The Sabah Claim Society wishes one and all a happy, healthy and successful 2016! May our tribe increase...
SABAH CLAIM SOCIETY
Thursday, 31 December 2015
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016!
The Sabah Claim Society wishes one and all a happy, healthy and successful 2016! May our tribe increase...
Sunday, 23 August 2015
SABAH CLAIM REFRAIN: "BLAME SOMEONE ELSE BUT ME"
"When Malaya's
Tunku Abdul Rahman went to Sabah before the Sabah referendum in 1962 to talk to
the elders of North Borneo (Sabah), why did not the Philippines and its Government do the same to
organise a campaign in situ to get the Sabahans on side? Why didn't they do it?
By Anne de Bretagne
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for Sabah Claim Society
23 August 2015
Now, is "blame someone else but me" a distinct Filipino character trait? I'm beginning to think it is!
For the last few years, the usual refrain when people discuss the Sabah claim issue is to blame the British for the situation the Philippines finds itself in with regard to its stale claim on Sabah. Well, well...
Alright, let's deal with it and throw the Framework Agreement, the BBL, the entire immobile Sabah claim, the Sultanate of Sulu bickering (nearly fratricidal crap, etc, etc) and include with them the kitchen sink at the British.
I agree the British 'created the problem' as many people who have just recently discovered the North Borneo (Sabah) conundrum have been spewing all over the place. But here's what: these Filipinos must understand and admit once and for all that the Philippines contributed largely to that decision that created the problem (and continues to contribute unequivocally to the problem TODAY).
But let's be fair and be a bit more clever about things. It's nice to have a punching bag or to have a butt of "sisi" (much like Noynoy aka as Boy Sisi), in this case, the British, but we must ascertain that the Philippines, its leaders and its people aren't at fault either before we cast blame or "sisi" all around. Anyway, if we want to cast "sisi" all around, here are some real reasons for you to go and do all the "sisi" you want:
(1) At the time, i.e., early 60s, Senator Jovi Salonga was working so hard negotiating with the Brits, your/our own countryman, Senator Lorenzo Sumulong, a flamboyant ex-diplomat to the UN (who happens to be the grand uncle of current PH president, Noynoy Aquino), was going all over the place, attacking and casting vitriolic heaps of acid via the PH Senate pulpit to whip PH Govt and its Sabah claim to extinction.
He sold the PH claim to Tunku Adul Rahman, then Malaysia's Prime Minister by acting as the soon-to-be-created Malaysia Federation's attack dog against the Government of the Philippines and its claim to Sabah. It wouldn't surprise me therefore, that like the big powers at the time, the Brits took this all-Philippine treasonous approach to the Sabah claim, happening in one of the highest echelons of power, as an excuse to say, "Bloody hell! You people don't know what you want? Well, I'll decide for you!" (Let's not beat around the bush, it was an all-Filipino treason game which must have greatly amused the Brits and the Malayans!)
(2) Furthermore, if blame has to be cast all around, let's not look far away.... Our own masters and commanders at the time, the great United States of America, did not lift a finger, did not do anything at all to help us convince the British to allow the Sultanate of Sulu to have it back in 1962. On the contrary, the Americans not only did not pay even scant attention to this issue but also discouraged us from tackling the Sabah issue (check out records from as far back as 1957). And one would have thought that as our greatest allies, they would see our way. But heck, no...just didn't happen, but you don't see me around blaming the Americans, now, do you? (Fast forward... In 1967 or 68, it was America that alerted Britain that Marcos was on a "war path" and so what happened? Britain tried to show force by landing fighter aircraft on our own soil. Did America say anything? Nope! Not a word! They were in cahoots with the UK!)
(3) One important element: When Malaya's Tunku Abdul Rahman went to Sabah before the Sabah referendum in 1962 to talk to the elders of North Borneo (Sabah), why did not the Philippines do the same to organise a campaign in situ to get the Sabahans on side? Why?
The Philippine Government was well aware of what was going to happen but did not lift a finger, did not do anything and instead, LEFT EVERYTHING TO FATE as in "Bahala na!" The Government at the time just sat on its big fat ass while the other party, the Malayans led by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, were going at things hammer and tong right in the heart of Sabah to convince the Sabahans to join the soon-to-be created Malaysia Federation. TOTAL PHILIPPINE INERTIA! PH Govt just didn't go the extra mile even if it meant saving Sabah claim's own skin for God and country. Parbleu! And you think we are not to blame?
And I can recite a long series of other "blames" but I won't. I'll stop at those because they should be enough to enlighten you.
So, lets be a bit more clever about this, shall we? Because we can't just be making "sisi" all around like Noynoy does today when things go wrong and believe that it's everybody else's fault but ours! If you really want to know, we were as much to blame for being generally do-lally about the claim.
This "sisi" doctrine seems to be deeply embedded in our psyche but let's get over it and move on!
Let's not allow classic INERTIA (Bahala na!) to overcome us just because it makes us feel better to whine consistently and to look back to the past to blame the British for all that has gone badly with Sabah (of which, I must remind Filipinos, are also largely, hugely responsible for, anyway) and let this politics of blame stop at the water's edge! Instead, FIND SOLUTIONS TO HOW TO GET THE BLASTED SABAH BACK or at the very least, find solutions not to allow this country to be partitioned by radicals, zealots, fanatics, secessionists, Malaysian warriors by proxy in the southern Philippines with the treasonous complicity -- again of Govt officials, elected and appointed!
Blaming the Brits for the Sabah debacle ad vitam eternam is not going to help achieve what many Filipinos want, i.e., get Sabah back.
~~~~O~~~~
By Anne de Bretagne
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for Sabah Claim Society
23 August 2015
Now, is "blame someone else but me" a distinct Filipino character trait? I'm beginning to think it is!
For the last few years, the usual refrain when people discuss the Sabah claim issue is to blame the British for the situation the Philippines finds itself in with regard to its stale claim on Sabah. Well, well...
Alright, let's deal with it and throw the Framework Agreement, the BBL, the entire immobile Sabah claim, the Sultanate of Sulu bickering (nearly fratricidal crap, etc, etc) and include with them the kitchen sink at the British.
I agree the British 'created the problem' as many people who have just recently discovered the North Borneo (Sabah) conundrum have been spewing all over the place. But here's what: these Filipinos must understand and admit once and for all that the Philippines contributed largely to that decision that created the problem (and continues to contribute unequivocally to the problem TODAY).
But let's be fair and be a bit more clever about things. It's nice to have a punching bag or to have a butt of "sisi" (much like Noynoy aka as Boy Sisi), in this case, the British, but we must ascertain that the Philippines, its leaders and its people aren't at fault either before we cast blame or "sisi" all around. Anyway, if we want to cast "sisi" all around, here are some real reasons for you to go and do all the "sisi" you want:
(1) At the time, i.e., early 60s, Senator Jovi Salonga was working so hard negotiating with the Brits, your/our own countryman, Senator Lorenzo Sumulong, a flamboyant ex-diplomat to the UN (who happens to be the grand uncle of current PH president, Noynoy Aquino), was going all over the place, attacking and casting vitriolic heaps of acid via the PH Senate pulpit to whip PH Govt and its Sabah claim to extinction.
He sold the PH claim to Tunku Adul Rahman, then Malaysia's Prime Minister by acting as the soon-to-be-created Malaysia Federation's attack dog against the Government of the Philippines and its claim to Sabah. It wouldn't surprise me therefore, that like the big powers at the time, the Brits took this all-Philippine treasonous approach to the Sabah claim, happening in one of the highest echelons of power, as an excuse to say, "Bloody hell! You people don't know what you want? Well, I'll decide for you!" (Let's not beat around the bush, it was an all-Filipino treason game which must have greatly amused the Brits and the Malayans!)
(2) Furthermore, if blame has to be cast all around, let's not look far away.... Our own masters and commanders at the time, the great United States of America, did not lift a finger, did not do anything at all to help us convince the British to allow the Sultanate of Sulu to have it back in 1962. On the contrary, the Americans not only did not pay even scant attention to this issue but also discouraged us from tackling the Sabah issue (check out records from as far back as 1957). And one would have thought that as our greatest allies, they would see our way. But heck, no...just didn't happen, but you don't see me around blaming the Americans, now, do you? (Fast forward... In 1967 or 68, it was America that alerted Britain that Marcos was on a "war path" and so what happened? Britain tried to show force by landing fighter aircraft on our own soil. Did America say anything? Nope! Not a word! They were in cahoots with the UK!)
(3) One important element: When Malaya's Tunku Abdul Rahman went to Sabah before the Sabah referendum in 1962 to talk to the elders of North Borneo (Sabah), why did not the Philippines do the same to organise a campaign in situ to get the Sabahans on side? Why?
The Philippine Government was well aware of what was going to happen but did not lift a finger, did not do anything and instead, LEFT EVERYTHING TO FATE as in "Bahala na!" The Government at the time just sat on its big fat ass while the other party, the Malayans led by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, were going at things hammer and tong right in the heart of Sabah to convince the Sabahans to join the soon-to-be created Malaysia Federation. TOTAL PHILIPPINE INERTIA! PH Govt just didn't go the extra mile even if it meant saving Sabah claim's own skin for God and country. Parbleu! And you think we are not to blame?
And I can recite a long series of other "blames" but I won't. I'll stop at those because they should be enough to enlighten you.
So, lets be a bit more clever about this, shall we? Because we can't just be making "sisi" all around like Noynoy does today when things go wrong and believe that it's everybody else's fault but ours! If you really want to know, we were as much to blame for being generally do-lally about the claim.
This "sisi" doctrine seems to be deeply embedded in our psyche but let's get over it and move on!
Let's not allow classic INERTIA (Bahala na!) to overcome us just because it makes us feel better to whine consistently and to look back to the past to blame the British for all that has gone badly with Sabah (of which, I must remind Filipinos, are also largely, hugely responsible for, anyway) and let this politics of blame stop at the water's edge! Instead, FIND SOLUTIONS TO HOW TO GET THE BLASTED SABAH BACK or at the very least, find solutions not to allow this country to be partitioned by radicals, zealots, fanatics, secessionists, Malaysian warriors by proxy in the southern Philippines with the treasonous complicity -- again of Govt officials, elected and appointed!
Blaming the Brits for the Sabah debacle ad vitam eternam is not going to help achieve what many Filipinos want, i.e., get Sabah back.
~~~~O~~~~
Friday, 21 August 2015
UNACCEPTABLE, MR BRITISH AMBASSADOR, DEFINITELY UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR ON YOUR PART TO INTERFERE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE PHILIPPINES!
 |
| British Ambassador Ahmad |
EDITORIAL
"Ambassador Ahmad, you've stepped out of line -- you have gone one step too far when you did that. You showed your true colours if I may say and it is unacceptable that the Foreign Office should keep you on in your Manila post because you have misrepresented Her Majesty's Government by being thoroughly obnoxious to your Philippine hosts. And I must warn you that I wouldn't be remotely surprised if the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs summons you for a bit of a lecture on proper ambassadorial behaviour and wouldn't astonish me in the least if the PH public demands that Britain recall you!"
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for the Sabah Claim Society
21 August 2015
I am flabbergasted that not one of the esteemed members and opinion columnists of the Philippine press has reacted to the news report: "UK envoy: Lack of quorum on BBL unacceptable; British ambassador Asif Ahmad was reacting to news reports that the lack of quorum was impeding the passage of the BBL at the 291-member House of Representatives."
But we on the PSCF say that it is completely, utterly unacceptable behaviour on the part of the British ambassador to the Philippines to comment negatively on the internal affairs, workings, governance of a foreign country like the Philippines!
Asif Ahmad, British envoy to the Philippines, a solid Muslim, born of a Pakistani father who became a Bangla Desh diplomat took a swipe at the Philippine legislature's lack of quorum and so was unable to tackle the BBL question. Note that Britain is one of the countries that volunteered to be a member of the "advisory" panel that oversaw Malaysia's engineering of the Framework Agreement.
I would not like to presume that Ambassador Ahmad took a swipe at the lack of quorum in the House of Representatives that was supposed to debate on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law because he had a personal interest in the Malaysia-MILF engineered BBL. No, I wouldn't like to assume that at all! Let me just say outright that while the British ambassador's remarks were technically right, it is thoroughly unacceptable for a British envoy to interfere in the internal affairs and workings of a foreign country where he represents Her Majesty's Government. And I thought British ambassadors and senior members of the British Foreign Office were a bit more intelligent! I do believe that it is now unacceptable that the British Foreign Office should count among them, an envoy of questionable meddling character!
British Ambassador Ahmad has no effing right to tell us to our face, no matter how noble his intentions might be that it was unacceptable "that many members of Congress are not showing up" and to continue with a lecture on how they do it in the UK House of Commons...Simply unacceptable of the British Ambassador to do that. What and who gave him the right to say such things? Certainly not Her Majesty nor Her Majesty's Foreign Office and definitely not Prime Minister Cameron. So why did he effing open his mouth to criticise a foreign country's internal governance?
To His Excellency, Asif Ahmad, British Ambassador to Manila, answer this question: How would the British Foreign Office, let alone the British public react if the Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St James (London) stood up at a social function and told journalists that "It is unacceptable that the House of Commons acts like a circus during Prime Minister question time"? and if the Ph ambassador added, "Members of the British Parliament must act mature and not act like spoiled brats."?
Ambassador Ahmad, you've stepped out of line -- you have gone one step too far when you did that. You showed your true colours if I may say and it is unacceptable that the Foreign Office should keep you on in your Manila post because you have misrepresented Her Majesty's Government by being thoroughly obnoxious to your Philippine hosts. And I must warn you that I wouldn't be remotely surprised if the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs summons you for a bit of a lecture on proper ambassadorial behaviour and wouldn't astonish me in the least if the PH public demands that Britain recall you!
So, Mr Ambassador, take my counsel: Keep calm and shut up!
~~~~O~~~~
REPORT: UK envoy: lack of quorum unacceptable
British ambassador Asif Ahmad was reacting to news reports that the lack of quorum was impeding the passage of the BBL at the 291-member House of Representatives.
“In the United Kingdom, either you agree or oppose something. It is your duty as an elected official to debate and vote. But to hide under a stone is not doing the job that you are elected to do,” Ahmad told reporters during a reception he hosted at his residence on Tuesday night.
The House of Representatives is in the process of interpolating the draft BBL, which was based on the peace agreement signed by the Aguino administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It proposes establishing a new, autonomous political entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
“It is noticeable that many members of Congress are not showing up, which in my view is unacceptable,” Ahmad said.
Britain, which has its own experience dealing with separatist movements, had offered the Philippines its advisory assistance in the Mindanao peace process.
He cited the processes in the UK that led to the Scotland Independence referendum in 2014.–NiƱa P. Calleja
Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/127515/uk-envoy-lack-of-quorum-on-bbl-unacceptable#ixzz3jTto7SYs
Operation Merdeka and its Filipino unsung heroes killed by Kuala Lumpur
"After nearly 50 years, it's time for the Philippine Republic and its government to be brave, to admit officially to the world that PH did plan to 'invade' Sabah -- and not to give a damn about what Kuala Lumpur might think or say, to open the "official" records and give due recognition to those 'unsung, under cover heroes' of the Republic, who had been embedded in Sabah and who were brutally tortured and murdered by Malaysia's dreaded ISA in the run up to the denunciation of Operation Merdeka, so that they may finally rest in peace! The Republic owes them that..."
By Anne de Bretagne
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for the Sabah Claim Society
21 August 2015
The following, in a nutshell, is the "infamous" Operation Merdeka, i.e., Philippine plan to recover Sabah (before the plan was scuttled):
Operation Merdeka was originally the brainchild of President Diosdado Macapagal but its execution was organised by his successor, President Marcos. The plan was not to wage war against the Suluks in Sabah (Suluks are the Tausug inhabitants of Sabah) but only to create disturbance in Sabah. The initial purpose was to INFILTRATE Sabah by sending military trained Tausugs from Sulu to organise huge rallies, enormous rallies (much like what Putin did to Crimea) and to catch the Peninsular Malaysians by surprise... Noting the distance between KL and Kota Kinabalu, Marcos was banking on the element of surprise, i.e., that it would take Kuala Lumpur a great deal of time to scramble their fighters and by then everything would be over. Sabah would be under PH control.
Marcos had a squadron of the the Philippine Air Force which got ready to fly over Kota Kinabalu and other towns (in a bid to frighten whatever KL troops or sentries were there) while the infiltrated troops (Tausugs and their AFP military handlers) were occupying the most sensitive positions, hoist the PH FLAG atop every point, blast the announcement over loudspeakers all over Sabah towns... the PHIL AIR FORCE fighter aircraft then would fly over to signal that Sabah was retaken! THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OPERATION MERDEKA
But as ever, Murphy's military law played its hand: "Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong!" because Senator Ninoy Aquino, true to the Aquino clan mantra, would rather sabotage the plan against his own countrys interest to favour the Peninsular Malaysians -- God knows we know not why -- just as Senator Sumulong (his 'uncle-in-law) had done before him and just as his son is doing today.
And what the Filipino public hardly knows about is what happened after Operation Merdeka was denounced: Filipinos under cover, on mission for the Republic were captured, ruthlessly tortured, killed, and are buried in the recesses of Sabah.
Understand that there were already hundreds of PH assets, military and para-military who had gone under cover and had infiltrated Sabah* (long before the so-called or the sensationalised "Jabidah-Corregidor Massacre" victims); they had already been sent to Sabah, had been lying under cover all over Sabah in preparation for the 'Operation' and who were caught in the quagmire in Sabah (North Borneo) after Sen Ninoy Aquino denounced the operation on the Senate pulpit.
Kuala Lumpur's intel agencies, led by Malaysia's dreaded ISA, moved with lightning speed, captured many of them, tortured and killed many, many of them -- impossible to determine today the number of Filipino para-military and military infiltrates in Sabah who were ruthlessly tortured and summarily executed unless we open PH Government records officially. A horrendous end for these Filipinos who were on mission for the Republic but who remain officially nameless today. They were Filipinos.
*NB: These Operation Merdeka assets had already infiltrated Sabah as moles, plants, sleepers, undercover agents, etc., long before the sensationalised "Jabidah Massacre" and were not the "Tausug trainees' referred to in the Corregidor-Jabidah Massacre episode exposed by Senator Ninoy Aquino and who were still being groomed precisely to join these assets that had already been embedded in Sabah. The embedded assets in Sabah fell victims to Malaysia's killer hands following the denunciation of the Operation in the Senate by Senator Ninoy Aquino.
Until today, many of -- if not all, those nameless PH casualties cannot be officially recognised by our government, cannot be given proper burial, or even just be given proper honours, because to officially recognise them as Operation Merdeka heroes, PH must admit to having planned and partly executed the invasion of Sabah and that just cannot be done according to PH government. So, today, there are many unsung heroes, casualties of this "silent, undeclared war", buried in Sabah without recognition from their government for what they have done in the name of the Republic. But Malaysia knows the crimes it has committed on these people in 1968 and knows that PH doesn't give a damn about them.
It's time to face what happened in Sabah after the scuttling of Operation Merdeka nearly 50 years ago to honour those Filipinos who were sent on a covert mission but never came back because they were captured, tortured and killed by Malaysia if only to give them proper burial.
After almost 50 years, it's time for the Philippine Republic and its government to be brave, to admit officially to the world that PH did plan to 'invade' Sabah -- and not to give a damn about what Kuala Lumpur might think or say, to open the "official" records and give due recognition to those 'unsung, under cover heroes' of the Republic who were brutally tortured and murdered by Malaysia's dreaded ISA in the run up to the denunciation of Operation Merdeka so that they may finally rest in peace! The Republic owes them that...
Thursday, 21 May 2015
YES TO PEACE, NO TO BBL MANIFESTO
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| Former DILG chief with some members of FORMA |
MANIFESTO
By Rafael M. Alunan III
22 May 2015
MAY 24 YES TO PEACE, NO TO THE BBL PRAYER RALLY 8 A.M. SUNDAY AT THE LUNETA PARK
YES TO PEACE. NO TO THE BANGSAMORO BASIC LAW!
Retain and Strengthen the ARMM and Local Autonomy.
Today, we find our nation in peril and our democratic way of life under threat, both externally and from within. All too often, the common good and national interests are sacrificed on the altar of political expediency, corruption and self-serving hidden agendas.
Nowhere is this disconnect from reality more pronounced than on the issue of the “peace process” undertaken exclusively with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that produced the Comprehensive Agreement on BangsaMoro (CAB), and the BangsaMoro Basic Law (BBL), a proposed bill that seeks to replace R.A. 6734 that created the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.
We believe that a significant majority in Mindanao, and around the country, opposes the CAB-BBL because the process was not transparent, inclusive and thoroughly consultative, not unlike the MOA-AD that the CAB mirrors, which the Supreme Court struck down during the term of former president Gloria Arroyo.
Yet, government has chosen to ignore the people’s dire warnings so far to change course in order to achieve real peace. It continues to press for its passage not later than June 2015. The Aquino administration is subsequently violating the Tripoli Agreement and dismissing the 1996 peace agreement between the government and the MNLF.
We are a group of Filipino citizens from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao that oppose the BBL for the following reasons:
1. MALAYSIA: The choice of Malaysia as third party mediator was ludicrous because it is conflicted. Malaysia opposes our Sabah claim and has persistently undermined our nation's stability as a state that funded, organized and trained secessionist groups – originally the MNLF and, subsequently, the MILF.
2. BASIC LAW: The nomenclature BangsaMoro Basic Law (BBL) is in itself, a thinly veiled attempt at usurping the constitution. "Basic Law" connotes a constitution of a state, in this case, the BangsaMoro, to which all laws must conform.
3. BANGSAMORO TERRITORY: Sec 2 to 5, Art III of the BBL defines the BangsaMoro Territory and suggests a separate territorial enclave within sovereign Philippine territory. It aims to give a homeland to a group that does not represent the hopes and aspirations of excluded sectors and infested with Islamist radicals connected to the global jihadist movement under a caliphate.
4. SELF-GOVERNANCE AND RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION: Sec 1 Art IV speaks of self-governance. Later on, the “RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION" was inserted showing manifest bad faith on the part of the MILF. The intent cannot be mistaken for anything but a prelude to a subsequent declaration of independence or secession.
5. A PARLIAMENTARY FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Sec 2 Art IV of the BBL prescribes a parliamentary form of government that contravenes Section 1 Art 2 and Sec 1 Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, which mandate a Republican and Presidential form of government.
6. BANGSAMORO POLICE AND BANGSAMORO COMMAND: Sec 2 Art XI creates a BangsaMoro Police, while Sec 15 Art XI establishes a BangsaMoro Command both of which will nominally be part of the PNP and AFP. Their creation constitutes a duplication of sovereign prerogatives, violating Section 3 Article II and Section 6 Article XVI of the 1987 Constitution, which recognize the AFP as the sole bearer of military arms and the PNP as the sole security apparatus of the state, respectively.
7. BANGSAMORO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES: The provisions creating a Civil Service (Sec 2 par. 1.8 Art. V); a Police Board equivalent to the NAPOLCOM (Sec 5 Art XI); a Commission on Human Rights (Sec 7 Art IX); a Public Attorney’s Office and Prosecution Service (Sec 18-19 Art X); a Commission on Audit (Sec 2 Art XII); a Tax Office (Sec.11 Art XII), and a Sharia Judicial and Bar Council (Sec 10 Art 10X), can only be viewed as a clear usurpation and duplication of sovereign functions and powers.
8. WALI: Sec 1 Art VIII of the BBL, creating the position of WALI or titular head of the BangsaMoro that mirrors the role of a head of state.
9. RELATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT: Sec 1-2 Art VI imposes an “Asymmetric Relationship” and “Parity of Esteem” to govern relations between the proposed entity and the Central government giving the former equal status and parity with the latter. With all the elements of a state virtually granted and guaranteed by the proposed basic law (people, sovereignty, territory and government) the BBL will create a parallel state and can lead to no other conclusion other than an eventual bid by the MILF at independence.
10. PEACE PROCESS: We have reason to believe that the process that was undertaken that led to the signing of the CAB was furtive, not unlike the process that the Arroyo Administration chose to take in trying to obtain public approval for the unlamented MOA-AD. Contrary to this administration’s claims, the peace panel chose to be exclusionary and failed to undertake extensive, open and transparent consultations of all stakeholders within the area of interest. The MOA-AD was brought before the Supreme Court where it was struck down for all the reasons mentioned. The same should be done to the CAB-BBL.
11. INTERNAL SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY: The recent massacre of forty-four (44) PNP Special Action Force law enforcers by the MILF-BIFF and other sympathetic armed groups, has thrown the MILF-BIFF’s sincerity and trustworthiness further into question. The MILF-BIFF is connected to the global jihadist movement, mainly Al Qaeda and Jema’ah Islamiya. Its alleged breakaway group, the BangsaMoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), has reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS. The MILF and BIFF were co-located in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that provided safe harbor to international terrorists with bounties on their heads – Marwan and Usman. Granting the MILF a homeland is akin to putting a revolver to our heads and playing Russian roulette. Retired Supreme Court Justice Florentino Feliciano said he does not believe the BBL alone can bring peace to Mindanao. The peace problem in Mindanao he said “cannot be whisked away by uttering the word 'peace' no matter how often or loudly the utterance might be.”
12. CULTURE: BBL proponents say that ARMM was a “failed experiment” citing the regional government’s failure to reverse its feudalistic practices, poverty, economic backwardness, rebellion, terror and revenge killings. Changing the political system is the recommended solution to its cultural problem. ARMM’s creation was not an experiment. Its failure lies not in the political system but in the attitudes, behavior and skills of the people. Breaking the vicious cycle requires persistent and sufficient investments in capacity and capability building especially in the tenets of good governance. This is the real solution to the failure of governance in ARMM. If the driver keeps crashing the car, the solution is to retrain the driver instead of changing the car.
13. Social Justice: Proponents say that the BBL addresses the centuries of social injustice suffered by the Muslims in Mindanao. Social injustice, we maintain, is a national concern that has bred armed rebellions and social discontent around the country. Feudalistic practices and the revenge culture are causes of social injustice. So is exclusion that the incumbent administration is accused of. In summary, the BBL betrays the public trust, violates the Constitution; undermines Philippine sovereignty and places public safety and internal security at grave risk. While the incumbent administration maintains that peace in Mindanao will be outgrowth of the BBL, we believe otherwise.
The BBL will be the nation’s undoing. It will inflict more violence and bloodshed; and usher in the country’s eventual disintegration. Every Filipino seeks an enduring peace, but not one obtained furtively and ignores the red flags that could further fragment society, dismember the country and cause more bloodshed. The Comprehensive Agreeement on BangsaMoro and the Bangsamoro Basic Law (CAB-BBL), as signed and originally submitted to Congress, respectively, should be stoutly opposed and rejected. We implore you, our people’s representatives, to do what is right for the sake of our people and the nation’s future.
~~~~O~~~~~
Gising mga Muslim! Ang may pag-iisip ay nag-iisip!
By E. S. Cruz
For FORMA - Friends of Rafael Alunan III
20 May 2015
Alam lamang ng Muslim Mindanao ang laban sa kuffar (Christians/Manila). Ang tunay nilang kaaway ay Malaysia kahit isa itong bansang Muslim.
Dahil ang hangad ng Malaysia ay ang yamang langis at yamang likas mula sa mayamang lupa at dagat ng Mindanao. Magsisilbi itong anihan ng yaman para sa mamamayan ng Malaysia sa kanilang pangangailangang mina mula sa lupa, pagkaing halaw sa bukid at isdang galing sa dagat ng Mindanao. Ipinain ng Malaysia ang Muslim Mindanao sa laban sa gobyerno upang manghinawa ang Muslim Mindanao sa kakayahang mamuno at magbigay ng sagot ng gobyernong Pilipinas sa pangangailangan ng Mindanao.
Ngayon ay ipinalalabas na 'Peace' o Katahimikan sa pag ayon ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas sa lihim na hangarin ng Malaysia; ang tuluyang paghiwalay ng Mindanao sa Pilipinas at pagsanib sa Malaysia
Gising mga Muslim! Ang may pag-iisip ay nag-iisip. May mga bagay ng hindi ninyo gusto subalit makabubuti sa inyo at may mga bagay na inyong gusto subalit makasasama sa inyo.
Surah 2. Al-Baqara, Ayah 216
ŁُŲŖِŲØَ Ų¹َŁَŁْŁُŁ ُ Ų§ŁْŁِŲŖَŲ§Łُ ŁَŁُŁَ ŁُŲ±ْŁٌ ŁَŁُŁ ْ ۖ ŁَŲ¹َŲ³َŁٰ Ų£َŁْ ŲŖَŁْŲ±َŁُŁŲ§ Ų“َŁْŲ¦ًŲ§ ŁَŁُŁَ Ų®َŁْŲ±ٌ ŁَŁُŁ ْ ۖ ŁَŲ¹َŲ³َŁٰ Ų£َŁْ ŲŖُŲِŲØُّŁŲ§ Ų“َŁْŲ¦ًŲ§ ŁَŁُŁَ Ų“َŲ±ٌّ ŁَŁُŁ ْ ۗ ŁَŲ§ŁŁَّŁُ ŁَŲ¹ْŁَŁ ُ ŁَŲ£َŁْŲŖُŁ ْ ŁَŲ§ ŲŖَŲ¹ْŁَŁ ُŁŁَ
Fighting is prescribed for you and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth and ye know not.
Quf al BBL wa Sabru!
Itigil ang BBL at maghintay. Stop BBL and Wait!
Ang Malaysia ay magnanakaw!/ Malaysia al harami'l kubra!
Ninanakaw ng Malaysia and lupa at langis ng Sabah!
Isusunod ng Malaysia ang pagnanakaw sa Mindanao!
~~~~O~~~~
The author, an administrator of FORMA - Friends of Rafael Alunan III, is Muslim and is a staunch advocate of "YES TO PEACE! NO TO BBL" Movement.
Sunday, 15 February 2015
I ACCUSE GENERAL CATAPANG OF BEING A MORAL COWARD BECAUSE HE DID NOT DARE GIVE THE ORDER
 |
| GENERAL CATAPANG |
By Anne de Bretagne
for the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
and for the Defenders of Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
13 February 2015
Obviously, General Catapang (translated in Pilipino, 'catapang' means 'so brave') acted that way because he had "read" Noynoy's wishy-washy body language and admitted that he knew of the president's position, i.e., MILF first, that the so-called peace agreement 'should not be jeopardised' so he did not make a move nor provide reinforcement. What a disaster!
Catapang should have set aside all that and moved! After all, without a direct order from the president for the AFP NOT TO MOVE, i.e., that AFP was not to provide reinforcement no matter what, Catapang should have made his own command decision to provide reinforcement... He had those four stars to use as commander of the entire military at that specific instance. IT WAS REALLY NOT DIFFICULT TO MAKE A COMMAND DECISION at that specific moment: shots were fired and being fired, help was being asked for, people were obviously dying and would die still!
I still can't believe that General Catapang could even dare declare that the AFP gave no artillery support to SAF to avoid 'war' with the MILF There they were, the PNP-SAFs being shot at and being killed by combined MILF-BIFF rebel forces, were clearly under war-like attack, needing urgent troop reinforcement and at the very least, small artillery support, eg., mortars, but Catapang withheld that support for what? To avoid war with the MILF? Avoid war with the MILF? But the MILF-BIFF were already killing your brothers-in-arms, General!
General Catapang, how do you expect men to obey your command in the future, fight for you and even prepare to die for you if they believe they might not get the support they need when they ask for it during the heat of a battle because of some dubious political consideration?
They were killing your brothers-in-arms, General! How could you not have sent reinforcement and not given them small artillery support?
Catapang, a military officer that he is, should have realised that THE PEACE AGREEMENT WAS BEING BROKEN AT THAT VERY MOMENT and that by staying mum, doing nothing could not spell anything but bad poor, execrable military commander's judgement. He knows and must have known as a four-star general that the minute shots were fired, the CEASEFIRE WAS BROKEN! Hence, there was nothing holding back the Armed Forces of the Philippines from providing reinforcement to their beleaguered colleagues in the face of the enemy.
Therefore, to have refused to provide reinforcement to his beleaguered brothers-in-arms, clearly under attack, was a violation of the moral code of conduct of any serving military officer. This four-star officer should be stripped of his stars and be sacked!
But who will sack him? President Noynoy Aquino? The commander in chief, who believes that he has no command responsibility for what happened? The commander in chief who has no clue that the minute he ordered the other troops to stand down, he was in fact taking DIRECT OPERATIONAL CONTROL and therefore assumed direct and full responsibility for the murder of those SAF44... So, never mind Noynoy. He is useless!
As ever, military officers, even if they happen to have four shiny golden stars on those broad or narrow shoulders (in the case of Catapang), are only as good as their ability -- or inability, to be good and brave officers and commanders when the going gets tough. But there's one thing that a senior military commander cannot be and that is to be a moral coward. That is why senior military people are held in so much esteem throughout the world because senior military commanders are expected to make difficult decisions and give orders in the face of extreme stress and with huge moral implication because they pertain to life and death.
I accuse General Catapang of being a moral coward, an execrable senior military officer and poor commander!
~~~~O~~~~
Mamasapano clash: Who told Aquino when?
Thursday, 12 February 2015
Just and lasting peace talks require laying down of weapons
By Anne de Bretagne
for the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
and for the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
12 February 2015
Mr Iqbal,
First of all, thank you for appearing before the nation.
You said before the Congress Mamamsapano hearing today Congress Mamamsapano hearing today that:
If you are sincere -- which we'd like desperately to believe you are -- I can assure you that my friends and I, as well as thousands of members of the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum, want peace as much as the MILF wants and needs it."...the peace process is important to us – and to everybody. It has brought us the promise of a good life for our people – free from fear, want, and discrimination. It contains our hopes and our dreams – it is not for us, for our children. We have waited for this opportunity for 17 years. We promised our people that peace will be our legacy. We seek your help in making this promise possible. We cannot do it by ourselves. We ask you to help us live in peace."
But we are not convinced today nor will we be convinced tomorrow that the MILF, a revolutionary organisation which you admitted it is and which, furthermore, is sufficiently armed to dismember the Republic, needs the Bangsamoro Basic Law to achieve it.
Your revolutionary organisation and all state actors involved in this peace process need to go back to the drawing table and re-start the drafting of a final peace agreement that will not violate the Constitution but draw one which will serve, what you say, the MILF's desire for just and lasting peace.
But before a just and lasting final peace agreement can be achieved, the MILF must lay down their weapons, a 'condition sine qua non', surrender the murderers of the PNP-SAF44 and recognise and submit to the laws of the Republic. Without these actions in good faith by the MILF, all these talks about wanting peace are useless.
In fine, I would like you to answer one of the questions posed by a member of the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum:
"If Mr. Iqbal said that MILF and BIFF are 2 different organizations...so, they do not work together, meaning they are a separate group. So, what gives the MILF the right to talk with the Government in the name of all Bangsamoro if he already said that they are different groups.
"Why [does] the govt. allow MILF to represent the whole Bangsamoro? If our Govt. will ever talk about peace, let it be based on the equality of all and not only for the benefit of one side. Only one law and no special power to anyone, no exemption, no armed group except the AFP."
Thank you. Deus vult.
~~~~O~~~~
FULL TEXT OF MR IQBAL'S STATEMENT AT THE MAMASAPANO HEARING 12 February 2015
Let me speak straight from the heart.
First, the encounter between the MILF and the SAF was an unfortunate encounter. It was something that nobody planned or wanted. We thought that we have effective protocols and mechanisms in place that would prevent things like these from happening. In the end, 44 SAF, 18 MILF, and many more died in that encounter. We must honor them by making sure that their sacrifice would not be in vain. While we cannot change the past, we can do something in the future. We can work together to make sure that something like this will not happen again. Thus, we are already investigating the conduct of our men during that encounter to see it anyone violated the rules of conduct.
Second, the MILF was not the only group that was present in the area. The SAF fought other armed individuals belonging to different networks and groups – BIFF, private armed groups, local militias, etc. The delicate task of finding out who did what, especially the reported atrocities, cannot immediately be blamed on the MILF. That would be unfair. We need to investigate. On the part of the MILF, aside from our own investigation, we push for a truly independent group that would conduct a fair and impartial investigation of the incident.
Third, the MILF was immediately working to effect the ceasefire as early as 6:30 in the morning. But because of the limitations in communications and because of the on-ground situation of battle, the ceasefire was obtained only in the afternoon. MILF members who were part of the joint ceasefire committee risked their lives to effect the ceasefire. We were trying to save those men.
Fourth, credit must be given where credit is due. Through the efforts of the MILF, 28 SAF were rescued from imminent death that day. The 28 SAF were part of the first team and holed up in an area one kilometer northeast of Tukanalipao. They were already being fired upon by unidentified armed groups. The 28 SAF are alive today because of the efforts of the MILF and finally, it is the will of God.
Fifth, the MILF is against all forms of terrorism. We have made a solemn vow to fight terrorism in our areas. Terrorism is consistent with Islam and has no place in the orientation and principles of the MILF. Our previous actions bear witness to our commitment against terrorism. To tag the MILF as a terrorist group is unfair.
Sixth, the MILF did not harbor Marwan or Usman. The MILF has no links with these terrorists and terrorist organizations. Marwan or Usman were in areas outside the MILF-controlled areas.
Seventh, the MILF and the BIFF are different organizations. We do not share the same goals and objectives. There is no truth to the allegation that we are conniving with each other.
Eighth, we are committed to peace. We have been in negotiations with the Philippine Government for 17 years. Our present partnership with President Aquino has been durable – there has been no recorded armed hostilities between the government and the MILF since 2011. We signed the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, and the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law. Each of these agreements is a testament to our commitment to pursue our objectives through peaceful means.
Ninth, the peace process is important to us – and to everybody. It has brought us the promise of a good life for our people – free from fear, want, and discrimination. It contains our hopes and our dreams – it is not for us, for our children. We have waited for this opportunity for 17 years. We promised our people that peace will be our legacy. We seek your help in making this promise possible. We cannot do it by ourselves. We ask you to help us live in peace.
Finally, justice is at the core of our struggle. We have been seeking justice for a long time. Thousands of our brothers and sisters have died pursuing this cause. We see an opportunity that peace can be established. Please do not let this unfortunate incident be used to derail 17 years of hard work and lessen our resolve for peace and justice. Let peace be our legacy. Let us me partners for peace.
~~~~O~~~~
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