thanks for the post Jj! GMA forever, I hope not.

The MILF claims that the raids done by their comrades againsy Lanao del Norte didn’t recieve their blessing.

Wow, we’ve been pawned by the “Mahal na pangulo” for quite sometime now. It’s frustrating to see that while our countrymen in Lanao are suffering from panic and fear and are riddled by bullets, we are here sitting comfortably while being eaten away by apatheticness.

Keeping the peace is good……

But I agree. Unleash Hell!

Damn.

Tony Abaya, in his column today, echoed what I said about the Americans’ intentions in Bangsamoro. See http://acabaya.blogspot.com/2008/08/us-interests-in-mindanao.html

I hope GMA’s all out war would continue.

I recognize the valid desire of our brothers Muslim for an autonomous region. But it seems in their desperation to achieve their own “homeland” in the Philippines, they exploited the weak and fake Arroyo presidency.

Little did they know that Arroyo would put one over them.

The sad thing about it, it’s we and the whole country that suffer.

Ms. Ellen,
I’m not sure if our Filipino Muslim brothers really want a homeland. Don’t they have the ARMM already? The fact that there was a high voter turn-out in the recent elections there prove that they do accept the ARMM as their legitimate political tool. Sadly, the MILF is not giving the ARMM the chance to take off.

In my book, the ARMM have removed every moral reason for an armer rebellion in the South. And as much as I blame Arroyo for everything, I put the blame squarely, too, at the MILF, who are even using civilians as human shields. The blood is in thier hands too.

Had Gloria not gave back the camps Estrada captured during his war in 2000, all these mess would not have happened.

killing or annihilatinf MILF won’t be a solution, although j I know you know it. I really think that govt should used ideology as the most important tool to battle this seccessionists. The govt should have effective tool to inculcate and indoctrinate “Filipinism” to our brothers in mindanao. the govt should be able to make them think and feel as a Filipino, that although they are Muslims/Moro they are still Filipino, sharing one aspiration for this nation. I really believe if we could make them feel and think that way, this arm movt would die in itself. the govt should involve vigorous steps and measures to supplant this ideologies to our brothers in Mondanao. coz concessions that are being made by the govt is not helping at all, it just continue to mess up everything. I think we have already made steps to really integrate our Muslim brothers just like declaring “edil fitir” (not sure of spelling) the last day of ramadan, a national/legal holiday eventhough majority of Filipinos are non-muslims. govt has also strongly promoted Halal food manufacturing, its the Islamic way of preparing foods and other commodities, that’s why most of our canned goods and commodities in the market have Halal marks. these are just few of the measures we have already taken, and I really think that this is the way to go. make them integrate in our society… I think we can site the Ifugaos as an example, Ifagao has largely been independent during the Spanish times and in some extent during the American times. they are a very proud ethnic group but with vigorous integration of them into Philippine society, Ifagao now largely share aspiration with most Filipinos although in many ways Ifugao is contrast ti Moros but with regard to integration, its a very good measure. there should be no more concessions to the MILF that we klnow for sure doesn’t represent the Filipino Muslims. We should have a strong leadership.

I know for a very long time it has been like just a hope that we will have leaders who truly care and fight for the national aspirations of the Filipino people. but I know in Jesus name, we will have one. if God sent David to Israel to establish the greatness of Israel, God will also do the same for our country.

Integration and ideological inculcation are I think some of the best if not the best way to pacify mindanao so that mindanao and Philippines as a whole could move to it’s yet to come GREATNESS AS A FILIPINO NATION.

sorry for the wrong grammar, just look at the content.

I have to agree with KAKU13 on this one. Military might be a solution, but the way I see it, it is still myopic even if you wipe-out the rebel group. We must keep in mind that these rebels have children, which I believe will not be able to understand the reasons of our government (if in case they kill all the rebels). What these kids would remember is that the government took the lives of their fathers, or even mothers regardless of reasons behind it. They would hate soldiers in general and the officials of our land. Moreover, they wouldn’t trust the government completely. And in most cases, these children will end up blaming the government more for being “less humane” especially in its dealings with them, our Muslim brothers. What would happen next? These kids who were left-out will be the next rebels - taking arms against the government and establishing their our groups..And of course our government will try to solve the problem again. This vicious cycle will go on as long as we don’t educate the people their that Muslims are also Filipinos. The government should spend more on informing them rather than buying arms for protection. This might be a long-shot, but it’s a shot worth taking.

Kakumoto-san,

I didn’t say the annihilation of the MILF will solve the problem. But I say that killing those bandits is the first step towards the solution.

When Erap ordered all-out war in 2000, attacks by AFP forces were followed by soldier’s reaching out to the Muslim civilians who were displaced, which included building roads and farm irrigation and even rebuilding mosques (sadly, only BBC reported this because the local media was busy demonizing Estrada). The message then was simple: the Republic will be tough on rebels, but soft on Filipinos. That’s the approach we need in Mindanao. Disarm the bandits, invest in the region, and reach out to the population.

Yes, I agree with you that education (I don’t want to call it “ideological inculcation”) is the way to go to intergrate our Filipino Muslims into the society.

If you have read the speech of Sultan Sa Ramain before the 1935 Constitution (and if you talk with people like Ishmael of the LDS), you can see that a significant number (if not the majority) of those Muslims believe that they are Filipinos. It only takes more education, and more efforts on the mainstream society’s (like, for instance, giving the finger to Catholic bishops who meddle too much in politics and policies) part to make them feel that they belong to the Philippine society.

You are right. The Philippines has takes steps to “reach out” to the Muslims. De Venecia included the Muslims to his Christian democratic party (Lakas NUCD-UMDP). We have a government agency committed to Muslim integration. We observe a Muslim holiday. We have Muslim senators (and oppopsitionists like Adel Tamano of PLM). Heck, we have an ARMM.

And speaking of the ARMM, look at the voter’s turn-out in the recent elections. Many Muslims turned out and voted! Which means that they do accept the ARMM as a legitimate expression of their voice! Which means that if there’s a body that represents the Muslim Filipinos, its the ARMM government, not the MILF!

Hence, there’s no need for us to respect the MILF, who don’t respect the Philippines.

In an e-mail I received just tonight from mr. Tony Abaya, he said:

“The GRP should negotiate only with groups that seek only greater autonomy. Groups that declare themselves separatist are really beyond negotiations because their minds are already made up and there is no point in talking to them. The GRP should talk to present separatists only if and when they are ready to scale down their demands to greater autonomy, rather than outright separatism.”

How very true!

For indeed, what’s the reason of negotiating with the MILF when we have already negotiated with the MNLF and created ARMM?

Indeed, we can even say that the ARMM could have been successful had the MILF gave it a chance (although you can debate that the Ampatuats fucked it up. But still, it would have been better without the MILF).

What you said, Kaku, are all right. Except for the first sentence. No Muslim integration and education on Filipinism will ever be successful unless we eliminate the threat of the MILF.

And now, the US, through the activities of the Institute of Peace, is even thwarting your “Filipinism” by their lectures on “Moro indentity and “ancestral domain.” You see, if there’s no MILF, there’s no need for these lectures even!

—

Kagawad Lee Angelo,

Your vicious cycle will go on and on even if you deal with the MILF through “peace process.” The government will cave in, another rebel group would come out, another peace negotiations, another caving in, another rebel group… until such a time when those rebels have the islands of Sulu, Palawan and Mindanao.

If the wiping out of the MILF will be followed by vigorous efforts to develop Mindanao, your vicious cycle will not happen. In short, there’s an assurance that the cycle you say would happen in a military solution can be prevented.

On the other hand, only the dismemberment of the country would assure that the vicious cycle that would come about if we appease the bandits will not happen. And the dismemberment of the country, by the way, will give birth to another conflict and another “vicious cycle.”

The children of these criminals would be less of a collateral damage compared to the people, both Christians, Lumads and even Muslims, whom the MILF terrorizes.

And these MILF victims- believe you me- will definitely be mad at the government for not defending them and acting against the criminals.

—–

I’m still firm with my take on this. The first step to solve the problem is simple: KILL ALL THE MILF BANDITS WHO REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE THE PHILIPPINE FLAG AND CONSTITUTION.

even though i’ve always been the right-wing guy, i agree on almost every point you said (wrote?), after all how on earth can we expect a good Bangsamoro leadership under those MI-jerks, that is, if everyone returns to the negotiating tables, but then again , i strongly think its time we show those bastards who the BOSS is!

one more thing, i will never ever let this country get de facto separated simply because of their demands! Hell, we must never be an Asian Yugoslavia!

oh and i agree to KAKU13 on his “ideology” thingy, especially about “God sending David to Israel, hopefully he also sent a DAVID to us. Hehe, get the understatement?

I get what you mean, dave.