PRIVILEGE SPEECH

“FINDING PEACE IN THE MIDST OF WAR IN MINDANAO”

          Delivered on: September 29, 2008

The month of September has always been a significant month for this nation as it is the month marking the beginning of Philippine’s darkest history after the end of colonization, the Declaration of Martial Law.

After 9/11, September has become a worldwide phenomenon, its consequence rearranging the very paradigm of nations and democracy as the world’s superpower vowed to avenge its fall on that fateful day of September 11, 2000.

This year, the month again bore the darkness of blood as another war is waged in Mindanao. So far, in the span of one month, this War, has claimed the lives almost a hundred people, and caused the displacement of more than half a million individuals.

Mga kasama, giyera, digmaan, labanan - madaling pag-usapan, madaling ipanawagan. Madaling ideklara, lalong lalo na ng mga malayo sa aktwal na pinangyayarihan ng giyera. Nag iisang solusyon para sa mga taong malayo sa ingay ng putukan, mga pamilyang masaganang nagsasalo-salo sa hapag kainan at hindi pumipila at nang lilimos ng konting pantawid gutom man lang.

Giyera, isang mabilis na sagot para sa mga taong tahimik ang tulog sa seguridad ng kanilang mga pribadong tahanan, at hindi nakalagak sa lamig ng semento sa mga evacuation centers, nagsisiksikan, o di kaya’y nakaratay sa ilalim ng buwan na ang tanging banig at kumot ay dahon ng saging lamang.

Kung digmaan ang pag uusapan, mayaman po ang Mindanao sa karanasan ng digmaan. Mula pa sa panahon ng kolonisasyon, ang mahigit tatlong daang pakikidigma ng mga mamamayang Moro laban sa mga Kastila, hanggang sa pakikidigma nito laban sa mga Amerikano.

          Ngunit sa kabila ng lahat ng ito, sa kabila ng daan-daang libong buhay na nabuwis sa digmaan, nananatiling bingi at bulag ang karamihan sa atin sa aral na itunuturo ng kasaysayan.

          Perhaps, it is hard for us to learn the lessons of what occurred hundred years ago. But we need not look far behind. Even recent history is written in red with blood of soldiers, revolutionaries, civilians who died in the name of War.

          Mula po 1970 hanggang 1996, mahigit isang daan at dalawampu’t libong tao ang namatay sa mga giyera sa Mindanao. Kung susumahin, sa loob po ng dalawampu’t anim na taon, humigit kumulang sa limang libo ang namamatay bawat taon. Isang daan dalawamput libo… Isang ordinaryong numero para sa karamihan sa atin na hindi ama, ina, asawa, anak o kapamilya ng mga kabilang sa istatistikong ito. Ang isang daan dalampu’t libong buhay na hindi pinahalagahan kahit man lamang upang kapulutan ng aral.

          Mula Enero 1997 hanggang Hulyo 1998 lamang, naitalang tatlong daan apatnapu’t tatlo (343) ang namatay sa mga engkwentrong militar sa Mindanao, at pitongpu’t lima (75,000) ang mga nagsilikas.

          Ipinagmamalaki po ng dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada ang kanyang All-Out War laban sa Moro Islamic Liberation Front noong taong 2000. Ngunit ano po ba ang kinahinatnan ng giyerang ito maliban sa kamatayan ng mahigit sa dalawang daang tao at ang paglikas at paghihirap ng halos isang milyong inosenteng mamamayan?

          For the past seven years after Estrada’s all-out war, Mindanao continued to be ravaged by war. In 2001, a total of 202, 842 were displaced in Basilan and Sulu; in 2003, several ceasefire violations resulted to the displacement of 23, 650 Mindanaoans. The 2003 Buliok War is considered one of the major armed conflicts of recent times, causing the displacement of no less than 452, 258.

The morning of February 1, 2005 found the dead bodies of 2 government soldiers and 3 civilians, including a pregnant woman in Maimbung, Sulu. This again paved the way for another War, which resulted to the displacement of around 80,000 in the province.

Then last year, after the ambush or misencounter between government troops and alleged MILF forces, and the barbaric act of mutilating the bodies of our soldiers, War was declared. However, to this day, the truth behind that incident has not been established. The only clear outcome was the displacement of more than 50,000 people in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan.

          This year, after the failure of the signing of the MOA-AD between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, another War is going on in Mindanao. And so far, the death toll has reached to almost a hundred and the displaced, more than half a million.

          Ladies and gentlemen, mga kasama, sa paanong paraan ba namin maipababatid ang katotohanang walang kahihinatnan ang digmaan maliban sa kamatayan at paghihirap. At habang humahaba ang ating listahan ng mga naaapektuhan ng giyera, lalong humahaba ang listahan ng mga kadahilanan upang magpatuloy ang labanan.

          Hindi po kami bulag sa mga karumaldumal na gawain ng ibang mga grupo na nagtatago sa lehitimong pakikibaka at nananawagan din kami para sa hustisya ng kanilang mga biktima. Nang lusubin ng mga grupo nina Kumader Kato at Kumander Bravo ang mga bayan ng Lanao del Norte, Sarangani, Midsayap sa North Cotabato, nagkaisa po tayong lahat, Muslim, Kristiyano at ibang pananampalataya, sa pag kondena at panawagan ng Hustisya.

Ngunit ang pagpataw ng hustisya ay hindi sapat na dahilan upang ang hustisya ay ipagkait sa iba, lalong lalo na kung ang magiging biktima ay yaong mga inosente at walang malay. Hindi makatarungan na sa pagtugis sa iilan, daan daang libo ang napipinsala at nasasaktan.

          Isang malinaw na patotoo dito ang nangyari nitong September 8, 2008 sa Datu Piang, Maguindanao. Sa kabila ng mga panawagan at deklarasyong paggalang sa buwan ng Ramadhan, nagkaroon ng insidente sa naturang lugar kung saan anim na sibilyan ang namatay, ina Daya at Vilma Manunggal; Aida Mandi, 18, buntis; Kim Mandi, 7; Adtaya Mandi, 7; Faiza Mandi.

          The aerial attack was allegedly in retaliation of the rebels firing at the AFP plane. However, the Commission on Human Rights said that the result of its initial investigation on the said incident showed that the attack was not provoked by the MILF, there was no exchange of gunfire and in the words of CHR Chair Leila de Lima, witnesses told the investigating team that all they heard were “two loud explosions which were not preceded by any gunfire.”

          Sadly however ladies and gentlemen, this incident have not received the same degree of attention, condemnation and demand for justice from mainstream society. Which is ironic because why, in instances where civilians become victims of atrocities committed by rebels, there is a loud uproar among us. Halos hindi tayo makapaniwala na kayang gawin nitong mga rebelde ang mga karumaldumal na gawain. Ngunit hindi nga ba’t kaya rebelde ang tawag sa kanila?

          Ngunit bakit, tulad ng nangyari sa Datu Piang kung saan mga bata at kababaihan ang naging biktima, hindi ng mga rebelde, kundi ng mga alagad ng batas, ng mga nanumpang tagapagtanggol ng mamamayan.. walang maingay na pag kondina ang narinig, walang malawakang panawagan para sa hustisya o pagtugis sa mga may sala.

          Nitong nakaraang linggo rin po ay nailunsad natin ang CARE (Caravan and Relief) for Peace sa mga lugar na apektado ng giyera. Isa po sa ating mga kasama ay dumating ngayon lang at naipaabot sa atin ang balitang sa Piagapo, Lanao del Sur may isang evacuation center na hindi naisasama sa listahan at hindi naaabot ng mga relief at assistance. Base sa report ng CARE for Peace, may 2000 pamilya sa evacuation center na ito at, sa nakalipas na tatlong lingo, may limang bata nang namatay dahil sa malubhang karamdaman.

At nitong Biyernes lamang, September 26, 2008, isang engkwentro na naman ang naganap sa pagitan ng MILF at mga sundalo ng gobyerno. Ito po ay naganap malapit mismo sa Gumbay Elementary School, isang evacuation center sa Datu Piang, Maguindanao. Isang sibilyan ang namatay at pito nasugatan. Itong mga biktima ng crossfire ay wala po sa daan o sa kanilang mga tahanan. Sila po ay nasa loob ng evacuation center. Ngunit wala kahit sino sa kampo ng MILF at gobyerno ang nais umako ng responsibilidad sa pagkamatay at pagkasugat nitong mga biktimang sibilyan. Kapwa sila nagtuturuan, nagsasabing hindi mga sibilyan ang target ng putukan. Ngunit ang tanong, bakit mga sibilyan ang naging biktima?

          Ito ay isang realidad na kailangan nating pag-aralan. Mga kasama, ang Digmaan sa ating panahon ay naiiba sa Digmaan nang unang panahon. The wars of today are fought not in battlefields, but amidst civilian communities. The battle zones now are villages and towns, and in this case, even evacuation centers, with civilians being caught in crossfire and ending up as mere casualties of war or collateral damage. The International Committee of the Red Cross People on War Report explained that, “the fundamental shift in the character of War is illustrated by a stark statistic: in World War I, nine soldiers were killed for every civilian life lost. In today’s wars, it is estimated that ten civilians die for every soldier or fighter killed in battle.” 

          Malimit nating marinig sa mga ordinaryong mamamayan na laging naiipit sa gitna ng labanan, na kung sana, tulad noon, magharap na lang itong mga naglalaban sa isang lugar at kahit magkaubusan pa sila, wala tayong pakialam, dahil yun ang gusto at pinaghandaan nila. Ngunit hindi tulad noong unang panahon, ang mga Digmaan ngayon ay nagaganap hindi sa mga battle zones na malayo sa mga sibilyan, ang Digmaan ngayon ay hindi lamang sa pagitan ng mga combatants na may mga armas.

Itong pagbabago sa mukha ng Digmaan ay nangangailangan ng katumbas na pagbabago sa ating pananaw dito. Sa panahon natin ngayon, hindi na maaaring maging solusyon ang Digmaan sa pag resolba ng mga hidwaan o bilang hakbang upang tugisin ang mga may sala sa lipunan. Ito ay magdudulot lamang ng mas malawak at paulit ulit na karahasan.

Sa puntong ito, sana ay mamulat tayo at baguhin na ang ating pagtingin sa Digmaan. At kabalikat nitong pagbabago ng pananaw sa Digmaan ay ang karampatang pagbabago ng pananaw natin sa Kapayapaan.

          Marahil, isa sa mga kakulangan natin ay ang maling pang-unawa sa tunay na diwa ng Kapayapaan. Sa maraming pagkakataon, ang Kapayapaan ay nananatili lamang isang alternatibo sa Digmaan. Nananawagan lamang tayo ng Kapayapaan kung may nagaganap o may banta ng Digmaan.

          In the absence of War, we do not call for Peace. This, despite the established appreciation of the fact that Peace is not just the absence of War. Peace is when the basic needs of the people are met – food, clothing, shelter, health, education, security. Peace is when people are not deprived of their Rights, their dignity, their self-respect, their Freedom. None of these is achieved by War. All of these are transgressed by War, resulting to the never ending, vicious cycle of hatred and violence.

          Ladies and gentlemen, this month, despite being the month of commemorating the tragedies of Martial Law and 9/11, offers another significant date - September 21 which is also, as declared by the United Nations, the International Day of Peace.

And most importantly in a day or two from now, we celebrate the Eid’l Fitr or the Feast of Breaking the Fast, which is a day of forgiveness and a new beginning, a Day where we earn the rewards of our sacrifices during the Holy month of Ramadhan. May this Day therefore be a symbol and reminder that after all the sacrifices and turmoil that we face as a People, a Greater Day of Peace and Prosperity awaits. And the countdown to this Greater Day begins today, as we affirm our stand against War.

And to better appreciate this call, we invite everyone, especially the Honorable Members of This House, to go to Mindanao on a Congressional Mission and see for ourselves the real situation and condition of our people there. As their Voice, it is our responsibility to echo their genuine sentiments and aspirations.

Lastly, we reiterate our conviction and call that Peace must not only be the FIRST option. Peace must be the ONLY option.

          Maraming Salamat Po! Kapayapaan para sa Mindanao, Kapayapaan Para sa Lahat! 

                                                                   REP. MUJIV S. HATAMAN

House Committee Approves Hataman’s Anti-Discrimination Bill

The House Committee on National Cultural Communities approved on September 10, 2008, House Bill No. 03012 otherwise known as the Anti-Discrimination Act filed by Anak Mindanao Representative Mujiv Hataman.

“This is a very significant development especially in the light of the latest resurgence of animosity among different cultures and faiths triggered by the MOA controversy. The Bill aims to end discrimination against persons on account of ethnic origin and/or religious belief,”  Hataman explained.

Section 6 of the said Bill defines Discrimination as “any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of ethnic origin or religious affiliation or beliefs, which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field, especially including but not limited to employment, livelihood, housing, education and basic services.”

The Bill imposes a penalty of imprisonment for not less than 30 days but not more than 6 months and/or a fine of not less than P10,000 but not more than P100,000 for violation of its provisions.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2008

HATAMAN URGE LOVFA TO TAKE ON US PRESENCE QUESTION

            Supporting calls from local leaders and non-government organizations for transparency behind the continuing presence of American soldiers in Philippine soil,  Anak Mindanao Party-List Representative Mujiv Hataman urge the Legislative Oversight Committee on the Visiting Forces Agreement to convene and address the various issues raised.

            “The different groups questioning the continuing presence of US forces in the country have raised arguments and evidences, valid and credible enough for Congress to take cognizance of the matter. It is imperative therefore on the part of the Legislative Oversight Committee on the Visiting Forces Agreement (LOVFA) to convene and take on the issue,” Hataman, a member of the said Oversight Committee said.

            The LOVFA is Chaired by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago for the Senate Panel, and Cebu Representative Antonio V. Cuenco for the House of Representatives.

            Hataman further noted that reports of US soldiers’ involvement in combat, such as intelligence gathering, evacuation of troops in an encounter, and the particular incident in Maimbung, Sulu early this year where a survivor of  a massacre that killed at least 8 civilians, vowed to have seen American soldiers with the raiding Filipino troops, weigh more than enough to give merit to the issue.

            “We are constantly hounded by these reports yet both the government and the US refuse to give honest, significant answers. All we get are lame excuses, and insults to the Filipino people’s intelligence,” Hataman said.

            “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.