PRESS RELEASE                                                                                        10 JUNE 2008
 
Drilon and crew missing in Sulu
 
QUEZON CITY - ABS-CBN anchor Ces Drilon and two other cameramen are reported to be missing for four days now in Southernmost part of the country -- Sulu.
 
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) sources disclose that they were abducted by rebel groups in Maimbung municipality though it has yet to be confirmed.
 
Primary suspects are Albader Parad and Gafur Jumdail, reported to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group. The latter is the younger brother of Dr. Abu Jumdail of ASG. There were prior reports that the younger Jumdail has been causing chaos in the said municipality.
 
Local residents however say that there is still no group coming out to claim that they abducted Drilon.
 
Drilon went to Sulu to cover a special event by the invitation of Professor Octavio Dinampo of Mindanao State University . Dinampo is also reported missing along with Drilon and company.
 
Representative Yusop H. Jikiri of the 1st District of Sulu is now coordinating with PNP Director General Avelino Razon to find Drilon and her cameramen.
 
“We are doing all the necessary steps to locate Ms. Drilon and group,” said Rep. Jikiri. “If proven true that they were abducted, we cannot tolerate this kind of act disturbing Sulu peace over and over.”
 
“We have worked hard to regain stability, and peace and order in Sulu the past years and this incident inflicted by only few lost commands shall be put to a halt in order to prevent similar occurrence.

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Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao general elections are held  for its  regional governor, vice-governor and  members of the  Regional Legislative Assembly on August 11, 2008.

 Some candidates who are politicians are ready to take the leadership by all means.  They buy their way to power through “vote buying.”

 Vote buying in its literal sense is perceived as a simple economic exchange. Candidates “buy” and citizens “sell” votes, as they buy and sell apples, shoes,  or radio sets.  The act of vote buying by their outlook is a contract  in which votes sell their votes to the uppermost bidder.

In the Philippines in general, electoral process actually entails time, money and supporters.  This situation develops certain attitude among the people in selecting their leaders.  For example, some do not vote unless they are given gifts, bonuses and money; others are no longer interested to cast their votes for they know that candidates who resort to bribery and coercion can obtain more votes and may be subsequently elected to office.  Until finally, the electoral process lost its value to most people.

In other words, elections have been ridden with violence and massive frauds.      Some politicians used to bargain, persuade, coerce, bribe, buy and manipulate votes. led to conflicts, disputes, and killings in their respective  areas.

More chances are always given to those candidates  who have means and resources. Who are these people? Some believe that they are mostly traditional politicians or a new politicians who used to adopt the political strategies of the former. They wish to wield  power by occupying key positions in the government using their  means and resources to buy their way to power.

Thus, politicians from any sector of a society can hardly  win in an election if they are poor and do not have the resources. This is quite true because political  ever-spending during poll campaign has become a norm in the electoral process and laws are not enough to check it.

This observation shows the importance of money and other resources for politicians are buying their way to power.  The new breed honest politicians, who are not rich, encounter difficulties in assuming leadership in the political scene.

The continuity of this problem in the election has triggered numerous problems causing the county’s stagnation.  For instance, for the period of more than 50 years in Lanao Sur and Marawi City , the people’s need for socio-economic and political development have not been realized.  This situation has greatly motivated concerned people to actively participate in the electoral process.

Therefore, it is about time for concerned and honest leaders and intellectuals to make electoral reforms because if politicians buy their way to power, they are expected to recover their expenses through graft.  There is indeed a need to formulate  strategy for voters education in view of the ARMM election.

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The culture of deception is the handiwork of the evil as emphasized by many religious scholars. The sign of this deception is already at hand in almost  every part of the world.

Its detection or symptom according to some theorists is when a man tries to conceal the truth, or favor the story of the wicked man. When this happened,  man forfeits his noble mission on earth to sow the seeds of righteousness and reduced him to a grazing animal, the lowest among the low. Why human beings are so heedless to overcome this evil deed?

The culture of deception is really spreading fast in almost every corner of the world, outnumbering the remaining righteous mammals on earth.  This become the tool of every man to get him on top like the politicians who never won in any race but they are always in power through deception. 

This culture of deception or evil handiwork has gone too deep in our present time, that penetrates even the deepest primordial instinct of the learned men in the society, local or abroad, as we now begun to experience the discomfort ride of  this 21st century, where the poor increase their number and become heedless, while the rich continue to hoard selfishly, and even prepares to purchase million dollar tickets to the moon rather than to give few pennies to the needy. This is really happening not illusion.

Man in his lost direction never eat his fellow man bodily, but he enjoys eating his fellow man’s property through deception. Other tribes never eat the flesh of the pork which is unlawful (haram in Islam) but he/she enjoys eating haram in other forms, like stealing, cheating or selling illegal merchandise.

Islam teaches mankind the highest dignity of man that will bring him to the highest strata of heaven, like the history of the prophets in the past that their legacies and excellent behavior never die until the end of this world. But why Islam is now being perceived in other parts of the world or even in this country as a religion of terrorism? This is again deception to cover up the truth.  Whoever perpetrate this act of terrorism forfeits his right to be called as Muslims. Terrorism is condemn in Islam in a strongest word. Is it not a crime to address a man opposite to his noble mission?

The danger of this 21st century is the virtual increase of the hypocrites whose mouth speak thousands of goodness but behind those sweet-talk is deception or motive unworthy, blurring the path of righteousness that causes confusion to humanity as evidence of the fact confronted by all humans in this crucial moment.

Many men today overshadow their sense of logic against their ego, in exchange of the life of the next world which is everlasting. The truth stands out distinctively against wrong known by many but practiced by few. So deception is rampant all over the face of the earth. Just be ready and hold on firmly for the discomfort ride of this 21st century.  Remember that in every adversity that comes, God brought with it the seeds of an equivalent advantage for the good men to survive. 
 

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There are questions that must be addressed after the release of Prof. Nur Misuari from detention.  Among the questions is what safety mode  of Misuari he should act if he will not be given chance once again to run the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao? This ARMM actually is   the only legislated political instrument he can handle in order to implement the perceived un-implemented aspects of the Moro National Liberation Front and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines 1996 peace accord.

 The renewed call for the dormant Sabah claim is perceived to be the Misuari safety mode. If this is being pursued he might have an indirect back up by the GRP and on the other side, Malaysia might resort to strengthen its mutual cooperation and understanding with the GRP. The call therefore will take time to wait its outcome. On the part of Misuari, the call will moderate his pending rebellion charges despite of its adverse effect on the Muslim Filipinos in Sabah .

 Mesuari after his release was expected to lead a unified Moro National Liberation and to subsequently run the ARMM after his election once again as Regional Governor.

 The purpose of tripartite meetings of the MNLF, OIC and GRP representatives is to determine aspects of the 1996 peace accord which were not implemented and those were not included in the RA 9054, the expanded autonomy of the present ARMM,  with the hope to amend the said Act  in order to meet the demands of the MNLF. 

 However, Khaled Musa, deputy chairman of the MILF committee on information, told Luwaran that the renewed call for the Sabah claim now by Misuari, in tandem with the Sultanate of Sulu, is an issue too hot to handle and could boomerang to his leadership. 

 Musa identified two possible impressions created which can be adverse to the personality of the newly freed MNLF leader: 1) It would appear that bringing up the issue once again is an act of vengeance or retaliation to the Malaysians for turning him over to the Philippines after he defected to Sabah after a failed “rebellion” in 2001; and 2) It would create the impression that he is out on a “demolition job” related to the GRP-MILF Peace Talks, which Malaysia facilitates since 2001.

 Brother Misuari may have all the best intentions in the renewed call for the Sabah claim, but if not handled cautiously could only benefit those who want the Muslims to quarrel among themselves,” Musa stressed.

 Sabah Progressive Party President Datuk Yong Teck Lee said Malaysia ’s National Security Council (NSC) should closely watch developments in the southern Philippines with the collapse of the Moro peace deal and release of former rebel leader Nur Misuari , Malaysia ’s Star reported.

 Misuari spoke before thousands of his followers in a peace congress in Davao City on May 23-24, ending his over an hour speech with challenge to Malaysia to bring the Sabah claim to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations’ justice arm located in The Hague , The Netherlands.

 Among those present when Misuari made the challenge in Davao City was Hadji Akmad Bayam, a former chief propagandist of the MNLF. Bayam noted that one of the claimants to the leadership of the Sultanate of Sulu, stood beside Misuari as he delivered his speech.

 "Misuari is considered among the rightful claimants (of Sabah ) as his great-great grandfather, Panglima Maha Besar of Sulu, led the contingent that protected the Sultan of Brunei, the great-great grandfather of the present Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah," said Bayam.

  Malaysia , said Bayam, has long been apprehensive the Misuari-led MNLF would forge an alliance with the heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu for the Sabah claim. "This is now happening with Misuari at the center of the issue," he added.

 "The MILF criticism on the matter is unwarranted because the claim of sovereignty and proprietary (rights) over Sabah is exclusive to the Sultanate of Sulu and its subjects to which Nur Misuari rightfully belongs," said Bayam, saying the claimants have all the aces backed by authentic historical documents.

Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin G. Sema, whom other senior MNLF leaders and commanders installed as MNLF chairman, aired great concern over Misuari’s revival of the Sabah claim.

 Sema, whose taking over of the MNLF leadership is not accepted by Misuari and his followers, "strongly appealed to Misuari not to use the Sabah issue to stir restlessness among local Muslims in Sabah and here in southern Philippines ."

 He said the Sabah claim is an old issue which should not drive a wedge between the Bangsamoro people and Malaysia .

 Even the Philippine government, Sema said, uses diplomacy and respect in dealing with the Sabah issue to preserve relations with Malaysia.  

Despite of those mentioned arguments and perceived adverse effects of the renewed call for the resting Sabah claim, Misuari, if not to run for the forthcoming August 11 election and not to be given chance to run once again the ARMM as Governor,  might  resort to such call for “security purposes."

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