YES TO PEACE, NO TO BBL MANIFESTO

Former DILG chief with some members of FORMA

On Sunday, 24th May, beginning at 8 AM, Rafael Alunan III, former Interior and Local Govenment secretary will be leading a prayer rally at the Luneta Park in Manila under the banner of 'Yes to Peace, No to BBL.'  As the country faces grave threats to its sovereignty, Rafael Alunan III, one of the major state actors who helped paved the way for the PH government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to reach a peace deal in 1996, has emerged as the strongest champion of national cohesion and is widely recognised today as the most fearless advocate for maintaining the country's territorial integrity. ~~ Blog Administrator

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~~~~~

I ACCUSE GENERAL CATAPANG OF BEING A MORAL COWARD BECAUSE HE DID NOT DARE GIVE THE ORDER

GENERAL CATAPANG

"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 or pressures and with huge moral implication because they pertain to life and death."


By Anne de Bretagne
for the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
and for the Defenders of Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
13 February 2015

General Catapang, chief-of-staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines said that 'he did not inform President Aquino about the clash Mamasapano clash although they were aware of it and they were with him all day on January 25' nor of a request for reinforcement at the height of the deadly encounter with the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Liberation Front forces that cost the lives of 44 officers and men of the PNP-Special Action Force. Actually the minute Catapang did not inform the president, he should have realised that he was already MAKING a command decision and that decision entailed COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY. He should be relieved.

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?

Just and lasting peace talks require laying down of weapons

"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."



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:  

"...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."

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. 

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~~~~

PH’s Sabah claim not on Aquino agenda

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13 provinces at the altar of so-called peace: Is it worth dismembering the Republic to placate Kuala Lumpur?

"So we may all be clear: this so-called peace agreement or shared sovereignty rights over 13 provinces in Southern Mindanao with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is what it is - it is not a peace offering to the people of Southern Mindanao but a peace offering to the Barisan Nasional politicos and businessmen of Kuala Lumpur."
By Anne de Bretagne
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
08 January 2014

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process is very upbeat today: "Malacañan is hopeful the normalization annex of the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement will be signed this month."

According to the Solar News report, Presidential Communication Secretary Sonny Coloma has announced that 'peace panels from both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are now working on drafts and are also carrying out informal consultations on the annex prior to formal talks next week.'

My thoughts off the cuff:

I still don't understand why the Aquino Govt has deemed it wise to allow Malaysia with whom the Philippines has an outstanding territorial and sovereignty disputes to engineer a peace agreement in Southern Mindanao with a Kuala Lumpur-backed Muslim rebel faction that will entitle the same rebel group to lord it over 13 provinces in Southern Mindanao under the direct influence of Malaysia Federation. Can these people in Malacañan NOT SEE that they are authoring the potential dismemberment of the Republic in favour of Kuala Lumpur?

If they are truly for peace and are pro-Southern Mindanao, PH and its leaders should raise the Sabah claim flag today before another bloodbath occurs over this extremely lopsided deal that they are offering to the Southern Mindanao 'nation' through the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebel group. If at all, Mr Aquino and his peace subalterns should instead find an economic and political entente with Putrajaya by proposing an equitable deal involving Sulu rights to Sabah to directly benefit the people of Sulu and the other provinces in their proposed MILF-controlled Bangsamoro region. Mr Aquino and his lieutenants are forgetting that the Southern Mindanao "nation" does not comprise merely of 10,000 MILF rebels but of more than 5 million souls from various cultural, political and religious factions.

It is not just ironic, it is also immensely tragic that PH and leaders have decided that instead of facing Kuala Lumpur over the Sabah issue which, as we all know, has been the cause of all the violence and misery among our people in Southern Mindanao, they choose to placate Kuala Lumpur (which we all know has been at the forefront of all the troubles in Mindanao since 1972) by offering the 13 provinces of Southern Mindanao at the altar of "peace" with Malaysia.

So we may all be clear: this so-called peace agreement or shared sovereignty rights over 13 provinces in Southern Mindanao with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is what it is - it is not a peace offering to the people of Southern Mindanao but a peace offering to the Barisan Nasional politicos and businessmen of Kuala Lumpur.

BUT THE BIG QUESTION IS, is it worth dismembering the Republic to placate Kuala Lumpur over God knows what?

~~~~Õ~~~~

*Map shown was posted in 2012 by Malacañan Palace and can be viewed on PH Govt website with the following title: "Proposed Territory." This is a map highlighting the areas included in the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Political Entity." Click on this link to access map. 

Related blog posts:  

• GPH-MILF FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT: Is there a foreign conflict of interest? 
• Understanding the Sabah claim issue: It's all very simple actually: As Law Professor Isagani Cruz says, "President Noynoy faces an insoluble dilemma. If he believes that Sabah is part of the Philippines, he has to defend Sabah because Malaysia is attacking it. If he does not believe that Sabah is part of the Philippines, he opens himself up to impeachment, because Philippine law says that Sabah is part of the Philippines and he is sworn to uphold Philippine law. Talking of a conspiracy does not solve the problem; in fact, it is irrelevant if there is or there is no conspiracy. The dilemma has to do simply with his stand on Sabah itself."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Year 2013 will be remembered as the Aquino Govt's anti-Filipino and anti-Philippine sovereignty year

And the latest shocker: The incompetence and the corruption continue! Mr Aquino and his agents played and are playing partisan politics as Tacloban and the rest of the Visayas 'burned' and continue to burn in the post Yolanda-Haiyan catastrophe.

By Anne de Bretagne
12 December 2013
for the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum

On the Philippine front: Year 2013 has been for me a most disappointing year.

Firstly, because whatever one says, Mr Aquino and many in his Govt of merry men gave up Panatag Shoal without batting an eyelash. The Philippine Navy until the reign of Mr Aquino had always fought to keep Panatag Shoal despite their meagre assets. In the 90s, the PN did not allow poachers in it and kept intruders in check. Today, we can say goodbye to Panatag Shoal. Yes, the Philippines has raised the issue to the United Nations but I am under no illusion that even if the UN verdict is in our favour, Panatag will not be returned to PH. Let's face it: China has succeeded in stationing themselves right in our EEZ and there's nothing much we can do about it because the man who is supposed to lead this country does not possess the moral courage and the mental acumen to lead and do something about it.

Secondly, the Sabah stand off showed the true colours of the President of the Republic by overtly siding with Prime Minister Najib and the Malaysian murderers of Tausugs who had gone to Sabah to stake their claim. Mr Aquino, in his bid to honour the memory of his father and his so-called promise to the Malaysians, wittingly left out the Tausugs in his hurry to form the Malaysia-engineered Bangsamoro with the MILF rebels.

Thirdly: Filipinos then discovered the massive corruption industry that's been keeping Philippine politics alive and thriving which is also known as the Pork Barrel Corruption industry! The industry is still thriving last time I read the news but just renamed: DAP.

Fourthly: And while PH was still reeling from the incredibly corrupt Pork Barrel Corruption industry shock, Filipinos began killing each other in the South. The President led the charge in killing Filipinos. I am convinced that the Zamboanga "stand-off" was an offshoot of this Govt's pro-Malaysia stand that saw the unecessary killings of our own.

And the latest shocker: The incompetence and the corruption continue! Mr Aquino and his agents played and are playing politics as Tacloban and the rest of the Visayas 'burned' and continue to burn in the post Yolanda-Haiyan catastrophe.

These are the major issues that haunt Year 2013 for me. Understandably, there are hundreds more of sub-issues but to list them down is just depressing so I prefer to limit the list to the above five. However, the year is not over and there remains a big question: Will there be any more anti-Filipino and anti-Ph sovereignty events or issues in store from the Aquino Govt for 2013?

~~~~O~~~~

Who will benefit from an independent "Islamic state of Mindanao"? Why, Malaysia, of course!

In a July 2012 blog of mine, immediately after the Malaysia-inspired GPH-MILF panels came up with their "talking points" for the Framework Agreement which was engineered by Malaysia, I more or less predicted that if you aren't happy with your PH passport, pretty soon you could opt for a MILF passport: "FILIPINO PASSPORT, NOT GOOD ENOUGH? PRETTY SOON, YOU CAN OPT TO HAVE MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front Republic) PASSPORT"

Well, looks like a group is now preparing the ground for just that! In picture is one of their banners: picture of a so-called 'Islamic state of Mindanao' and it's very own 'passport.'

Very soon, President Aquino and his MILF counterpart (egged on by Malaysia deal "engineers") might just present us with an independent Bangsamoro which could even federate with Malaysia in the future. Naknampucha! The beginning of the dismantling of the Republic! Some guys in Malacanang should hang their heads in shame!

When that happens, DON'T CRY FILIPINAS!

We at Philippine Sabah Claim Forum have been telling everybody over and over again, ad nauseum, that this so-called peace deal being engineered by Malaysia is NOT for our good but for the good of Malaysia. Why? Because those bleeding Malaysians will do anything, even make Filipinos kill Filipinos (thanks to our great commander-in-chief) so they could keep Sabah. It's up to Filipinos to stop the future dismantling of the Republic.

~ AdB
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
01 October 2013

Misuari did not dig in the "pork barrel": he was poor when he was ARMM governor, was poor when he was jailed and remains poor today

Architects of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement

"ARMM has had a total of 6 governors in the following chronological order: Candao, Misuari, Hussin, Ampatuan, and now Hataman. Three governors have now followed him. Misuari was detained for 7 years when the Council of 15 under Sema broke off.

"During his term as governor, Misuari became vociferous about his inability to implement improvements because the ARMM budget was deceptive."


By Yolanda Ortega Stern
22 September 2013

DAY 13 - Story unleashed: "Blame Misuari. He failed miserably as governor of ARMM. He had the biggest opportunity. He lived like a king, stayed in a 5 Star hotel, enriched himself. He was a revolutionary who did not know how to run ARMM."
 
It's not as simple as that.

In 1996, after the peace agreement, we, the Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce, signed Misuari's first memorandum of Agreement for Cooperation to help Mindanao. The ARMM office was made accessible to me. I traveled and listened to the people in many "Extraordinary People's Congress" and became hooked to solving the incredible problems of my own Mindanao. So here is a very digested response to the moment...

ARMM has had a total of 6 governors in the following chronological order: Candao, Misuari, Hussin, Ampatuan, and now Hataman. Three governors have now followed him. Misuari was detained for 7 years when the Council of 15 under Sema broke off.

During his term as governor, Misuari became vociferous about his inability to implement improvements because the ARMM budget was deceptive. It was not ARMM's but merely a transfer of administrative responsibilities to the governor's budget: 88% went to paying the salaries of over 18,000 teachers, some employed under Marcos yet; 10 % went to capital expenditures such as the Cotabato Ofc; a mere 2% went to operations.

As to the "5-Star Hotel", he held office at the seedy Admiral Hotel next to other offices, because it was cheaper than buying or renting a building that could accommodate the hundreds of people who lined up daily asking for the moon and offering financial instruments. Misuari was poor when he became governor, remained poor when he was jailed, is still poor today. He does not even own a house or a condo of his own.

Two other governors, Parouk Hussin and Zaldy Ampatuan served for almost a decade after him and a temporary OIC was appointed in the person of Mujiv Hataman who was elected in the last election and still serves.

Those succeeding governors had better luck in that funding poured in from foreign countries. But in the last decade under 3 governors, peace, happiness and prosperity have not yet come to the poor of Mindanao and some are still blaming Misuari. Some even label him a "spent force". In an ironic twist, even his old Presidents went or are in detention themselves. Misuari was audited 8 times and was cleared 8 times.

So forward the tape to today...

PGMA began the shift to the MILF and to the Sema MNLF, a move President Aquino adopted under advisement of no less than some old advisors with the nod of some foreign countries. Remember Ambassador Kirsty Kenney who undertook a few trips to KL to meet the MILF.

At that point, the Misuari MNLF had been negotiating for limited autonomy under the 5 technical working groups that PGMA requested. They had bent over backwards day and night with their Central Committee for two of PGMA's terms for a political solution. Misuari always believed in nothing less than a political solution to end 600 years of stress. Nothing moved. Then President Aquino comes into power, and proceeds to adapt the PGMA initiative. He goes to Singapore and offers the MILF limited autonomy and the Bangsamoro framework, exactly what Misuari had been asking for.

At the last tripartite meeting, I got unconfirmed reports that the OIC asked the Indonesian Embassy to inform Misuari that GPH had abrogated the 1996 Peace Agreement and that the decision was "irreversible". To add salt to the wound, the splinter MNLF supports the Framework.

It is important to understand that Misuari is not a dictator. He represents the confluent voices of Mindanao Moslems, Lumads and many Christians. The MILF is also claiming that the BMF is also for all Mindanaons.

President Aquino's election was a high note for Misuari and the Philippines. We were filled with hope and thought he would heal Mindanao like his father did.

Those born after 1976 and after 1996 must study all the agreements past and present in order to understand. Better yet, spend every free time reading up the history of the PH and Mindanao from all perspectives, and this will take half a decade. But you will learn to make educated judgements and you will raise your children with true knowledge of why Mindanao has failed at peace for the last 600 years.

"Men work together, whether they wok together or apart." R. Frost

~~~~O~~~~

Yolanda Ortega Stern, Ph.D. is the President of One World Institute (OWI), a Northern California-based non-profit, public benefit corporation registered in the United States and in the Philippines. Link: www.theoneworldinstitute.org Ms Stern is also a member of the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum. This article is published with her  permission.

 
Related story:  Nur Misuari as leader of the ARMM and MNLF
By John Unson (philstar.com) | Updated September 11, 2013 - 1:55pm

Zamboanga stand-off and the "Shortcut Syndrome"

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SEPTEMBER 16, 2013: THE BEGINNING OF THE DISMANTLING OF THE REPUBLIC? SEPT 16, 1963: DATE INCORPORATING SABAH INTO MALAYSIA FEDERATION

THE BEGINNING OF THE DISMANTLING OF THE REPUBLIC?

SEPT 16, 2013: Date of  the schedule of the signing of the Malaysia-engineered GPH-MILF 'wealth sharing' agreement to be witnessed by officials from Kuala Lumpur and a general from the Malaysia armed forces.

SEPT 16, 1963: Date of the illegal transfer of Sabah to then Malaya Federation, also the date of the establishment of the Malaysia Federation formally incorporating Sabah which took place a few weeks after the signing of the Manila Accord, a treaty between the to-be-created-Malaysia Federation and the Philippines that guaranteed the recognition of the Republic's claim to Sabah which is recorded in the United Nations.

The signing of the 75-25% wealth sharing agreement engineered by Malaysia between GPH (25%) and rebel group MILF (75%) -- to the exclusion of the MNLF, the BIFF, the Tausugs, the Sultanate of Sulu, and all other groups in Southern Mindanao, is scheduled on September 16, 2013.

Choosing the September 16, 2013 date to formally surrender a great portion of the wealth of -- and the Republic's effective sovereignty over Southern Mindanao to Malaysia-controlled MILF, a splinter rebel group in Mindanao whose long-running ambition has been to federate with Kuala Lumpur, is totally indecent to say the least.

We suspect that the date was selected at the behest of the Malaysian friends of President Aquino, to whom his family owes a debt of gratitude, in order to drive the final nail in the coffin of the Republic's claim. We all know, Malaysia is the country that funded, supplied arms, and positioned rebel groups in Mindanao to sow mayhem in the country's southern region.  In fact, Malaysian troops are stationed in Mindanao as we speak.

We are in no doubt that the September 16, 2013 signing of this Malaysia-engineered deal is one of the reasons that spurred the MNLF into a revolt resulting in the current stand off in Zamboanga City. President Aquino ordered the chiefs of DND and DILG to check into the stand off.  The date will formally put to everlasting rest the 1996 Treaty that the Government of the Philippines signed with the MNLF, a comprehensive peace treaty which, if you remember, was shunned by the Malaysia-controlled MILF at the time, and whose treaty terms have been waylaid by succeeding PH administrations in favour of the pro-Malaysia deal with the MILF.

Meanwhile, as the stand-off progresses and MNLF's Nur Misuari (who wants the 1996 peace treaty terms with GPH to be reviewed) is villified in the press and by those who have not clearly understood the dynamics at play, the President is busy entertaining in Malacanang (in picture above), along with his cousin and supporter Tony Boy Cojuangco, none other than Air Asia Chief Executive Officer, Tony Fernandez, a Malaysian. Air Asia is a Malaysia low-cost airline headquartered in Kuala Lumpur. For your information, Mr Fernandez of Air Asia is the staunchest supporter in the Malaysia corporate world of Kuala Lumpur troop movements against Tausug settlers in Lahad Datu in Sabah during the first quarter of this year. But what exactly is going on?

We are tempted to believe that the Government of Noynoy Aquino has all the reasons to put one up over Misuari and the MNLF because for as long as Misuari is alive, he will spell trouble to Malaysia's envisioned control of the rich Southern Mindanao region through its proxy, the MILF, and Nur Misuari will always be a destabilising force in Kuala Lumpur's illegal hold on Sabah.

The September 16, 2013 signing of the Malaysia-engineered 'peace deal' sounds not only like an omen: it is also a hard-hitting back-to-back slap to the Tausugs, to the Sultanate of Sulu, the MNLF along with the various factions that had been sidelined by GPH and Malaysia in the so-called MILF Bangsamoro peace deal. It is effectively the officious burial date of the UN Treaty 8029 otherwise known as the Manila Accord.

But what is worse, it is the supreme insult to and the final stab at the scores of people who were murdered by Malaysian troops in Lahad Datu while defending their right to Sabah.

Is it possible that on September 16 in the not too distant future, we will also be witnessing the signing of the formal transfer of the MILF's Bangsamoro as inspired by Kuala Lumpur to the Malaysia Federation?

BUT WHAT IS PRESIDENT AQUINO's GOVERNMENT THINKING?

~By Administrators
Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
Sabah Claim Society
10 September 2013

*Picture of a dead Tausug warrior killed by Kuala Lumpur troops in Sabah from Malaysia Today

Zamboanga City stand-off, Malaysia-engineered GPH-MILF peace deal and the 50-year old unresolved Sabah issue

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Kick out Malaysia troops from Mindanao! Kick out Malaysia from so-called peace talks with the MILF

We have always said that we should not allow Malaysia to engineer peace talks. 

We don't have anything against wealth sharing with members of our country, individuals or groups but we take issue with the presence of Kuala Lumpur. We don't want Kuala Lumpur's people in Mindanao. We don't want their troops in Mindanao. And this entire GPH-MILF so-called peace framework agreement has sidelined groups in Mindanao notably the MNLF and the Sultanate of Sulu whose sons and daughters are languishing in jail and possibly will face the death penalty in Kuala Lumpur government prisons over the Tanduo, Sabah siege in February. 

Why did they do that? Why did President Aquino approve such Malaysia-engineered arrangement? Because we figure it is his way of annihilating the Philippine claim to Sabah. He is not a true patriot. We must be extremely careful that we are not actually "selling" off a piece of Mindanao to appease Malaysia through Kuala Lumpur-funded rebels MILF.

Kick out Malaysia troops from Mindanao! 


It smacks of great stupidity to allow Kuala Lumpur to engineer this so-called peace talks. President Aquino, ever the appeaser himself said that he has a personal debt of gratitude to Malaysia. What debt of gratitude? His father's debt of gratitude to the Malaysians, to Mahathir via the Sultan of Johor, is not the nation's debt. President Aquino's sister, Kris Aquino, who, by the way, has been cavorting with the Sultan of Johor if we believe her own show, could very well pay for that debt personally and there's no need to involve the nation's national integrity in that Aquino debt of gratitude.

It smacks of common sense that you do not allow one with whom you have an outstanding territorial dispute to engineer an important peace initiative with your country's secessionist rebels. And we have an outstanding territorial dispute over Sabah with Kuala Lumpur. 

Doesn't the Aquino Administration know that Malaysia, the engineers of the so-called peace framework, has been funding rebels against this govt for the last 40 years? Kuala Lumpur has been funding the MILF to sow terror in Muslim Mindanao. Kuala Lumpur has been able to stage manage this rebellion and then convinced the Philippine government to accept Malaysia boots in Mindanao. How stupid and idiotic can one get!

Malaysia has not even deigned honor the Manila Accord, a United Nations treaty no less, which was signed 50 years ago and you trust them not to be in cahoots with the MILF to push the 13 provinces to ultimately secede from the Philippines? 

Once more with feeling: You cannot and must not trust the MILF. They do not speak for all the Muslims in Mindanao. They do not represent the great Bangsamoro. There are at the very least 5 rebel factions in Mindanao among which is the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the enemies of the MILF, on top of which you have the Sultanate of Sulu which has been sidelined by this inept Aquino Administration.

The MILF has been funded by Kuala Lumpur since the early 70s to wage war against the Republic of the Philippines. They are the permanent boots of Kuala Lumpur in Mindanao. Wake up. Open your eyes. 

A Malaysia-engineered so-called peace framework cannot bring the ultimate peace that you desire.

Start all over again! Kick out Malaysia from "peace talks" and kick out "Malaysia troops" from Mindanao. Select another country to chair peace talks and assemble, include all the rebel groups in Mindanao in the drafting of a peace agreement. To achieve a minimum of just and lasting peace, the process must be inclusive otherwise pockets of war will be inevitable.

~~ By HM Sultana Matt Salleh
for the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
15 July 2013

Setting the record straight: Malaysian armies were very backward in the 70s; did not have the capability to train the MNLF

Last month, almost to the day, Hadji Acmad Bayam, former chief propagandist of the MNLF, revealed that MNLF forces joined the Kiram fighters in Sabah which would force Malaysian security forces to face 'battle-tested' Libya-trained MNLF forces (and not Malaysian-trained as Manila Bulletin report said -- see 'nota bene'). 

Back in the 70s, the MNLF were onto a secession war with PH thanks to support of Kuala Lumpur politicians who began funding rebellion wars in Midnanao during the time of Tunku Abdul Razak, father of current Malaysia PM Najib Razak). 

NOTA BENE:

It is imperative to understand that Malaysian armies at the time still were very backward and did not have the capability to train the MNLF.

The modernisation of Malaysia's armies, including their training, only kicked in when Prime Minister Mahathir came into the picture. They themselves got delivery of their first really modernised defence kits only in the early 80s.

So we beg to disagree with Manila Bulletin report* which highlighted that MNLF forces were trained by Malaysian armies back in the 70s. THIS IS NOT QUITE RIGHT! The MNLF forces were trained in large part by Libya's forces back in the 70s. 

The Malaysians did fund the MNLF (and later, the MILF), supplied them with weapons cache and allowed them to train in Sabah -- as war against PH by proxy -- but Malaysian military DID NOT TRAIN the MNLF because Malaysian militarydid not have the capability to do that in the late 60s and the early 70s.

In fact, the Malaysian military at that time was so backward that PH military could have defeated them even with one hand tied behind their back back then. 

French secret service back in the 70s provided Ph with intel that Gaddafi forces were training PH Islamic secessionists right in Sabah complete with picture evidence submitted to Malacanang at the time. 

Up to the 90s, French secret service had been submitting reports to successive PH govts in place -- in fact, up to the time of the Estrada Administration -- that Filipino Muslim secessionists had also been training in Afghanistan and that some had fought under the Northern Alliance armies commanded by Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Lion of Panjshir who were then fighting the Soviets. (Massoud was killed by Al Qaeda just before 9/11.)

~~By Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims 
03 March 2013

* Hereunder is the MANILA BULLETIN REPORT:

Bayam said, "You know, if Mindanao is to Manila, Sabah is to Kuala Lumpur,” said Bayam, explaining that Mindanao and Sabah are the “milking cows” of the Philippines and Malaysia, respectively, for their rich natural resources." 

Malaysian security forces are now facing battle-tested, Malaysian-trained commanders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), who know Sabah like the palm of their hands. 

Hadji Acmad Bayam, former chief propagandist of the MNLF, revealed this yesterday to the Manila Bulletin, adding that these MNLF forces may have at their disposal a huge arsenal, which they hid deep in Sabah’s rugged terrain when they returned to the Philippines after their rigid training.

~~By Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims 
03 March 2013

* Hereunder is the MANILA BULLETIN REPORT:

Bayam said, "You know, if Mindanao is to Manila, Sabah is to Kuala Lumpur,” said Bayam, explaining that Mindanao and Sabah are the “milking cows” of the Philippines and Malaysia, respectively, for their rich natural resources." 

Malaysian security forces are now facing battle-tested, Malaysian-trained commanders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), who know Sabah like the palm of their hands. 

Hadji Acmad Bayam, former chief propagandist of the MNLF, revealed this yesterday to the Manila Bulletin, adding that these MNLF forces may have at their disposal a huge arsenal, which they hid deep in Sabah’s rugged terrain when they returned to the Philippines after their rigid training.

IN PICTURE: BRACING FOR MORE FIGHTING – Malaysian soldiers aboard an armored personnel carrier drive toward the site of the standoff with Filipino gunmen in Tanduo village, Sabah. Malaysia has vowed to beef up security in the area as the death toll increased following new attacks. (AFP)