SangyawMindanao

Persona-Non-Grata of Iligan By Pierre Danser Pappilon Mr. Rudy Rodil of the Philippines , who is a historian of this country, made few steps to reconcile the Filipino people through his writings of what he understood of the past.   Through this endeavor where he saw fit-he was engaged with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GRP-MILF) peace process on Memorandum on Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA AD). Rodil’s struggles for this endeavor have soon aroused the leaders of Iligan City when the MOA AD was about to be signed on September 5, 2008. The City Resolution No. 08-563, dated September 15, 2008 is a statement telling they found him a persona-non-grata--a resident and a professor t in one of the prestigious institutions of this city at that. But because of his works and being an exemplary professor of the country, Rodil was given a Plaque of Recognition, an Honorary Tribute by the City of Iligan honoring him as a “Buotang Ilig...

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 kno...

On – King Solomon’s teaching that we must apprehend to days-- “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in a frame of silver.” The 1 st Mindanao Media Forum held at a cozy restobar in Iligan City on October 6, 2007   had a theme, “Unity for Truth and Development.” This media forum was jointly sponsored by the Call for Justice, TransCo, WATCH, Inc., and the City Government of Iligan. The keynote speech of the forum was given by City Mayor Lawrence Lluch Cruz in which he quoted one of the Rotary International’s mottos, “Is it the Truth,” and one of the 10 th Commandment of Moses, “Thou shall not tell lies.”   The attending media men were from the neighboring cities of Iligan, of whom most of them are print journalists, with few were broadcast journalists. With its moderator, Atty. Ver Quimco, the forum cited the important and big role of media men, both in print and broadcast media-- to be wary in the words they use. For it was observed that few KBP personalities use pro...

Dismantling the armed infrastructure of the Moro Elite Benjamin V. Sumog-oy General Santos City Published in Sunstar, November 25, 2009 I was requested by my friend, John Paul Jubelag, publisher of a local paper in GenSan, to draft a statement of condemnation against the recent media massacre in Maguindanao for the different media groups in General Santos City, which I did. It is now time to subject to public discourse the role of the Moro Elite in Mindanao to the development and peace in the Island . This I intend to do in this space, but for the meantime, let me publish the statement which I drafted, which was signed by all media practitioners here, as a prelude to our future discussion. Here is it: The whole nation was stunned or shocked by the news about the recent massacre of about forty innocent people; among them were thirty-four members of the media, mostly women, working for both the national and local media networks, two young lady members of the Philippine Bar, wife a...

Death of Our Leader Linamon – On December 20, 2009 at four in the afternoon, 10-year old Matthew and his father: Lanao del Norte Board Member Rev. Robert   “Sharp” Matalinis went boating. A strong wind and heavy rain shook his boat so he held on to it. Pastor Sharp swam towards his son, but unfortunately, they were carried away by the gushing water. His dead body found at 3am on the following day, but his son who, as press time, is no where to be found. No one could tell whether the boy is dead or not. Reverend Sharp is one of our Shekinah Group Leaders. Shekinah is a Saturday Dawn Intercessory group of Pastors in Iligan City and Lanao del Norte. He is also our main leader who serves us to be partners of the Operation Christmas Child. A Samaritan Purse outreach program for Blessings of Children on Christmastime and is from the generous country of the United States . Our most heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family   of Reverend Robert Matalinis with his s...