Mindanao, these are the IDPs who badly need our support and cooperation. Let their situation put into real test our sincerity to help uplift the poor, defend the weak and fight for the oppressed. Contrary to the pronouncement of a self-serving politician that the SOMO will trigger more hostilities, the MPC strongly believes that with rebels and soldiers alike silencing their guns, there can be no better condition to end the hostilities and isolate the so called saboteurs, spoilers and war profiteers.
We call on all leaders to support the SOMO and SOMA and let this truce fully ripen into a ceasefire and formal resumption of talks. We also appeal to politicians to avoid any threatening statement that will only weaken this fledgling truce. We appeal for restraint on the part of those who would rather sustain the armed hostilities in Central Mindanao. For the sake of peace, in the name of God and for sake of precious innocent lives of our children, we beg you to give the SOMO and SOMA a real chance to take off and develop into a full-blown operational and functional ceasefire.
No less than Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command, acknowledged the government’s SOMO as “the government’s way of showing sincerity on the resumption of peace negotiations with the MILF”. Indeed this “will bring about an environment that is suitable for mutual understanding.” Such faith in the SOMO was expressed by a top ranking officer who personally witnessed the horrors of war and is personally convinced that the military solution will not be able to resolve the root causes of the armed conflict. Even the soldiers in Datu Piang are also happy over the SOMO. At last, they too could go home.
Let us not stop, let us not give up on whatever opening and opportunity to reclaim peace. It is possible. The SOMA and SOMO, came after 11 months and 2 days of untold suffering, loss of loved ones, deaths of the innocents, starvation and violence. Yet, the IDPs did not give up. They did not stop until their cries are heard – after 11 months and 2 days of running, scampering and mourning for every death of a loved one.
The Bakwit Power is a testament to the limitless possibilities that Muslims, Christians and Indigenous Peoples can achieve when we all work together for peace and justice. The power is within us, our strength lies in our unity. More power to the Bakwits!
STATE OF THE BAKWITS ADDRESS (SOBA)
By: The Bakwits (Internally Displaced Persons)
23 July 2009
Eleven months ago, we fled our homes, our villages because we were afraid to get caught in the midst of renewed hostilities between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippine government.
We do not understand why the war has again erupted when the parties in the last five years had been pursuing peace talks and were in fact about to conclude the peace negotiations. It was shocking and frustrating for us to flee our homes and communities to save our families and ourselves.
This war has left wounds so deep and wide and has made our lives so miserable. Some of our houses have been burned; our meager belongings and farmlands destroyed. Even as many are helping us, many are still awaiting help.
Baby Boy Kureg was two months old when he died on June 20. He died because he had nothing to eat but “simbug” – a mixture of water and sugar. His mother, herself lacking in food, could not feed him and could not afford to buy him a can or bottle of milk. Baby Boy Kureg is just one of many children who died from illness, lack of nourishment and difficulties brought by war.
The Mandi family – six of whom did not survive that bombing on September 8, 2008 – is just one of many who lost their lives. Many bakwits have been orphaned or widowed. Several pregnant women have suffered miscarriages. Children and the elderly have died of shock from mortar explosion.
Many of us now fear staying in the evacuation centers because of sudden enforced disappearances, like the case of our fellow bakwits Lao, Kaharudin and Harudin, who have not been heard from since May 7, 2009.
We fear we will be the next victims of bullets or mortars, like what happened on June 15, 2009 when the evacuation center in Libutan, Mamasapano, Maguindanao was hit by three mortars. Even evacuation centers are not safe anymore.
We are afraid for our children. Most of the bakwits are children. Many of them are no longer in school. We fear the children will learn nothing but evacuation, war and hopelessness.
We pray to God/Allah, to help us resume our interrupted lives.
We ask the government and the MILF
1. to immediately declare a ceasefire and to return to the negotiating table to talk peace so that we can return home. We want to go home now!
2. to ensure our safe, organized and permanent return to our respective homes before Ramadan (Ramadan begins on August 21 or 22).
3. We ask that the ceasefire mechanisms be reactivated immediately.
We appeal to the Malaysian government to redeploy the International Monitoring Team to help us once again in enforcing the ceasefire agreement.
We ask all armed groups to keep away from the evacuation centers and civilian-inhabited areas.
We ask government
1. to provide food and other support and livelihood assistance to the returning IDPs and those still in the evacuation centers
2. to ensure that houses that were destroyed totally or partially, be repaired or reconstructed immediately
3. to indemnify relatives of the slain or injured IDPs
4. We recommend for the Commission on Human Rights to operate in Maguindanao and Cotabato and mobilize its fullest power, mandate and resources in order to protect the human rights of the IDPs.
To all service providers and international humanitarian agencies, we urge you to step up and coordinate humanitarian efforts and work together to fulfill the rights of the IDPs under the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (UNGPID).
Please do not allow us to spend another Ramadan in the evacuation center. We want to go home now.
We extend our thanks and gratitude to the persons and groups who understand our plight and are helping us ease our suffering. We also thank God and Allah because despite everything, we continue to be alive.
May God bless us all! Inshallah.
23 July 2009
Eleven months ago, we fled our homes, our villages because we were afraid to get caught in the midst of renewed hostilities between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippine government.
We do not understand why the war has again erupted when the parties in the last five years had been pursuing peace talks and were in fact about to conclude the peace negotiations. It was shocking and frustrating for us to flee our homes and communities to save our families and ourselves.
This war has left wounds so deep and wide and has made our lives so miserable. Some of our houses have been burned; our meager belongings and farmlands destroyed. Even as many are helping us, many are still awaiting help.
Baby Boy Kureg was two months old when he died on June 20. He died because he had nothing to eat but “simbug” – a mixture of water and sugar. His mother, herself lacking in food, could not feed him and could not afford to buy him a can or bottle of milk. Baby Boy Kureg is just one of many children who died from illness, lack of nourishment and difficulties brought by war.
The Mandi family – six of whom did not survive that bombing on September 8, 2008 – is just one of many who lost their lives. Many bakwits have been orphaned or widowed. Several pregnant women have suffered miscarriages. Children and the elderly have died of shock from mortar explosion.
Many of us now fear staying in the evacuation centers because of sudden enforced disappearances, like the case of our fellow bakwits Lao, Kaharudin and Harudin, who have not been heard from since May 7, 2009.
We fear we will be the next victims of bullets or mortars, like what happened on June 15, 2009 when the evacuation center in Libutan, Mamasapano, Maguindanao was hit by three mortars. Even evacuation centers are not safe anymore.
We are afraid for our children. Most of the bakwits are children. Many of them are no longer in school. We fear the children will learn nothing but evacuation, war and hopelessness.
We pray to God/Allah, to help us resume our interrupted lives.
We ask the government and the MILF
1. to immediately declare a ceasefire and to return to the negotiating table to talk peace so that we can return home. We want to go home now!
2. to ensure our safe, organized and permanent return to our respective homes before Ramadan (Ramadan begins on August 21 or 22).
3. We ask that the ceasefire mechanisms be reactivated immediately.
We appeal to the Malaysian government to redeploy the International Monitoring Team to help us once again in enforcing the ceasefire agreement.
We ask all armed groups to keep away from the evacuation centers and civilian-inhabited areas.
We ask government
1. to provide food and other support and livelihood assistance to the returning IDPs and those still in the evacuation centers
2. to ensure that houses that were destroyed totally or partially, be repaired or reconstructed immediately
3. to indemnify relatives of the slain or injured IDPs
4. We recommend for the Commission on Human Rights to operate in Maguindanao and Cotabato and mobilize its fullest power, mandate and resources in order to protect the human rights of the IDPs.
To all service providers and international humanitarian agencies, we urge you to step up and coordinate humanitarian efforts and work together to fulfill the rights of the IDPs under the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (UNGPID).
Please do not allow us to spend another Ramadan in the evacuation center. We want to go home now.
We extend our thanks and gratitude to the persons and groups who understand our plight and are helping us ease our suffering. We also thank God and Allah because despite everything, we continue to be alive.
May God bless us all! Inshallah.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
AI urges President Arroyo to leave a positive legacy of human rights
By: Amnesty International
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo must leave a positive legacy of human rights for the peoples of the Philippines during her last ten months in office, Amnesty International said today. On 27 July, she will give her final State of the Nation Address after nine years as president. At the same time a pervasive culture of impunity for human rights violations throughout the country persists, and hundreds of thousands of people continue to be displaced in Mindanao.
In the last eight years, hundreds of unlawful and often politically-motivated killings have taken place as well as enforced disappearances, often involving torture.
The displacement of people due to the resumption of the armed conflict between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in August 2008 has been reported by international organizations as the highest number of newly displaced people in the world and the most neglected internal displacement situation in 2008. Over 700,000 people have been displaced in total and more than 250,000 are still displaced almost a year after the renewed hostilities.
On 23 July 2009, civil society organizations in Mindanao gave a voice to displaced families through the State of the Bakwit Address: “This war has left wounds so deep and wide and has made our lives so miserable. Some of our houses have been burned; our meagre belongings and farmlands destroyed…. We are afraid for our children. Most of the bakwits [internally displaced] are children. Many of them are no longer in school. We fear the children will learn nothing but evacuation, war and hopelessness.”
Amnesty International urges President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to place human rights protection at the heart of her administration by ensuring the protection of civilians affected by the armed conflict and providing adequate food, water, medical treatment and support for rehabilitation of displaced families. Further, she should, as a matter of priority, demonstrate her administration’s genuine commitment to human rights by addressing the lack of thorough investigations into human rights violations, particularly those committed by the government’s security forces.
The next 10 months of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s presidency is a historic opportunity to leave a positive legacy of human rights.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo must leave a positive legacy of human rights for the peoples of the Philippines during her last ten months in office, Amnesty International said today. On 27 July, she will give her final State of the Nation Address after nine years as president. At the same time a pervasive culture of impunity for human rights violations throughout the country persists, and hundreds of thousands of people continue to be displaced in Mindanao.
In the last eight years, hundreds of unlawful and often politically-motivated killings have taken place as well as enforced disappearances, often involving torture.
The displacement of people due to the resumption of the armed conflict between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in August 2008 has been reported by international organizations as the highest number of newly displaced people in the world and the most neglected internal displacement situation in 2008. Over 700,000 people have been displaced in total and more than 250,000 are still displaced almost a year after the renewed hostilities.
On 23 July 2009, civil society organizations in Mindanao gave a voice to displaced families through the State of the Bakwit Address: “This war has left wounds so deep and wide and has made our lives so miserable. Some of our houses have been burned; our meagre belongings and farmlands destroyed…. We are afraid for our children. Most of the bakwits [internally displaced] are children. Many of them are no longer in school. We fear the children will learn nothing but evacuation, war and hopelessness.”
Amnesty International urges President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to place human rights protection at the heart of her administration by ensuring the protection of civilians affected by the armed conflict and providing adequate food, water, medical treatment and support for rehabilitation of displaced families. Further, she should, as a matter of priority, demonstrate her administration’s genuine commitment to human rights by addressing the lack of thorough investigations into human rights violations, particularly those committed by the government’s security forces.
The next 10 months of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s presidency is a historic opportunity to leave a positive legacy of human rights.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
ASEAN: Guarantee rights throughout the region
By: Amnesty International
Amnesty International welcomes the steps ASEAN is taking, however hesitant, towards regional protection and promotion of human rights.
However, the final Terms of Reference for the ASEAN human rights body leave much room for improvement.
The establishment of an ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) is a positive development. We now urge ASEAN governments to make this a truly independent and robust body with full powers to monitor, investigate and report on the human rights records of all 10 member states.
Key concerns are a lack of a clear protection mandate for the AICHR; lack of binding requirements for independence and expertise of AICHR members; and an emphasis on “regional particularities” and “non-interference in the internal affairs” which could undermine respect for universal human rights standards.
The Terms of Reference also allow for decisions by consensus only, which means that each state would be able to reject any criticism of its own human rights record by veto. This which could lead either to paralysis or to the adoption of weak positions based on the lowest common denominator.
In particular Amnesty International is calling for a clear mandate for the ASEAN human rights body to protect as well as promote human rights.
The ASEAN human rights body must be empowered to investigate human rights abuses and be able to receive complaints of abuses. Without such powers the body will not be able to address serious human rights situations in the region, for example in Myanmar.
Amnesty International also urges ASEAN to ensure a transparent mechanism to select independent expert members to the human rights body. It is essential that the membership of the body is reflective of wider civil society.
Amnesty International calls on the ASEAN human rights body to uphold all human rights in accordance with universal principles and internationally agreed treaties and standards.
Amnesty International welcomes the steps ASEAN is taking, however hesitant, towards regional protection and promotion of human rights.
However, the final Terms of Reference for the ASEAN human rights body leave much room for improvement.
The establishment of an ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) is a positive development. We now urge ASEAN governments to make this a truly independent and robust body with full powers to monitor, investigate and report on the human rights records of all 10 member states.
Key concerns are a lack of a clear protection mandate for the AICHR; lack of binding requirements for independence and expertise of AICHR members; and an emphasis on “regional particularities” and “non-interference in the internal affairs” which could undermine respect for universal human rights standards.
The Terms of Reference also allow for decisions by consensus only, which means that each state would be able to reject any criticism of its own human rights record by veto. This which could lead either to paralysis or to the adoption of weak positions based on the lowest common denominator.
In particular Amnesty International is calling for a clear mandate for the ASEAN human rights body to protect as well as promote human rights.
The ASEAN human rights body must be empowered to investigate human rights abuses and be able to receive complaints of abuses. Without such powers the body will not be able to address serious human rights situations in the region, for example in Myanmar.
Amnesty International also urges ASEAN to ensure a transparent mechanism to select independent expert members to the human rights body. It is essential that the membership of the body is reflective of wider civil society.
Amnesty International calls on the ASEAN human rights body to uphold all human rights in accordance with universal principles and internationally agreed treaties and standards.
PRESIDENTIABLES AND SENATORIABLES: WALK YOUR TALK
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Sunday, July 19, 2009
JUSTICE FOR ANOTHER BOMBER THAT NEVER WAS
By: TAHER G. SOLAIMAN
COTABATO PROVINCE – For the second time, members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) arrested a fall guy in their desperate efforts to capture Kule Mamagong, a bombing suspect, who is currently facing charges of multiple murder with multiple frustrated murder.
Operatives of the PNP Regional Intelligence Office 12 (PNPRIO-12) based in General Santos City arrested Nasrodin Cua in the Carmen Transport Terminal in Poblacion (downtown) Carmen, Cotabato last July 10, 2009 at about 5 p. m.
Cua, 22 years old and a resident of Barangay (village) Manarapan, Carmen, Cotabato, earns his humble but decent living by driving a passenger motorcycle locally known as “skylab.” It rained that afternoon. So, he decided to catch some rest in the terminal. Suddenly, the poor guy found himself handcuffed and dragged into a waiting car by the PNP operatives led by P/Senior Insp. Ryan Paloma, deputy chief of the PNP Regional Intelligence Office 12.
Immediately, Cua was brought to the Carmen municipal police station for interrogation. Then and there, he was asked whether, indeed, he was Kule Mamagong. He vehemently denied, and rightly so, that he was Kule Mamagong. The arresting officers asked him several questions as they tried to pin him down.
The police officers, afterward, brought Cua to the PNP provincial headquarters in Amas, Kidapawan City where he was again bombarded with questions. But he consistently denied the accusation that he was Mamagong.
At about 9 p. m. that same day, the arresting officers acceded to the request of PO3 German Cua, a PNP member assigned with the Kabacan municipal police station in Kabacan, Cotabato, that his nephew be placed under his custody for the meantime. PO3 Cua is an uncle of Nasrodin Cua.
Then, the “accused” was locked up in the Kabacan municipal police station at about 10 p. m. It was there where we visited him early morning the next day. He related to us how the arresting officers bombarded him with questions that he might, perchance, admit the crimes he was accused of.
We were fortunate to have chanced upon P/Senior Insp. Paloma, the leader of the arresting team, at about 4 p. m. last July 11. He explained to us that the bases for the arrest of Cua were a cartographic sketch of and a warrant of arrest against Mamagong.
Paloma admitted that the name of Cua was nowhere be found in the warrant of arrest. He, however, claimed that “somebody” pointed to Cua to be the same person as Mamagong.
We find the excuse flimsy at best.
Cua was transferred to the lock up cell of the Kidapawan City police station last July 12 until he was finally committed to the BJMP-Kidapawan City jail in the afternoon the next day where he is now languishing for a crime he never committed.
Meanwhile, we learned from P/Supt. Chino Mamburam, Kidapawan City chief of police, that there is P600.000 reward that is at stake for anyone who can capture Mamagong.
Mamagong, according to police authorities, is one of the alleged masterminds of the bombing in Makilala, Cotabato on October 10, 2006 that killed six persons and seriously injured 32 others. He is facing charges of multiple murder with multiple frustrated murder “with no bail fixed” filed against him by the police in the Cotabato Province .
This is not the first time, nonetheless, that the police authorities arrested the wrong person on the pretext of running after Mamagong.
On January 13, 2007, policemen assigned with the PNP regional office of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) arrested Oting Mariano in Poblacion (downtown) Carmen, Cotabato.
Mariano, a resident of Barangay (village) Cadiis, Carmen, Cotabato, was brutally tortured by his abductors before he was brought to the Cotabato Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) in Amas, Kidapawan City by a senior police officer identified only as Sanchez on January 19, 2007.
Together with staffs of the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) and Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearances (FIND), we visited Mariano in the CPDRC on January 29, 2009. We noticed that signs of torture were still visible on his back, head and arms, then. He told us that his abductors forced him into admitting that he was Mamagong whom the police tagged as a commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“They blindfolded, handcuffed and gagged me by wrapping my mouth with adhesive tape,” Mariano told us in a Maguindanaon vernacular.
“They even electrocuted me with wires attached to my head and arms,” he further said.
It was only on September 20, 2007 that Mariano was released from detention for lack of sufficient evidence against him.
Immediately after he was released from detention, we visited Mariano in his home in Barangay (village) Cadiis, Carmen, Cotabato and we found out that his left eye could barely see as a result of his having been electrocuted by his abductors.
Going back to Cua’s case, the Barangay Council of Manarapan passed a resolution last July 15 asserting, among other things, “that Nasrodin O. Cua is different from – and not the same person as – the one known as Kule Mamagong.”
Guinaid Dalid, the Barangay chairman of Manarapan, said he is more than willing and always ready to testify before any court to prove that Cua is not Mamagong.
“I will not put my name at stake (in defending Cua) if I am not certain that he is innocent of the crime he is being accused of,” Dalid told us.
Now, we humbly submit that the PNP – and any government authority for that matter – should rein its operatives and stop them from arresting and detaining anybody without the benefit of strong evidence as doing so inevitably tarnishes the image and irreparably damages the credibility of the institutions that are traditionally looked upon as protectors of the people.
Letting Cua pay the price for Mamagong’s crimes, if indeed the charges against the latter were true, is unfair by any standard or excuse.
We were able to talk to some members of the intelligence community and they vouched for the innocence of Cua.
It is for this reason that the relatives and friends of Cua plea that he be released from detention and be afforded due compensation for having been wrongly imprisoned as soon as possible in the interest of fairness and justice.
COTABATO PROVINCE – For the second time, members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) arrested a fall guy in their desperate efforts to capture Kule Mamagong, a bombing suspect, who is currently facing charges of multiple murder with multiple frustrated murder.
Operatives of the PNP Regional Intelligence Office 12 (PNPRIO-12) based in General Santos City arrested Nasrodin Cua in the Carmen Transport Terminal in Poblacion (downtown) Carmen, Cotabato last July 10, 2009 at about 5 p. m.
Cua, 22 years old and a resident of Barangay (village) Manarapan, Carmen, Cotabato, earns his humble but decent living by driving a passenger motorcycle locally known as “skylab.” It rained that afternoon. So, he decided to catch some rest in the terminal. Suddenly, the poor guy found himself handcuffed and dragged into a waiting car by the PNP operatives led by P/Senior Insp. Ryan Paloma, deputy chief of the PNP Regional Intelligence Office 12.
Immediately, Cua was brought to the Carmen municipal police station for interrogation. Then and there, he was asked whether, indeed, he was Kule Mamagong. He vehemently denied, and rightly so, that he was Kule Mamagong. The arresting officers asked him several questions as they tried to pin him down.
The police officers, afterward, brought Cua to the PNP provincial headquarters in Amas, Kidapawan City where he was again bombarded with questions. But he consistently denied the accusation that he was Mamagong.
At about 9 p. m. that same day, the arresting officers acceded to the request of PO3 German Cua, a PNP member assigned with the Kabacan municipal police station in Kabacan, Cotabato, that his nephew be placed under his custody for the meantime. PO3 Cua is an uncle of Nasrodin Cua.
Then, the “accused” was locked up in the Kabacan municipal police station at about 10 p. m. It was there where we visited him early morning the next day. He related to us how the arresting officers bombarded him with questions that he might, perchance, admit the crimes he was accused of.
We were fortunate to have chanced upon P/Senior Insp. Paloma, the leader of the arresting team, at about 4 p. m. last July 11. He explained to us that the bases for the arrest of Cua were a cartographic sketch of and a warrant of arrest against Mamagong.
Paloma admitted that the name of Cua was nowhere be found in the warrant of arrest. He, however, claimed that “somebody” pointed to Cua to be the same person as Mamagong.
We find the excuse flimsy at best.
Cua was transferred to the lock up cell of the Kidapawan City police station last July 12 until he was finally committed to the BJMP-Kidapawan City jail in the afternoon the next day where he is now languishing for a crime he never committed.
Meanwhile, we learned from P/Supt. Chino Mamburam, Kidapawan City chief of police, that there is P600.000 reward that is at stake for anyone who can capture Mamagong.
Mamagong, according to police authorities, is one of the alleged masterminds of the bombing in Makilala, Cotabato on October 10, 2006 that killed six persons and seriously injured 32 others. He is facing charges of multiple murder with multiple frustrated murder “with no bail fixed” filed against him by the police in the Cotabato Province .
This is not the first time, nonetheless, that the police authorities arrested the wrong person on the pretext of running after Mamagong.
On January 13, 2007, policemen assigned with the PNP regional office of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) arrested Oting Mariano in Poblacion (downtown) Carmen, Cotabato.
Mariano, a resident of Barangay (village) Cadiis, Carmen, Cotabato, was brutally tortured by his abductors before he was brought to the Cotabato Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) in Amas, Kidapawan City by a senior police officer identified only as Sanchez on January 19, 2007.
Together with staffs of the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) and Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearances (FIND), we visited Mariano in the CPDRC on January 29, 2009. We noticed that signs of torture were still visible on his back, head and arms, then. He told us that his abductors forced him into admitting that he was Mamagong whom the police tagged as a commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“They blindfolded, handcuffed and gagged me by wrapping my mouth with adhesive tape,” Mariano told us in a Maguindanaon vernacular.
“They even electrocuted me with wires attached to my head and arms,” he further said.
It was only on September 20, 2007 that Mariano was released from detention for lack of sufficient evidence against him.
Immediately after he was released from detention, we visited Mariano in his home in Barangay (village) Cadiis, Carmen, Cotabato and we found out that his left eye could barely see as a result of his having been electrocuted by his abductors.
Going back to Cua’s case, the Barangay Council of Manarapan passed a resolution last July 15 asserting, among other things, “that Nasrodin O. Cua is different from – and not the same person as – the one known as Kule Mamagong.”
Guinaid Dalid, the Barangay chairman of Manarapan, said he is more than willing and always ready to testify before any court to prove that Cua is not Mamagong.
“I will not put my name at stake (in defending Cua) if I am not certain that he is innocent of the crime he is being accused of,” Dalid told us.
Now, we humbly submit that the PNP – and any government authority for that matter – should rein its operatives and stop them from arresting and detaining anybody without the benefit of strong evidence as doing so inevitably tarnishes the image and irreparably damages the credibility of the institutions that are traditionally looked upon as protectors of the people.
Letting Cua pay the price for Mamagong’s crimes, if indeed the charges against the latter were true, is unfair by any standard or excuse.
We were able to talk to some members of the intelligence community and they vouched for the innocence of Cua.
It is for this reason that the relatives and friends of Cua plea that he be released from detention and be afforded due compensation for having been wrongly imprisoned as soon as possible in the interest of fairness and justice.
Friday, July 10, 2009
STOP THE BOMBINGS AND OTHER ATROCITIES AGAINST CIVILIANS
By Bangsamoro Youth Leaders Forum (BMYLF)
Cotabato City
July 10, 2009
The Bangsamoro Youth Leaders Forum (BMYLF), the broadest coalition of Moro youth organizations in Mindanao strongly condemns the recent series of bombings in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, Cotabato City, Iligan City and Jolo, Sulu that killed 12 persons and injured almost hundred of innocent civilians.
The BMYLF expresses its sympathy and condolence to the families of the victims of these atrocities even as we pray for the immediate recovery of the injured civilians. These incidents can only be a handiwork of individuals or groups with evil motives to create chaos that foment further animosities between Muslim and Christians to serve their own selfish agenda.
Indeed, the BMYLF is aghast and abhors these forms of carnage as it is alarmed by the escalation of violence in Mindanao and the growing number of civilian casualties and displaced persons. The BMYLF wonders if these incidents are not part and parcel of the recently disclosed document “Operation August Moon”. The results of these hostilities are more than enough to prove that resorting to violence will never be the solution of the aged-old problem of Mindanao.
It is with these premises that the BMYLF make the following urgent calls to all concerned particularly the Government of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to wit:
1. Stop the war;
2. Immediately resume the peace talks between the MILF and the GRP;
3. Re-activate the Joint Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, Ceasefire Mechanism and Ad Hoc joint Action Group;
4. For the AFP and MILF-BIAF to respect and adhere to the principles of International Humanitarian Law, Geneva Conventions 1-1V and Protocols 1-ll;
5. Immediately form Independent Fact Finding Committee to conduct an in-depth investigation of the recent bombings and hostilities in Mindanao, and
6. Appeal to the international community particularly the European Union (EU) and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to help push through the peace process in Mindanao in order to arrive at a final political settlement.
Finally, the BMYLF further reiterates that the conflict in Mindanao can only be resolved through dialogue and calls upon all parties to act with utmost restraint and jointly work for a lasting solution to the Bangsamoro problem.
SAVE THE INNOCENT CIVILIANS!
Reference:
RAHIB PAYAPAT
Spokesperson
Contact Number: 09161273835
Cotabato City
July 10, 2009
The Bangsamoro Youth Leaders Forum (BMYLF), the broadest coalition of Moro youth organizations in Mindanao strongly condemns the recent series of bombings in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, Cotabato City, Iligan City and Jolo, Sulu that killed 12 persons and injured almost hundred of innocent civilians.
The BMYLF expresses its sympathy and condolence to the families of the victims of these atrocities even as we pray for the immediate recovery of the injured civilians. These incidents can only be a handiwork of individuals or groups with evil motives to create chaos that foment further animosities between Muslim and Christians to serve their own selfish agenda.
Indeed, the BMYLF is aghast and abhors these forms of carnage as it is alarmed by the escalation of violence in Mindanao and the growing number of civilian casualties and displaced persons. The BMYLF wonders if these incidents are not part and parcel of the recently disclosed document “Operation August Moon”. The results of these hostilities are more than enough to prove that resorting to violence will never be the solution of the aged-old problem of Mindanao.
It is with these premises that the BMYLF make the following urgent calls to all concerned particularly the Government of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to wit:
1. Stop the war;
2. Immediately resume the peace talks between the MILF and the GRP;
3. Re-activate the Joint Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, Ceasefire Mechanism and Ad Hoc joint Action Group;
4. For the AFP and MILF-BIAF to respect and adhere to the principles of International Humanitarian Law, Geneva Conventions 1-1V and Protocols 1-ll;
5. Immediately form Independent Fact Finding Committee to conduct an in-depth investigation of the recent bombings and hostilities in Mindanao, and
6. Appeal to the international community particularly the European Union (EU) and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to help push through the peace process in Mindanao in order to arrive at a final political settlement.
Finally, the BMYLF further reiterates that the conflict in Mindanao can only be resolved through dialogue and calls upon all parties to act with utmost restraint and jointly work for a lasting solution to the Bangsamoro problem.
SAVE THE INNOCENT CIVILIANS!
Reference:
RAHIB PAYAPAT
Spokesperson
Contact Number: 09161273835
Protect the Civilians, Respect the IDPs
Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC)
July 10, 2009
The Mindanao Peoples Caucus calls the attention of the international humanitarian agencies and the United Nations to step up their efforts to protect the civilians and internally displaced persons in Maguindanao and Cotabato in the light of the recent pronouncement by the Spokesperson of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, that these IDPs are the “enemy reserve force.”
This statement is extremely dangerous as it only shows a military mindset which could not fairly distinguish the difference between a combatant and a civilian. That probably explains why despite the calls to stop the indiscriminate bombings and the torching of civilians’ homes, these atrocities remain unabated for the simple reason that to the mind of the military these people are enemies anyway, albeit reserved momentarily.
A curious mind need only go to the evacuation centers to find out who these IDPs are. They could be teachers, barangay officials, students, women, mothers, young children, babies, elderly. These are civilians whose rights are protected under International Humanitarian Law and the UN Guiding Principle on Internal Displacement. These are human beings whose only aspiration is to be able to return home and live in peace. These are the people whom the AFP is bound to protect. For almost 12 months now, these IDPs have been running back and forth, caught in an armed conflict that doesn’t see any resolution in sight.
What is worrisome here is that these civilians have one thing in common, they are Muslims. And as suggested by the AFP statement, they are viewed as “enemy reserve force” by reason of their ethnicity and religion. This kind of statement smacks of bias and prejudice against a particular class of people – which makes it all the more dangerous.
MPC therefore calls on the Secretary of National Defense and the Chief of Staff to correct this perception and categorization of the IDPs as “enemy reserve force” and direct its officers and men on the ground to strictly observe the International Humanitarian Law and the UN Guiding Principle on International Displacement (UNGPID) as part and parcel of their duty to protect the people and to observe civilian supremacy at all times.
MPC calls on the United Nations to immediately intervene into this situation and proactively take on protective measures that will ensure safety and well-being of the IDPs and the larger civilian population. For the Commission on Human Rights to conduct investigation on the reported cases of food blockade, indiscriminate bombings, looting and torching of civilian homes, desecration of mosques and house of worship and other forms of human rights violations.
Finally, we call on all Mindanaoans to unite, preserve the gains of the peace process and show our solidarity as Muslims and Christians in the spirit of genuine dialogue, freedom and justice.
--
RICK R. FLORES
Communications Specialist
Mindanao Peoples Caucus
www.mindanaopeoplescaucus.org
florrick@gmail.com
0910-310-9178
July 10, 2009
The Mindanao Peoples Caucus calls the attention of the international humanitarian agencies and the United Nations to step up their efforts to protect the civilians and internally displaced persons in Maguindanao and Cotabato in the light of the recent pronouncement by the Spokesperson of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, that these IDPs are the “enemy reserve force.”
This statement is extremely dangerous as it only shows a military mindset which could not fairly distinguish the difference between a combatant and a civilian. That probably explains why despite the calls to stop the indiscriminate bombings and the torching of civilians’ homes, these atrocities remain unabated for the simple reason that to the mind of the military these people are enemies anyway, albeit reserved momentarily.
A curious mind need only go to the evacuation centers to find out who these IDPs are. They could be teachers, barangay officials, students, women, mothers, young children, babies, elderly. These are civilians whose rights are protected under International Humanitarian Law and the UN Guiding Principle on Internal Displacement. These are human beings whose only aspiration is to be able to return home and live in peace. These are the people whom the AFP is bound to protect. For almost 12 months now, these IDPs have been running back and forth, caught in an armed conflict that doesn’t see any resolution in sight.
What is worrisome here is that these civilians have one thing in common, they are Muslims. And as suggested by the AFP statement, they are viewed as “enemy reserve force” by reason of their ethnicity and religion. This kind of statement smacks of bias and prejudice against a particular class of people – which makes it all the more dangerous.
MPC therefore calls on the Secretary of National Defense and the Chief of Staff to correct this perception and categorization of the IDPs as “enemy reserve force” and direct its officers and men on the ground to strictly observe the International Humanitarian Law and the UN Guiding Principle on International Displacement (UNGPID) as part and parcel of their duty to protect the people and to observe civilian supremacy at all times.
MPC calls on the United Nations to immediately intervene into this situation and proactively take on protective measures that will ensure safety and well-being of the IDPs and the larger civilian population. For the Commission on Human Rights to conduct investigation on the reported cases of food blockade, indiscriminate bombings, looting and torching of civilian homes, desecration of mosques and house of worship and other forms of human rights violations.
Finally, we call on all Mindanaoans to unite, preserve the gains of the peace process and show our solidarity as Muslims and Christians in the spirit of genuine dialogue, freedom and justice.
--
RICK R. FLORES
Communications Specialist
Mindanao Peoples Caucus
www.mindanaopeoplescaucus.org
florrick@gmail.com
0910-310-9178
CBCS condemns spate of bombings in Mindanao
The Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS) condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent spate of bombings in Mindanao and makes the following calls and clarifications:
• That a thorough investigation by a credible independent body be conducted on all incidents of bombing (July 4 in Datu Piang, Maguindanao; July 5 in Cotabato City; July 6 in Lanao del Norte; and July 7 in Jolo and Iligan City) to unmask the truth behind them (who perpetrated/masterminded them, for what motives/reasons, are they related to one another) and bring the culprits to justice;
• That responsible reporting be observed always by the media. The people of Mindanao cannot afford the Christian-Muslim killings of the 1970’s to resurface. After the Cotabato City blast, news reports have spread that gave the impression that it was the cathedral that was bombed. To make it clear, the blast took place in a stall selling lechon across the cathedral compound. It totally wrecked the stall and also damaged a portion of a certain beerhouse. Nevertheless, this makes no excuse to bomb the place;
• That places of worship be spared from any form of violence and/or desecration. The blast in Jolo also happened near a church. We denounce the bombings in the same manner that we condemn acts by men in uniform who occupied mosques, urinated in them and/or desecrated them;
• That the immediate acts of finger-pointing be stopped to prevent further escalation of the conflict and to contain any possible public panic to pave the way for sobriety, as well as thoughts and actions that are reasonable and not solely driven by biases, emotions and preconceived notions that may be wrong;
• That all people should be accorded their human rights, including both victims and suspects. The incremental number of victims of human rights violations has long been alarming. No one should be another victim of human rights violation in pursuit of justice. Due process should always be observed in dealing with suspects to the bombing: one is innocent until proven guilty, not one is guilty until proven innocent;
• That groups of all faiths here in Mindanao be more vigilant and strengthen their unity and solidarity in the face of these bleak incidents. This is NOT a Muslim-Christian conflict. Let us clear our minds and fortify our greatest resolve not to allow these dastardly acts to successfully sow suspicion and animosity that could lead to conflict; and,
• That the peace panels of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front return to the negotiating table to solve the age-old Mindanao conflict. The problem of the Bangsamoro as an indigenous people is highly political that it can only be resolved through genuine political means and not through military operations. Quelling rebellion and bringing peace are two different things. The peace talks are the highest form of dialogue between the two parties. A final agreement between them could spell sustainable peace and development in the Bangsamoro homeland.
We join in consoling and comforting the families of the victims of the blasts, the more than half a million internally displaced persons who have also been further agonized by indiscriminate bombings in the very sites of evacuation, and other people who are victims of injustices.
Our prayers for the attainment of genuine peace and development.
Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS)
KFI Compound, Doña Pilar Street, Poblacion IV
9600 Cotabato City, Philippines
Telefax No.: +63 (064) 421-5420
E-mail: cbcs_04@yahoo.com, secretariat@cbcsi.org
• That a thorough investigation by a credible independent body be conducted on all incidents of bombing (July 4 in Datu Piang, Maguindanao; July 5 in Cotabato City; July 6 in Lanao del Norte; and July 7 in Jolo and Iligan City) to unmask the truth behind them (who perpetrated/masterminded them, for what motives/reasons, are they related to one another) and bring the culprits to justice;
• That responsible reporting be observed always by the media. The people of Mindanao cannot afford the Christian-Muslim killings of the 1970’s to resurface. After the Cotabato City blast, news reports have spread that gave the impression that it was the cathedral that was bombed. To make it clear, the blast took place in a stall selling lechon across the cathedral compound. It totally wrecked the stall and also damaged a portion of a certain beerhouse. Nevertheless, this makes no excuse to bomb the place;
• That places of worship be spared from any form of violence and/or desecration. The blast in Jolo also happened near a church. We denounce the bombings in the same manner that we condemn acts by men in uniform who occupied mosques, urinated in them and/or desecrated them;
• That the immediate acts of finger-pointing be stopped to prevent further escalation of the conflict and to contain any possible public panic to pave the way for sobriety, as well as thoughts and actions that are reasonable and not solely driven by biases, emotions and preconceived notions that may be wrong;
• That all people should be accorded their human rights, including both victims and suspects. The incremental number of victims of human rights violations has long been alarming. No one should be another victim of human rights violation in pursuit of justice. Due process should always be observed in dealing with suspects to the bombing: one is innocent until proven guilty, not one is guilty until proven innocent;
• That groups of all faiths here in Mindanao be more vigilant and strengthen their unity and solidarity in the face of these bleak incidents. This is NOT a Muslim-Christian conflict. Let us clear our minds and fortify our greatest resolve not to allow these dastardly acts to successfully sow suspicion and animosity that could lead to conflict; and,
• That the peace panels of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front return to the negotiating table to solve the age-old Mindanao conflict. The problem of the Bangsamoro as an indigenous people is highly political that it can only be resolved through genuine political means and not through military operations. Quelling rebellion and bringing peace are two different things. The peace talks are the highest form of dialogue between the two parties. A final agreement between them could spell sustainable peace and development in the Bangsamoro homeland.
We join in consoling and comforting the families of the victims of the blasts, the more than half a million internally displaced persons who have also been further agonized by indiscriminate bombings in the very sites of evacuation, and other people who are victims of injustices.
Our prayers for the attainment of genuine peace and development.
Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS)
KFI Compound, Doña Pilar Street, Poblacion IV
9600 Cotabato City, Philippines
Telefax No.: +63 (064) 421-5420
E-mail: cbcs_04@yahoo.com, secretariat@cbcsi.org
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
STOP THE BOMBINGS, CEASEFIRE NOW!
By Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC)
July 7, 2009
The Mindanao Peoples Caucus strongly condemns the recent bombing in Cotabato City last Sunday which again claimed the lives of innocent people, young and old. We grieved with the family of the victims who are still shocked over the death of their loved ones. We sympathize with those who had been injured and pray for their immediate recovery. We are outraged by the spate of violence happening in Cotabato and Maguindanao which only shows our collective failure to resolve this lingering armed conflict.
In a similar fashion, we also condemn the bombings in Datu Piang and its neighboring towns in Maguindanao which displaced thousands upon thousands of civilians and burned hundreds of homes.
Just this morning, another bomb exploded in the town of Jolo which killed 6 people and wounded 40 others. This was succeeded by another bomb explosion a few hours after, this time, in Iligan City, which wounded 7 people including 2 soldiers.
Given this situation, MPC poses these questions, “Who is doing this and what are their motives? Is there a grand design that is spinning a desired political scenario? Are we already witnessing before our eyes and at the expense of our people a build up scenario for 2010?”
This is enough. The bloodshed must stop. We cannot continue to be drawn into this quagmire of war and violence. We cannot continue to watch our children die one by one. We cannot allow the civilians to pay such a high cost for this war which is not going anywhere. We are concerned with the civilians as much as we also mourn the loss of lives of combatants, soldiers and rebels alike.
While we call for justice against those responsible for the bombings, we also appeal to the authorities not to use this tragic event to commit further acts of human right violations.
Since 2003, Mindanao has relatively enjoyed the dividends of peace as a result of a functional ceasefire agreement under the auspices of the Joint Ceasefire Committee of both government and the MILF. From a record of around 700 ceasefire violations in 2002, it has dramatically dropped to less than 10 violations in 2007, due to the cooperation of the government, MILF and the International Monitoring Team. The ceasefire agreement has effectively silenced the guns in Mindanao. We saw it working for five years! We experienced that it was possible.
In the aftermath of the MOA-AD controversy, we have witnessed how the gains of the peace process had been thrown into the dust bin. The ceasefire had collapsed, the IMT had packed up and left for good and the ceasefire committee had been demobilized as the hawks took over the war front. Mindanao has again returned to the theatre of war with hundreds of thousands of people currently displaced in Cotabato, Maguindanao and Lanao.
We, as a people, must put an end to this carnage now. It is time to unite, Muslims and Christians alike. We have to take bolder steps to create a safer and more secure environment for our children and family. A step into that direction is to work out for a ceasefire in the conflict affected areas and allow the internally displaced persons to return home.
Let us act now.
RICK R. FLORES
Communications Specialist
Mindanao Peoples Caucus
www.mindanaopeoplescaucus.org
E-Mail: florrick@gmail.com
July 7, 2009
The Mindanao Peoples Caucus strongly condemns the recent bombing in Cotabato City last Sunday which again claimed the lives of innocent people, young and old. We grieved with the family of the victims who are still shocked over the death of their loved ones. We sympathize with those who had been injured and pray for their immediate recovery. We are outraged by the spate of violence happening in Cotabato and Maguindanao which only shows our collective failure to resolve this lingering armed conflict.
In a similar fashion, we also condemn the bombings in Datu Piang and its neighboring towns in Maguindanao which displaced thousands upon thousands of civilians and burned hundreds of homes.
Just this morning, another bomb exploded in the town of Jolo which killed 6 people and wounded 40 others. This was succeeded by another bomb explosion a few hours after, this time, in Iligan City, which wounded 7 people including 2 soldiers.
Given this situation, MPC poses these questions, “Who is doing this and what are their motives? Is there a grand design that is spinning a desired political scenario? Are we already witnessing before our eyes and at the expense of our people a build up scenario for 2010?”
This is enough. The bloodshed must stop. We cannot continue to be drawn into this quagmire of war and violence. We cannot continue to watch our children die one by one. We cannot allow the civilians to pay such a high cost for this war which is not going anywhere. We are concerned with the civilians as much as we also mourn the loss of lives of combatants, soldiers and rebels alike.
While we call for justice against those responsible for the bombings, we also appeal to the authorities not to use this tragic event to commit further acts of human right violations.
Since 2003, Mindanao has relatively enjoyed the dividends of peace as a result of a functional ceasefire agreement under the auspices of the Joint Ceasefire Committee of both government and the MILF. From a record of around 700 ceasefire violations in 2002, it has dramatically dropped to less than 10 violations in 2007, due to the cooperation of the government, MILF and the International Monitoring Team. The ceasefire agreement has effectively silenced the guns in Mindanao. We saw it working for five years! We experienced that it was possible.
In the aftermath of the MOA-AD controversy, we have witnessed how the gains of the peace process had been thrown into the dust bin. The ceasefire had collapsed, the IMT had packed up and left for good and the ceasefire committee had been demobilized as the hawks took over the war front. Mindanao has again returned to the theatre of war with hundreds of thousands of people currently displaced in Cotabato, Maguindanao and Lanao.
We, as a people, must put an end to this carnage now. It is time to unite, Muslims and Christians alike. We have to take bolder steps to create a safer and more secure environment for our children and family. A step into that direction is to work out for a ceasefire in the conflict affected areas and allow the internally displaced persons to return home.
Let us act now.
RICK R. FLORES
Communications Specialist
Mindanao Peoples Caucus
www.mindanaopeoplescaucus.org
E-Mail: florrick@gmail.com
Saturday, July 4, 2009
A CALL TO DEFEND THE PEOPLES’ RIGHT TO KNOW
The State of the Bakwits (S.O.B.), a joint coverage of Mindanao and Manila journalists held on June 29 to July 1, 2009 was intended to focus public attention on a humanitarian tragedy that we believe has not been given the attention it deserves.
Coming from different media organizations in Mindanao and Manila, we issue this collective statement in view of the disturbing checkpoint incident on June 30 and certain pronouncements of the 6th Infantry Division’s spokesperson about the organizers and participating journalists.
The coverage was prompted by persistent and alarming reports of alleged human rights violations like food blockades, illegal arrests, disappearances and summary executions; and that non-government and humanitarian organizations, even media, were also reportedly being prohibited from going to evacuation centers presumably to protect them from hostilities between government troops and rebel forces.
We came to validate these reports and to get a solid grasp of the actual situation in the evacuation centers so that concerned authorities will be able to appreciate more fully, and respond appropriately to, the complex problem of internal displacement in Maguindanao.
We found some of the answers even before reaching the evacuation centers.
On Tuesday, June 30, as we were proceeding to the evacuation sites in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, soldiers of the Army's 46th Infantry Battalion stopped us along the Cotabato-General Santos highway in Barangay Bagan, Guindulungan.
Those in the lead car of our nine-vehicle convoy were asked if we were from the media. Not one of the soldiers could tell us why we were being held. All they could say was we would be “released” when they receive “clearance” from Colonel Medardo Geslani, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade.
When contacted within the first five minutes of what turned out to be a 46-minute standoff, Geslani’s superior, Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton, commanding general of the 6th Infantry Division, said he would check with Geslani. Cayton said he was informed by Geslani that he ordered the journalists stopped because of ongoing "clearing operations" to ensure our safety from roadside bombs.
A day earlier, an improvised explosive device (IED) blew off in Barangay Kitango, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, killing two persons and injuring eight others.
The checkpoint personnel said nothing about “clearing operations.” Curiously, it was just the media vehicles that were stopped at the checkpoint.
If, indeed, there were IEDs on the roadside, why should media be given ‘preferential protection’?
And if, indeed, security was the main consideration, they could have notified us even before we had left Cotabato City for Maguindanao since the organizers had been coordinating with the military panel of resource persons who confirmed participation in the subsequent forum in the afternoon of June 30.
We also would like to correct pronouncements made by the spokesperson of the 6th Infantry Division, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Ponce, who sent out text messages to reporters claiming that the journalists who were participating in the State of the Bakwits coverage were given “pocket money” by one of the organizations involved, which he alleged was connected to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The invitation clearly states who the organizers are.
Efforts to discredit our coverage by attempting to discredit the organizing groups will not be viewed kindly by the public especially since the case of the bakwits is a matter of national and international interest. For did we not rank first among all countries for having the “biggest new displacement in the world,” contributing 600,000 to the 4.2 million total of newly displaced in 2008, according to the April 2009 report of Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre?
We assert that trying to mask the magnitude of this crisis by stifling the free flow of information and the people's right to know can only worsen the current problem.
We agree with, and appreciate the statements of both the government and MILF peace panels during separate interactions with us, that the peace process should be accompanied by transparency.
We also believe that the achievement of a just and lasting negotiated resolution to the generations- old conflict besetting the Bangsamoro is possible only when all stakeholders are granted adequate access to information about and participation in the peace process.
This is why we are saddened that there remain elements of government who are trying to curtail access to information about the problems plaguing the Bangsamoro and the roots of the age-old conflict that continues to cause so much suffering, as well as vilify those who seek to uncover the truth surrounding the situation and explain these to the people.
This much we have learned from our experience as a people who lived through and eventually overcame 14 years of dictatorship: you can neither hide the truth forever nor allow it to be hidden.
ANY MORE ATTEMPT TO CURTAIL OR CONTROL THE FLOW OF INFORMATION VITAL TO THE PEOPLE’S UNDERSTANDING OF THIS CONFLICT, WILL DEFINITELY NOT SERVE THE CAUSE OF PEACE.
Atty. CHARINA SANZ
Mindanao ComStrat and Policy Alternatives
CAROLYN ARGUILLAS
MindaNews
FR. EDUARDO VASQUEZ, OMI
I-Watch
RED BATARIO
Center for Community Journalism and Development (CCJD)
MA. AURORA FAJARDO
Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project
NONOY ESPINA
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)
RYAN ROSAURO
The Peace and Conflict Journalism Network (PECOJON)
Reference:
ROMY ELUSFA
Secretariat, SOB Coverage Mission
Mobile Phone: 09209546793
Coming from different media organizations in Mindanao and Manila, we issue this collective statement in view of the disturbing checkpoint incident on June 30 and certain pronouncements of the 6th Infantry Division’s spokesperson about the organizers and participating journalists.
The coverage was prompted by persistent and alarming reports of alleged human rights violations like food blockades, illegal arrests, disappearances and summary executions; and that non-government and humanitarian organizations, even media, were also reportedly being prohibited from going to evacuation centers presumably to protect them from hostilities between government troops and rebel forces.
We came to validate these reports and to get a solid grasp of the actual situation in the evacuation centers so that concerned authorities will be able to appreciate more fully, and respond appropriately to, the complex problem of internal displacement in Maguindanao.
We found some of the answers even before reaching the evacuation centers.
On Tuesday, June 30, as we were proceeding to the evacuation sites in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, soldiers of the Army's 46th Infantry Battalion stopped us along the Cotabato-General Santos highway in Barangay Bagan, Guindulungan.
Those in the lead car of our nine-vehicle convoy were asked if we were from the media. Not one of the soldiers could tell us why we were being held. All they could say was we would be “released” when they receive “clearance” from Colonel Medardo Geslani, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade.
When contacted within the first five minutes of what turned out to be a 46-minute standoff, Geslani’s superior, Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton, commanding general of the 6th Infantry Division, said he would check with Geslani. Cayton said he was informed by Geslani that he ordered the journalists stopped because of ongoing "clearing operations" to ensure our safety from roadside bombs.
A day earlier, an improvised explosive device (IED) blew off in Barangay Kitango, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, killing two persons and injuring eight others.
The checkpoint personnel said nothing about “clearing operations.” Curiously, it was just the media vehicles that were stopped at the checkpoint.
If, indeed, there were IEDs on the roadside, why should media be given ‘preferential protection’?
And if, indeed, security was the main consideration, they could have notified us even before we had left Cotabato City for Maguindanao since the organizers had been coordinating with the military panel of resource persons who confirmed participation in the subsequent forum in the afternoon of June 30.
We also would like to correct pronouncements made by the spokesperson of the 6th Infantry Division, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Ponce, who sent out text messages to reporters claiming that the journalists who were participating in the State of the Bakwits coverage were given “pocket money” by one of the organizations involved, which he alleged was connected to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The invitation clearly states who the organizers are.
Efforts to discredit our coverage by attempting to discredit the organizing groups will not be viewed kindly by the public especially since the case of the bakwits is a matter of national and international interest. For did we not rank first among all countries for having the “biggest new displacement in the world,” contributing 600,000 to the 4.2 million total of newly displaced in 2008, according to the April 2009 report of Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre?
We assert that trying to mask the magnitude of this crisis by stifling the free flow of information and the people's right to know can only worsen the current problem.
We agree with, and appreciate the statements of both the government and MILF peace panels during separate interactions with us, that the peace process should be accompanied by transparency.
We also believe that the achievement of a just and lasting negotiated resolution to the generations- old conflict besetting the Bangsamoro is possible only when all stakeholders are granted adequate access to information about and participation in the peace process.
This is why we are saddened that there remain elements of government who are trying to curtail access to information about the problems plaguing the Bangsamoro and the roots of the age-old conflict that continues to cause so much suffering, as well as vilify those who seek to uncover the truth surrounding the situation and explain these to the people.
This much we have learned from our experience as a people who lived through and eventually overcame 14 years of dictatorship: you can neither hide the truth forever nor allow it to be hidden.
ANY MORE ATTEMPT TO CURTAIL OR CONTROL THE FLOW OF INFORMATION VITAL TO THE PEOPLE’S UNDERSTANDING OF THIS CONFLICT, WILL DEFINITELY NOT SERVE THE CAUSE OF PEACE.
Atty. CHARINA SANZ
Mindanao ComStrat and Policy Alternatives
CAROLYN ARGUILLAS
MindaNews
FR. EDUARDO VASQUEZ, OMI
I-Watch
RED BATARIO
Center for Community Journalism and Development (CCJD)
MA. AURORA FAJARDO
Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project
NONOY ESPINA
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)
RYAN ROSAURO
The Peace and Conflict Journalism Network (PECOJON)
Reference:
ROMY ELUSFA
Secretariat, SOB Coverage Mission
Mobile Phone: 09209546793
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