Joomla! site syndication http://www.anakmindanao.com 2008-09-05T05:04:26+01:00 http://www.anakmindanao.com http://www.anakmindanao.com/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png text/html 2008-08-24T06:10:14+01:00 http://www.anakmindanao.com http://www.anakmindanao.com/content/view/197/45/ P10-M reward to get Bravo, Kato By Christine Avendaño, Inquirer MindanaoPhilippine Daily Inquirer Posted date: August 20, 2008 MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang announced Tuesday night a P5-million reward each for the capture of Ombra Kato and Abdulla Macapaar alias Commander Bravo, the two Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders responsible for the series of attacks in the North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte and Sarangani provinces.President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo approved the reward offer that was endorsed to her by Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. during Tuesday night’s National Security Council (NSC) meeting.Kato and his men from the MILF’s 105th Base Command are also facing 60 criminal cases for occupying last week some 20 barangays (villages) in North Cotabato, burning and looting houses. The attacks left at least nine dead and displaced some 165,000 people.On Monday, MILF forces led by Bravo raided towns in Lanao del Norte province, spraying gunfire, hacking civilians with machetes and torching houses. As a result, at least 28 people were killed and some 44,000 residents were displaced.Muslims and Christians in Mindanao condemned the atrocities committed by MILF units in Lanao del Norte and Sarangani.It was Gen. Alexander Yano, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, and Director General Avelino Razon of the Philippine National Police who recommended the reward money.“Since they are both at large, the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of National Defense will issue a reward of P5 million for the information leading to the arrest of both Ombra Kato and Commander Bravo,” Puno said at a press briefing following the NSC meeting in Malacañang.Bring Kato, Bravo to justicePuno said he and Teodoro believed it was imperative to implement the reward system “to expedite the process and bring (Kato and Commander Bravo) to justice.”“There is no warrant of arrest as of yet because they’re at large but it’s no secret that we are looking for them until they are arrested and brought before the justice system,” Puno said.He said he and Teodoro hoped that the reward would “encourage those with information to come forward.”By posting a reward money for information against the two MILF leaders, this meant the government “did not consider them within the ambit of the peace process,” Teodoro said.“They are common criminals and that is the stand of government at this point. As to what its effect to the MILF, it’s for them to consider and act on,” he said.The 11,000-strong MILF has been fighting for Muslim self-rule in the Philippines for decades, and signed a 2003 ceasefire with the government. But a series of violent attacks in Mindanao has raised doubts over peace prospects. text/html 2008-08-16T00:01:33+01:00 http://www.anakmindanao.com http://www.anakmindanao.com/content/view/195/44/ “We support the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain believing that this is a most viable step towards peace in Mindanao. However, we oppose the malicious use of the Moro People’s legitimate struggle for Self-Determination for this administration’s Charter Change agenda and the opposition’s cashing in on the issue to attack the administration and push for their own political interest,” Rep. Hataman of the Anak Mindanao party list group said. Hataman led a no less than 1000 crowd of Muslim and non-Muslim groups in a mass action yesterday, August 15, 2008 in time for the oral arguments held in the Supreme Court. Hataman noted that the provisions under the said Memorandum of Agreement do not require Constitutional Amendments. “The MOA is clear in saying that ‘the parties agree that the mechanisms and modalities for the actual implementation of this MOA-AD shall be spelt out in the Comprehensive Compact to mutually take such steps to enable it to occur effectively.’ This means that what are laid down in the MOA are only General Concepts and Principles, nothing in it is final and executory. The modalities or terms of implementation will still be discussed, therefore the door is open to mechanisms which may not necessarily require Charter Change,” Hataman argued. The said provision Hataman added, further states that, “Any provisions of the MOA-AD requiring amendments to the existing legal framework shall come into force upon signing of a Comprehensive Compact and upon effecting the necessary changes to the legal framework with due regard to non derogation of prior agreements and within the stipulated timeframe to be contained in the Comprehensive Compact.” “We understood this provision to mean that it is the Comprehensive Compact which may be the subject of amendments to any existing legal framework, and not the MOA-AD. And based on the MOA itself, this Comprehensive Compact shall contain a timeframe by which the necessary changes are to be effected. The amendments therefore may be discussed after 2010, not necessarily during the term of the current administration. We therefore do not see the immediate need for Charter Change for purposes of the MOA-AD” the solon said. On the issue of the non-inclusion of the Philippine Constitution as reference of the said MOA-AD, Hataman countered that the other party to the Agreement, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, is a liberation movement that does not recognize the Philippine Constitution. “Raising this question only manifests their utmost ignorance of the Bangsamoro struggle. It is a pity and a shame especially for diplomats like them to be ignorant of internationally-established principles such as Right to Self-Determination.” Hataman however pointed out that though there is no mention of the Constitution in the Agreement, one of its Terms of Reference is the Constitutionally-mandated Republic Act No. 6734, as amended by RA 9054 or the ARMM Law. “As term of reference, the MOA-AD considers RA 9054 as a legal framework, and one cannot uphold RA 9054 without upholding the Constitution,” Hataman said. “And let us not dismiss the fact that the Constitution serves to guard our democracy and the highest form of democracy is the people’s exercise of their sovereignty. This is what the MOA-AD provided for, a plebiscite to ensure that it is not the politicians, not even the peace advocates, but the people who will have the last and final say,” Hataman ended. text/html 2008-08-10T10:17:31+01:00 http://www.anakmindanao.com http://www.anakmindanao.com/content/view/193/45/ PEACE ADVOCATE SAYSPEACE ADVOCATE SAYS : Muslims need assurance Christians not out to convert them By Vincent CabrezaPhilippine Daily Inquirer Posted date: August 10, 2008 BAGUIO CITY, Philippines--The soldier-founder of an evangelical support foundation for Mindanao called Project Islam has said that a key to lasting peace in Mindanao would be an assurance to Muslim Filipinos that the dominant Christian population would not set out to convert them.Col. Johnny Macanas, Philippine Military Academy camp commander, told 38 sophomore and senior university students belonging to different faiths during a talk here Sunday that distrust by Muslims of the Christian-dominated government's motives for helping them was at the core of the enmity that fueled the separatist movement.Macanas said he formed Project Islam in 2001 after years of military assignments in Mindanao—a period during which he was a Muslim hater.'Project Islam, an acronym for I Still Love All Muslims,' has built over 400 shelters in poor Muslim villages. The project helped swing rural Mindanao sentiments in favor of Christians, Macanas said.He gave the lecture on invitation of an international youth organization called Peace Tech, which is supported by Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan.Peace Tech organized an international youth dialogue in 2006 using video conferencing to promote understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims, said Meghann Villanueva, Peace Tech program director.Peace Tech will hold a second international video conferencing dialogue between Filipino and Indonesian youths on Aug. 29, according to Villanueva.Macanas and Islamic scholar Bedejim Abdullah engaged the college students in frank talk about Muslim life, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao elections and the migration of Mindanao natives to Luzon, to prepare the students for the August dialogue.Most of their questions centered on how justice was viewed in Islam, jihad and Jesus Christ.Abdullah said people were generally ignorant of the fact that Jesus Christ was a key figure in both religions.He also said Moro rebels who used Islam to promote revolutionary ideologies were hurting fellow Muslims. When Abu Sayyaf members kidnap and kill, they also kidnap and kill Muslims. In [the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States], many of those killed were Muslims although no one talks about it,' Abdullah said.Macanas said he grew up believing Muslims were hateful because of a Catholic-dominated culture that maintained traditions like the zarzuela,' which depicted battles between Christian and Muslims.Muslims have also been growing up with prejudices of their own against Christians, Abdullah said. text/html 2008-08-06T23:13:51+01:00 http://www.anakmindanao.com http://www.anakmindanao.com/content/view/191/45/ ON BEING A MORO AND A MUSLIMAugust 7, 2008 (A Statement from the Office of Anak Mindanao Party List Representative Mujiv S. Hataman on the Privilege Speech of Rep. Teddy Boy Locsin) When the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front caused a wave of protests among different sectors of society, we feared the resurging of anti-Moro discrimination and prejudice. Though we believed that the said Memorandum of Agreement could have been a major breakthrough in the peace process, we adhered and respected the Temporary Restraining Order issued by the Supreme Court, acknowledging the right to information and consultation raised by the protesters. We welcomed this opportunity for calmness, rationality and objectivity in the discussion and study of the Agreement, thereby easing our aforementioned fear. However, today (August 6, 2008) our fear stared right in front of us, right in the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, coming from the least expected person, as we have revered and esteemed him for his eloquence, brilliance and uncorrupted stance in major public controversies in the past. Exercising utmost prudence, we did not settle for what the news reported. We asked for a copy of the mentioned Privilege Speech of the Honorable Representative Teddy Boy Locsin, and much to our grief, the words in the actual Speech only served to confirm our fears. We recognize the oppositions against the content of the Agreement, even the process by which it was carried out. But to put forward arguments based on misconceptions about Islam and derogatory statements about the Moro people is uncalled for, especially from a statesman such as the Honorable Representative. If a highly educated, respected authority like Congressman Locsin thought and felt this way towards the Moro people and Muslims in general, one can only surmise what an ordinary non-Moro, non-Muslim thinks about us. It is for this consideration, that we are compelled to negate some points raised by the good Congressman, made not in bad faith, we would like to believe, but out of the lack of acquaintance with the Moro People’s History and the dynamics of Islam. Enumerated in the Speech under Items Four, Five and Six are what the Representative say will result from the MOA – an allusion to the establishment of an anarchic, Afghanistan-style government, “an educational system teaching even undemocratic political values along with intolerant religious ideas,” “without any of the civilized limitations in the Bill of Rights, such as equal protection of the laws, due process, and the prohibition against such cruel and unusual punishments as stoning to death a woman taken in adultery or just suspected. Indeed, it shall possess absolute powers without any prohibition against the discrimination, abuse and enslavement of women, which happens in some Muslim states.” We do not deny the fact that these occur in countries where Muslims are a majority (there are questions among Muslim authorities on the use of the term “Islamic State” as the claim of some countries to be such is still highly debated upon), but they are also occurrences in many non-Muslim nations. Yes there are Muslims who allege that these are Islamic teachings, but many Muslims believe that these are misrepresentations arising from conservative interpretation of Islam, contrary to the true essence of Islam as established in Qur’anic hermeneutical exegesis. We are not in the position to lecture on Islamic theology and we know that this is not the proper forum. However, allow us to share the following Rights prescribed in Islam: BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS:The Right to LifeThe Right to the Safety of LifeRespect for the Chastity of WomenThe Right to a Basic Standard of LifeIndividual’s Right to FreedomThe Right to JusticeEquality of Human BeingsThe Right to Co-operate and not to Co-operate RIGHTS OF CITIZENS IN AN ISLAMIC STATE:The Security of Life and PropertyThe Protection of HonorThe Sanctity and Security of Private LifeThe Security of Personal FreedomThe Right to Protest Against TyrannyFreedom of ExpressionFreedom of AssociationFreedom of Conscience and ConvictionProtection of Religious SentimentsProtection from Arbitrary ImprisonmentThe Right to Basic Necessities of LifeEquality Before LawRulers not above the LawThe Right to Avoid SinThe Right to Participate in the Affairs of the State RIGHTS OF ENEMIES AT WAR:The Rights of the Non-CombatantsThe Rights of the CombatantsRight Against Torture with fireProtection of the WoundedThe Prisoner of War should not be SlainNo one should be tied to be killedNo looting and destruction in the enemy’s countrySanctity of PropertySanctity of a Dead BodyReturn of Corpses of the EnemyProhibition of Breach of TreatiesRules about Declaration of War These Fundamental Rights were laid down by Islam six hundred years before the concept of human rights was said to be introduced in the Magna Carta of Britain. They are Rights due to every single being, regardless of race, sex or religion. Muslims are to uphold these Rights with utmost compliance because in the words of the Muslim scholar, Syed Maududi, “...when we speak of human rights in Islam we really mean that these rights have been granted by God; they have not been granted by any king or by any legislative assembly. The rights granted by the kings or the legislative assemblies, can also be withdrawn in the same manner in which they are conferred. But since in Islam human rights have been conferred by God, no legislative assembly in the world, or any government on earth has the right or authority to make any amendment or change in the rights conferred by God. No one has the right to abrogate them or withdraw them. Nor are they the basic human rights which are conferred on paper for the sake of show and exhibition and denied in actual life when the show is over. Nor are they like philosophical concepts which have no sanctions behind them.” Furthermore, no less than the Prophet (S.A.W.) said, “On the day of judgment, rights will be given to those to whom they are due (and wrongs will be redressed…) The violation by some Muslims of this decree does not justify the attribution of cruelty to all Muslims or to Islam in general. We hope to have shed a speck of light on the issue of Islam, Human Rights and Democracy. Allow us now to clarify some points raised about the Moro People and our Struggle for Right to Self-Determination. Rep. Locsin started his speech by saying it is easy for one (such as Rep. Dilangalen) to approach the issue calmly, for he stands to gain an entirely new country. May we remind or if indeed he is ignorant of the fact, inform his honor that the Moro’s struggle is not about GAINING a new country, but about REGAINING what was unjustly taken away from us. And in this particular agreement, this opportunity of regaining what is rightfully ours is not even without conditions. The Moro people is not what he called new-minted citizens. Sir, we have been a civilized people long before the Spaniards came. We were a sovereign nation 448 years before the Philippines even became one. Our government had treaty relations with the Spaniards, the French and the Americans. Long before Magellan discovered the Philippines, Jolo was already serving as one of the international trading ports in the Malayan world, frequented by Arab, Chinese and other Asian traders. We had a defined land territory and we are not solely seafarers as mentioned. Perhaps the good Congressman forgot, Manila started as a Muslim community ruled by Rajah Sulayman. If we have become the lowly people that we are now, bereft of civility and dignity as many see us to be, we can only point to a stepmother who has forsaken us after forcibly taking us along with our legitimate inheritance into her custody. From the very beginning, the Moro people were not remiss in their resistance against inclusion in the Philippines. But despite pleas, petitions and clamors in every means imaginable, the interest of the Moro people was never sufficiently addressed or at the very least heard. In the drafting of the 1935 Constitution, a group of Moros wrote a letter to the Constitutional Convention, asking for a guarantee of their political, economic and socio-cultural survival as a people. This found no space in the said Constitution. The letter was not even read. It is said that in protest of this injustice, a Christian Filipino delegate from Lanao, Hon. Tomas Cabili did not sign the Constitution. But despite these, many of us grew up to be loving, respectful and obedient children of this nation. But just like illegitimate children, we are forever challenged to prove our loyalty, to struggle in order to gain respect and acceptance or even just to belong. We are eternally striving to prove our worth and to at least get the attention that we deserve but never had. And in times when we cry, longing for our identity in our own home, we are called insurgents, rebels, traitors and dealt with as such. The Filipino nation has not and from the recent debacles about the peace process, will never be able to accept us unconditionally for who and what we are. Yet, the Filipino nation denies us, even a glimpse of hope to regain our lives. What can be more cruel than that? This is not to serve the interest of the peace process, more so push for the contentious Memorandum of Agreement. Public debates on the issue are everywhere. This is a mere attempt to provide an alternative perspective on what has been said, particularly in the subject Privilege Speech, which we know, represents the feelings and insights of many of our Christian Filipino brothers and sisters. Lastly, the said Speech also questioned the intervention of the Malaysian government. We cannot speak in behalf of Malaysia. But this we can say, the Moro People’s Right to Self-Determination is a universally upheld Right. Between Malaysia, who recognizes this right, and one who is not aware of, much more support this right, who now is bereft of the spirit of human rights, democracy and justice? text/html 2008-08-06T00:41:42+01:00 http://www.anakmindanao.com http://www.anakmindanao.com/content/view/190/45/ Pause for Peace” – Rep. HatamanA day before the scheduled signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on ancestral domain between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order, as petitioned by at least two local government units, the province of North Cotabato and Zamboanga City. Anak Mindanao party list Rep. Mujiv S. Hataman, who flew to Kuala Lumpur yesterday, August 4, 2008 to witness the event, expressed regret over the deferment of the MOA signing. “The Memorandum of Agreement on ancestral domain between the GRP and the MILF could have been a major breakthrough in the Moro People’s struggle for Right to Self-Determination. This crucial issue caused numerous impasse in the peace talks and almost caused its total breakdown. We have been looking forward to this giant step forward, this TRO is a sad news for us.” Hataman said Hataman said the opposition by other groups, especially local politicians is understandable as some of their barangays may be incorporated in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity or the Expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. However, he said that these local leaders’ apprehensions on the said MOA stem from the alleged non-transparency particularly on the content of the agreement. “They are afraid of what they do not know, that is justified. However, this lack of information and knowledge on the matter may also be argued as reason for them not to react impulsively and excessively, which may cause more harm than their possibly unfounded fears,” Hataman reasoned. Hataman points out that some of those who are reacting have not even read the Memorandum of Agreement, creating more misinformation and fallacies about the MOA. What is dangerous with these misinformation, Hataman emphasized, is the uncontrollable resurging of more anti-Moro biases among non-Moros and vice-versa. The Mindanao solon thereby called for a “pause for peace… Before reacting and rallying people against the GRP-MILF MOA, let us practice sobriety and work towards unity. After all, this is merely an Agreement, subject to Constitutional provisions and the approval of Congress. We shall all have our chance of raising our questions and oppositions in the proper forum, then it will be the people, the “masa” who will finally decide. Right now, let us practice patience and prudence, they are very small sacrifices for the sake of lasting Peace.”