"A new state with a 'defined territory' and 'a system of governance suitable and acceptable to [the Bangsamoro] as a distinct dominant people' will be established in Mindanao under the proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Ancestral Domain between the Philippine Government and the separatists Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)."
- Bangsamoro state eyed, Philippine Daily Inquirer
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Long before the Sahal scarf became a fashion accessory among Manila's young professionals and long before pirated "dibidi's" became synonymous with Maranaos and Tausugs of Quiapo, my interest in Moro affairs dates back to my Freshman year in college.
I remember writing a baby thesis for my English 101 class. It was about the Muslim separatist movement in Mindanao and why the conflict continue despite the ongoing peace process between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front. (MNLF) I conducted interviews, read books about the Muslim struggle in the south and immersed myself in Muslim culture, which is freely available in Quiapo. After one and a half months of being in the company of Moros, I understood why they never felt they belong.
But that story deserves another entry.
For many of us here in Luzon, the issue of a separate Muslim state in Mindanao is as alien as the state of affairs of Malaysia and Pakistan. Most of us don't even know what the provincial capital of Tawi-Tawi is. The last time we heard of our Muslim brothers was when Ces Drilon was abducted in Sulu. Other than that, the Moros only get our national attention when a bomb explodes in the city or when the Media Optical Board raids their cache of "Pirated" products.
It is a fact that we only know little about the Tausugs and Maranaos, and how they fought for independence when the rest of the country was a colony of Spain and a Commonwealth of the United States of America. Little do we know that Manila was once a thriving emirate and that the Kingdom of Sulu had it's own flag. Sadly, only few of us know that we once attempted to invade Sabah using Tausug mercenaries from Tawi-Tawi. When these mercenaries mutinied and were subsequently killed by the Marines before they can leak the plans to the outside world, the incident known as the Jabida Massacre sparked an armed struggle which tore the island of Mindanao in half.
To write the bloody history of Mindanao during Martial Law would take another two entries to complete. It was a war of attrition where Christians and Muslims, who were once brotherly neighbors killed each other upon the prodding of the government. It was a protracted war where entire families in the Visayas would be forcibly settled in Mindanao to deny the Muslims of land that were theirs even before the Philippines became a country.
As a price for our past mistakes, here we are offering them a package short of independence.
If one would notice, the government is trying to arrange a peace agreement with the MILF. One would be tempted to ask, what about the MNLF? What role do they play in this power-play arrangement? Did they already surrender their struggle that their founders began three decades ago? How exactly would the system work under the current Philippine constitution?
I am no lawyer or a political scientist, and despite my feeble attempts to write about the Moro struggle, I know only little about their problem. What I do know is that they are more fragmented than the Bicolanos and the Kapampangans and the Ilocanos. It was clearly stated by the resource person I interviewed for my baby thesis before. They also seem to answer only to their local shaiks or datus in all matters of governance, it was splashed over the news during the last elections.
Ask GMA why she won over 1 million votes in Lanao and Maguindanao when there are more voters in CAMANAVA* than in the whole of those provinces?
Much as I would like to agree to give back the Moros their stolen homeland so they can preserve their distinct culture for the benefit of everyone, to give them near-absolute power to rule themselves might become a spark that would engulf the whole nation in flames. If one distinct people has been granted statehood, others would surely follow suit.
As far as I know, the proud Cebuanos fondly call Manila the "Imperial Capital" for reasons only they can tell. When they seek statehood, (they once threatened to bolt out of the country if GMA gets kicked out of the office) what would stop them from demanding independence? Same is true with Ilocandia, Bicolandia, the Ifugaos and yes, even the Kapampangans would love to have their own little republic too!
I would have ignored the Inquirer's banner story today had poor GMA didn't wiggle her pinky little finger to flirt with fire. If there is any plausible reason I can see as to why the government is tempted to give in to the "suggestions" of the MILF:
"But Inquirer sources privy to the peace process said the proposed agreement with the MILF would require amending the constitution."
Yes, you get it right!
Say hello to the Federal Republic of the Philippines, headed by none other but
the Prime Minister
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
---
*Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela
- Bangsamoro state eyed, Philippine Daily Inquirer
--
Long before the Sahal scarf became a fashion accessory among Manila's young professionals and long before pirated "dibidi's" became synonymous with Maranaos and Tausugs of Quiapo, my interest in Moro affairs dates back to my Freshman year in college.
I remember writing a baby thesis for my English 101 class. It was about the Muslim separatist movement in Mindanao and why the conflict continue despite the ongoing peace process between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front. (MNLF) I conducted interviews, read books about the Muslim struggle in the south and immersed myself in Muslim culture, which is freely available in Quiapo. After one and a half months of being in the company of Moros, I understood why they never felt they belong.
But that story deserves another entry.
For many of us here in Luzon, the issue of a separate Muslim state in Mindanao is as alien as the state of affairs of Malaysia and Pakistan. Most of us don't even know what the provincial capital of Tawi-Tawi is. The last time we heard of our Muslim brothers was when Ces Drilon was abducted in Sulu. Other than that, the Moros only get our national attention when a bomb explodes in the city or when the Media Optical Board raids their cache of "Pirated" products.
It is a fact that we only know little about the Tausugs and Maranaos, and how they fought for independence when the rest of the country was a colony of Spain and a Commonwealth of the United States of America. Little do we know that Manila was once a thriving emirate and that the Kingdom of Sulu had it's own flag. Sadly, only few of us know that we once attempted to invade Sabah using Tausug mercenaries from Tawi-Tawi. When these mercenaries mutinied and were subsequently killed by the Marines before they can leak the plans to the outside world, the incident known as the Jabida Massacre sparked an armed struggle which tore the island of Mindanao in half.To write the bloody history of Mindanao during Martial Law would take another two entries to complete. It was a war of attrition where Christians and Muslims, who were once brotherly neighbors killed each other upon the prodding of the government. It was a protracted war where entire families in the Visayas would be forcibly settled in Mindanao to deny the Muslims of land that were theirs even before the Philippines became a country.
As a price for our past mistakes, here we are offering them a package short of independence.
If one would notice, the government is trying to arrange a peace agreement with the MILF. One would be tempted to ask, what about the MNLF? What role do they play in this power-play arrangement? Did they already surrender their struggle that their founders began three decades ago? How exactly would the system work under the current Philippine constitution?
I am no lawyer or a political scientist, and despite my feeble attempts to write about the Moro struggle, I know only little about their problem. What I do know is that they are more fragmented than the Bicolanos and the Kapampangans and the Ilocanos. It was clearly stated by the resource person I interviewed for my baby thesis before. They also seem to answer only to their local shaiks or datus in all matters of governance, it was splashed over the news during the last elections.
Ask GMA why she won over 1 million votes in Lanao and Maguindanao when there are more voters in CAMANAVA* than in the whole of those provinces?
Much as I would like to agree to give back the Moros their stolen homeland so they can preserve their distinct culture for the benefit of everyone, to give them near-absolute power to rule themselves might become a spark that would engulf the whole nation in flames. If one distinct people has been granted statehood, others would surely follow suit.
As far as I know, the proud Cebuanos fondly call Manila the "Imperial Capital" for reasons only they can tell. When they seek statehood, (they once threatened to bolt out of the country if GMA gets kicked out of the office) what would stop them from demanding independence? Same is true with Ilocandia, Bicolandia, the Ifugaos and yes, even the Kapampangans would love to have their own little republic too!
I would have ignored the Inquirer's banner story today had poor GMA didn't wiggle her pinky little finger to flirt with fire. If there is any plausible reason I can see as to why the government is tempted to give in to the "suggestions" of the MILF:
"But Inquirer sources privy to the peace process said the proposed agreement with the MILF would require amending the constitution."
Yes, you get it right!
Say hello to the Federal Republic of the Philippines, headed by none other but
the Prime Minister
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
---
*Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela