The Barrage of Iligan City

Janet An Braza

Some time in 1989 and on August 22, 2006, a plebiscite was done in Iligan City concerning the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Some accepted, but majority resented on the issue. Ninety-seven percent voted “No”. As a result, not one baranggay in Iligan was part of the ARMM. Even the Muslims residing in Iligan City voted “No.”
Recently, the Ancestral Domain aspect of the GRP-MILF Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed before the day of the SONA of President Gloria M. Arroyo on July 28, 2008. Some leaders in Mindanao did not care about this thinking that there areas of jurisdiction were not included and nor affected. But Senator M. Zubiri himself was vehemently against the inclusion of Brgy. Pamotolan in Kalilangan, Bukidnon, which is his home place.
In Lanao del Norte, in particular, seven of its towns and Iligan City (and 8 of its baranggays) were included.
Peace Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said that there would be no chaos in Mindanao. He knows that there is some kind of misinformation being done by some groups who are opposed to the signing of the MOA. He noticed that there were no consultations made between the stakeholders. When he is made chair of the Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, (OPAPP), he immediately removes the consultants. Everything circulated right now is meant to discredit the peace talks. According to him, “We are talking here about government properties and not the private ones. Meaning, the sharing of resources are confined to government properties only. Private properties will stay as is. ARMM is not a private property. There are sort of misinformation and misunderstanding being done out there. Telling people that they will lose their properties once the Bangsamoro Juridicial Entity (BJE) is approved.”
Once this BJE is approved bpth parties (that is, the GRP and the MILF) shall have the authority and jurisdiction over the Ancestral Domain and Ancestral lands, including both alienable and non-alienable lands encompassed within their homeland and ancestral territory, as well as the delineation of ancestral domain/lands of the Bangsamoro people located therein.
“But that is not the case. We, us Filipinos will not lose anything from here, but instead we will gain much from the resulting peace agreement. Let us give peace a chance and give way to development. Everything here is for the good of our mother nation,” Esperon stressed.
That is Esperon’s perception: we should take place. But we are Filipinos, and we are known to be the most respectful, courteous people in the world. This is the legacy we hand over to the next generation--the respect to each other. That is why, we come to agree that these decades of peace talks must be pushed through and the MOA be signed before the ARMM election scheduled on August 11, 2008. However, this ARMM was postponed by PGMA on May 10, 2010 so that the peace negotiations will proceed unhampered and the signing of the peace talk be realized.
We believe that peace is the essence to development, and development brings progress and the sustenance of the nation. But how could we achieve peace when respect is out of context? The MOA is signed without consultative meetings, and that its draft was already signed on July 27, 2008 by Rodolfo C. Garcia, Chairman of the GRP Negotiating Panel, by Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel, by Datuk Othman Bin And Razak, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister as witness—signed in the presence of Alberto G. Romulo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and Dato Seri Utama Dr. Rais Bin Yatim, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Malaysia).
But when Esperon, the adviser of the OPAPP this summer 2008, noticed that there was no consultation made to this effect, he immediately removed the consultants.
While today, August 3, 2008, the MILF-GRP panel are now in Putrijaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the signing of the preliminary MOA, the Iliganons are making barrage as a sign of their protest and disapproval against the signing of the MOA, that has not gone any consultative meetings with the concerned stakeholders of the region.
MILF spokesman EID Kabalu denied Thursday that the armed group is forcibly or illegally occupying lands in nine villages in five towns of North Cotabato. Kabalusaid that the MILF is not occupying other people’s properties in North Cotabato as alleged by reports sent to the government. “there is no such thing, “ he said. Kabalu cited that the displacement of 1,500 families in North Cotabato was due to armed conflict with paramilitary forces.
The supreme court could “kill” the peace process with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation front if it makes the temporary restraining order on the Moro homeland agreement permanent, a legal adviser to the government peace panel said. On Tuesday, Camilo Montesa, an adviser to the Philippine government’s peace panel with the MILF, said that if the SC makes its TRO permanent, then the “SC effectively kills the peace process.”
MILF forces have been attacking communities in North Cotabato and the military is not doing anything about it because the province’s officials are protesting the memorandum on agreement on ancestral domain between the government and the MILF, Vice Gov Emmanuel Pinol said Wednesday. He said troops deployed in the province have become “restrained” after local officials asked the Sc to stop the government and the MILF from signing the MOA-AD.
Former senate president Franklin Drilon warned that the President Arroyo would be liable for committing an impeachable offense should her representatives sign an agreement with the secessionist MILF. Drilon said the proposed agreement clearly violates the 1987 constitution because it grants the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity a status of belligerency, which is a step closer to granting it international recognition as a separate and independent state.
The forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who forcibly occupied” several areas in North Cotabato have started “repositioning” hours before a government 24-hour deadline lapses Friday morning. MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said their forces started the repositioning 7 a.m. he said the separatist rebels will be transferred to “an agreed point” of the Joint Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities of the government and the MILF.
If PGMA is for the resolution, she could have done it already as the solution for it is very straightforward—it is just to return everything usurped as easy as it was got.
Justice delayed justice denied. D TRO issued by the SC postponing d GRP-MILF MOA signing on Ancestral Domain tomorrow at Malaysia can be categorized as shilly-shallying and to prolong the agony and suffering of the Bangsamoro people. The government should have political will. If GMA is for the resolution, she could have done it already as the solution for it very straightforward—it is just to return to everything usurped as easy as was got. What is your opinion?
Bound to Lanao del Sur today. God Bless your heart.

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