(RACABE)

RANAW CRESCENT AGAINST BALIKATAN EXCERCISES

Marawi City

MANIFESTO

We, the concerned leaders representing the different sectors of the Meranaw Bangsamoro Society, vehemently manifest our opposition to the upcoming RP-US joint military activities dubbed as Baliktan Training Exercises to be held in the Ranaw areas starting February 18, 2008 on the following grounds:
 
1. The U.S government is responsible for the contemporary sufferings of the Bangsamoro people under the tyranny of the Philippine neo-colonialism when it granted independence to the Filipinos on July 04, 1946 and at the same time allowed the illegal annexation of the Bangsamoro Homeland to the Philippine territory notwithstanding the protests of the Bangsamoro people as expressed in a number of documents such as letters, declarations and the like. As a consequence, the birthright of the Bangsamoro people for freedom and independence was immorally usurped resulting to the centuries-old Bangsamoro in Mindanao .

2. The RP-US Balikatan Exercises is essentially a component of the US Global War on terror, a war that is premised on blatant lies and deception presented to the American people and the whole world by no less than President George W. Bush himself of which the real motive is foreign military occupation and economic exploitation such as what happened, and is still happening , in Iraq, a Muslim country that was invaded and occupied the false pretext of the presence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) that was to proven untrue.
 
3. The US War on Terror is being utilized by the Philippine government to modernize its military hardware and has caused the destruction of Muslim places, death of innocent people who were caught in the crossfire and incarceration of Muslim civilians for being mistakenly apprehended as “terrorists”. The US global war on terror is in its true sense a hostile act against Islam and Muslims. The people’s mind-set has been conditioned through media type that terrorism is an ideology of the Muslim freedom fighters.
 
4. The US presence in the Bangsamoro Homeland is essentially to maintain its military presence in the Far East to monitor and prevent possible threat and pre-empt attack to the US mainland. The Bangsamoro areas may be used as military command base or launching pad for US military attacks against any countries hostile to US interests. Consequently, the Bangsamorp Homeland will become a potential target of military reprisals against the US .
 
5. The US continued stay in Ranaw may bring social ills. They will surely disregard the cultural sensitivity of the local populace such as what happened in much-publicized Nicole rape case in Luzon .
 
6. The US imperialistic design in the Bangsamoro Homeland is far from over after they left; they might exploit all resources that may be discovered in the Bangsamoro areas. They will be occupying strategic places with rich natural resources in the Bangsamoro Homeland. With all their advance technologies, they can siphon off in a few moments our natural wealth. Hence, the Bangsamoro people are wary that they will be deprived of their God-endowed natural resources.
 
7. Lastly, the presence of US troops in Ranaw will be a serious threat to the on-going peace process in Mindanao since the US troops may also help organize counterinsurgency groups to contain the progressive revolutionary movement of the Bangsamoro Mujahideen. On one hand, it will awaken painful memories of the past American invasions of the Ranaw areas such as the massacres in Padang Karbala, Bayang, Lanao del Sur that almost wiped out all able-bodied men in the said municipality except for seven who are either minors or infirm, in Tugaya, Lanao del Sur, and Pantar, Lanao del Norte, that may trigger violent retaliatory actions against US troops. On the other hand, spoilers of peace can exploit the presence of US troops to sabotage the on-going peace process.
 
By the foregoing reasons, we believed that any move of any individual or groups with vested interests that will help the realization of the proposed RP-US joint military exercises in the Ranaw areas is considered as betrayal of the Bangsamor nation especially the Meranaw people and must be condemned to the strongest terms possible.
 
Finally, we appeal to the us government in the name of heavenly relations and the brotherhood of Humanity, if indeed you are champions of peace, justice, and democracy, to respect the sovereign will of the Bangsamoro people, particularly the Meranaws by refraining from taking part in this military exercises in order to avoid igniting remorseful feelings of historical origin.
 
In the same vein, we demand from the Philippine government to show its genuine sincerity and strong commitment to peace in Mindanao by stopping this unwelcome RP-US Balikatan exercises.
  
Done in the Islamic City of Marawi on February 05, 2008.

(Sgd) AGAKHAN “BINLADEN SHARIEF
Chairman, RACABE
                                                        

Comments (3) | Add as favourites (40) | Quote this article on your website | Views: 1208 | E-mail | Read more...

By Richel Umel
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:51:00 01/29/2008

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines -- A brief firefight broke out when unidentified armed men harassed personnel of an Army detachment in barangay (village) Kalanganan, Pantar, Lanao del Norte Tuesday morning.

Colonel Edwin Respecio, commanding officer of the 32nd Infantry Battalion, said his unit, which was conducting a medical mission in another village, responded and also engaged the attackers.

No casualty was reported on either side, he said.

Be the first to comment this article | Add as favourites (41) | Quote this article on your website | Views: 1297 | E-mail | Read more...

Malabang, Lanao del Sur, Philippines (January 22, 2008) - While every concerned Filipino would call it unfair, as if we have no good records to show with the ventured cancellation by the World Bank of RP loan for Road Projects, there is one foreign-funded Project in Mindanao that may serve as face-saving sort of……and proving the critics wrong. Yes, of all places, it is  located in nature-gifted Mindanao & partly ARMM at such. For one, government projects nowadays are rarely completed on time, but in contrast, this project’s one Package B (out of 4) is even completed ahead of schedule. Thanks to the Kuwaiti government and the KFAED Road Projects. Now, one would ask… Just what is KFAED? What are its impact and implications in the community and possibly on Philippine Road projects in general?

INTRODUCTION.

Part of the Mindanao 2nd Roads Improvement Project (MISRIP), the soft, low- interest rate loan from a brotherly Arab Nation, likely in contrast from other world lending institutions loans including the World Bank that imposed sky-high interest & conditions detrimental to the ailing economy, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) Loan was invisioned and signed more than a decade ago, though overshadowed by the tensions of the Desert Storm & only seen its execution in 2003, under the present regime of PGMA.

On a modified GRP sharing Project Cost of 2B PESOS, covering a net length of 75 km of concrete pavement that replaces the delapidiated roads along the Muslim-inhabited & scenic Pagadian-Cotabato coastal road, the DPWH after a successful Public Bidding awarded to four(4) different contractors namely Hanjin Heavy Eqt & Inds. (PackageA/Tukuran-SND Section), R.D.InteriorConst. (PackageB/SND-SultanGumander Section), P.L.Sebastian Const.(PackageC /Sultan Gumander-Malabang Section) & GraceConst.(PackageD /Aurora Section) under the overall supervision of the consulting consortium of Design Science Inc.(DSI),United Consult(Kuwait)& Renardet Intl. 
         

Comments (13) | Add as favourites (74) | Quote this article on your website | Views: 1259 | E-mail | Read more...

Mindanao-wide peace rallies continue; Iligan interfaith caravan-rally assails Balikatan, “anti-Mindanawon” remarks, priest slay

ILIGAN CITY— A convoy of 50 vehicles from Marawi City and some 10,000 people gathered at the city plaza here early this week as the series of the Mindanao-wide peace rallies organized by civil society groups continues. Aside from pressing the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to resume their stalled peace talks, demonstrators attacked the Balikatan exercises, slaying of Catholic priest Jesus Reynaldo Roda, and early remarks by Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Armed Forces Vice Chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Romero as “anti-Mindanawons.”

The vehicles were decorated with red flags, written on them “Allahu Akbar!”, Arabic for “Good is Great,” and black banners saying “No to Balikatan in the Bangsamoro homeland!” and “vehemently condemning the horrible death of Fr. Roda.”

American troops will arrive in Cagayan de Oro City, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte starting Feb. 18 as part of the RP-US “Balanced Piston” Balikatan exercises, military officials said. They will also be deployed in Western and North Eastern Mindanao, including Sulu.

Talks between the government and the MILF hit a snag last December over disagreements on the coverage of ancestral domain and subjecting it to constitutional process. Secretary Jesus Dureza, the presidential adviser on the peace process, assessed the impasse as “among the most serious to stall the rocky talks, a big hump” upon which the GRP has no “magic formula” while “looking for a way out”.

The MILF negotiating panel refused to meet its government counterpart during the 15th exploratory talks last December 15-17 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia because the government draft of a proposed memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain supposedly did not contain certain consensus points earlier agreed by the two parties.

The government negotiating panel recently inserted a provision which states that the implementation of the agreement will have to follow “constitutional process.” The setting up of a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) was agreed upon by government and MILF negotiators during exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur last year.

Secretary Ronaldo Puno Puno was quoted saying, government should not give in to the MILF’s demand for a BJE without a plebiscite, while Romero stated a condition that peace talks will not continue without MILF’s disarmament.

Fr. Jesus Reynaldo A. Roda, OMI, director of the Notre Dame of Tabawan for a decade, was brutally killed last Jan. 15 by armed men who barged into the chapel as he was praying. The priest resisted a kidnap attempt by still unidentified armed men.

“This interfaith peace caravan-rally intends to prevent possible conflict and to show to the parties that the Bangsamoro is in solidarity with the Christians and the Lumads” said Lacs Dalidig of the Islamic Movement for Electoral Reform and Good Governance (IMERGG) and Muslim Multi-sectoral Movement for Peace and Development (MMMPD).

“If this acts are not enough to catch the attention of the government, the Interfaith CSOs (civil society organizations) will organize the walk for peace from Marawi City to Malacanang Palace to show to the government that we are indeed very serious in our fervor to attain just and lasting peace in Mindanao,” Dalidig added.

“We are one with the Bangsamoro in the call for lasting peace. After all only those who declared war win; we are all victims,” said Fr. Chito Sugano of the Marawi Catholic church. “The Bangsamoro homeland, our bread and butter are happily utilized as battlegrounds, leaving its inhabitants with dime of hope.”

Atty. Ibrahim Canama of the Federated Royal Sultanate of the Philippines said in the sultanates of Mindanao appeal to the MILF “to return to the negotiating table” and for the government “to be sincere in dealing with the Peace processes, from the course of the negotiation to the implementation of the agreements to be signed.”

“Our people cannot afford to live in fear,” Canama said.

“The Balikatan exercises increases rather than prevent the escalation of conflict,” said Adonna Ontillas of the Lanao Disaster Management Organization.

“If you want war, declare at your own risk! Do not involve the people in Mindanao!” shouted the participants during the rally, in reference to both the Balikatan exercises and the statements of Puno and Romero.
 
“How many more lives do we need to sacrifice? The consensus points were gained at the expense of the lives of the countless Bangsamoro who died fighting for it,” said Abulkhair Alibasa, an academe youth representative.

The demonstrators assailed Puno “the same enemy of peace who has also pushed the Estrada administration into all-out-war 2000.”

Caricatures of Puno holding M-16 and Bush were carried by the demonstrators.

”President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, an Iliganon, give us the justice we long for! We have suffered enough!” said Bai Lilang Macarampat, a women representative from Lanao Del Sur, as she stressed that Mrs. Arroyo’s maternal parents are from Iligan.
 
“We strongly condemn war, displacements and the long hardship of the Bangsamoro!” shouted Ma. Jittel Saquilabon, the executive director of the Tri-People’s Forum.

“Give the Bangsamoro their right to self-determination! We do not want to lose our parents because of war!” said Cha Lavandero of Duyog Kabataan.
 
“What does Puno know regarding Mindanao? We, the Mindanawons are to determine our own future,” Lavandero added.

“The Bangsamoro have suffered for 469 years, so give us back the justice that was taken from us!” shouted Mohammad Tamano of the Iligan League of Students.

Tamano said that the “Bangsamoro have suffered from the invasion of Spain in 1521 that lasted for 377 years, the American colonization of 40 years, and the Philippine colonialism of 52 years already.”

The first, second and third legs of the rally were held in Cotabato, Marawi and General Santos cities, respectively.

Either a peace rally or forum will be held in Zamboanga City and Sulu within the month, organizers said. “But mass actions will be held in Basilan on February 3 and Zamboanga-Sibugay on February 7.”


Norodin M. Makalay
http://nmakalay.blogspot.com
 

Be the first to comment this article | Add as favourites (63) | Quote this article on your website | Views: 1292 | E-mail | Read more...

Comments (1) | Add as favourites (62) | Quote this article on your website | Views: 1371 | E-mail | Read more...

By William R. Adan

Marawi City – In a simple and short rite, the leadership of the Mindanao State University changed hands today, 21 January 2008, at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon at the Dimaporo Gym, Marawi campus.
 
As the entourage of officials and guests towed from the lounging room by the outgoing and incoming Presidents materialized on stage, the gym that was filled to the rafter burst into a long thunderous applause signaling the end of, and the dawning of a new regime at the prime university of Southern Philippines.
 
Dr. Eloisa Paderanga, Region 10 Director of the Commission on Higher Education, presided smoothly the turnover rite. She heaped praises at the outgoing President, Dr. Ricardo de Leon, for the many infrastructure projects and management reforms he accomplished in his brief stint at the helm of the university. She welcomed and congratulated Dr. Macapado A. Muslim, the incoming President, and wished him success in facing the many daunting challenges of the new job.
 
Dr. de Leon, in his turnover speech, intimated that his 28 months rendezvous at the MSU was the happiest and the most cherished journey of his life. He entered MSU as an "intruder" and left it not anymore as a stranger but as a "kapuso at kapamilya" of the entire MSU community.   He said he loves MSU but as a good soldier he had to leave. His love for the university, however, would always find him reasons to come back. He wished his successor would continue and even improve on the programs he has started. He encouraged the MSU constituents to give the same cooperation and support he enjoyed from them to the new leader so that MSU could reach new heights.
 
After thanking the students, the faculty, the administrative staff and other sectors of the MSU community for their help in taming the Herculean challenges now behind him, de Leon handed over the mace of the University to Dr. Mac Muslim. An undulating chorus of "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy…" reverberated in the gym.
 
Dr. Muslim, in his acceptance speech, congratulated the outgoing President for the job well done and wished him luck in his new journey. Among others, he pledged to be an efficient, resourceful, responsible, accessible, and transparent president; that he would not only be president of MSU Marawi but of all MSU campuses – the entire MSU system for that matter. To strengthen the university system, he would accordingly pursue a policy of inter-campus complementation of programs, talents and resources.
 
Dr. Muslim, as if to console the students for the untimely departure of their "Daddy," declared that he has come as their "Big Brother," a brother who would always be around to listen to their wails, to attend to their needs and to make the university a wholesome   home for everyone. The assurance ignited a new refrain "Big Brother, Big Brother…" that echoed in the hall.
 
In just about an hour, the ceremony was over. But a long unknown future stares at the face of the new president.

Comments (9) | Add as favourites (57) | Quote this article on your website | Views: 867 | E-mail | Read more...

Source: Samira Gutoc 

This morning at 8:00 around 600 children coming from the different madrasah of Barangay Maharlika conducted a march-rally celebrating  Amoon  Jadeed . During this rally, these children waved their hands calling for peace in Mindanao and the resumption of peace talks between the GRP and MILF.

The activity was organized by  UNYPAD,  BANGSA-AMIN  and Bangsamoro Caucus. We already posted this activity on our e-group but somehow no one responded. Please see the children on this pictures calling for your hearts to support their call for peace.

Jun Naga

Be the first to comment this article | Add as favourites (42) | Quote this article on your website | Views: 751 | E-mail | Read more...

source: luwaran 

January 20, 2008

The United States global war against terrorism is coming to Cagayan de Oro City and the two Lanao provinces, a report to Luwaran said. Teams of the US elite Special Forces will arrive in Cagayan de Oro City and in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte starting February 18 as part of the RP-US " Balanced Piston" Balikatan exercises.

Earlier report said these joint military exercises are slated to be held in the provinces of Tawi-Tawi and Sulu, which will also commence on February 18 and will last until March 3.

Report said that a team of US soldiers has already been sighted in Camp Edilberto Evangelista, headquarters of the Army Fourth Infantry Division in Barangay Patag, Cagayan de Oro City as early as last January 14.

Major Mitchel Anayron, public affairs officer of the Army Fourth Infantry Division (4th ID) said the US soldiers were there to conduct pre-planning conferences with Army officials for the three-week exercises.

He said the US military officers are also expected to coordinate with local government officials where they will be deployed next month.

"A Philippine Army engineering brigade from Bukidnon will go with the US soldiers to construct school buildings and bridges," Maj. Anayron said.

Maj. Rodrigo Sosmeña, Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command spokesperson, said US soldiers could be deployed in the Lanao areas where there is a strong presence of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Maj. Sosmeña, however, clarified the US soldiers will not be conducting war games but will be holding a series of medical missions and some engineering works.

Meantime, Khaled Musa, vice chairman of the MILF committee on information, when asked to comment on the coming of the US Special Forces said: “We hope there will be coordination so that things will go perfectly well.”

He did not elaborate.

Comments (2) | Add as favourites (24) | Quote this article on your website | Views: 2059 | E-mail | Read more...

Be the first to comment this article | Add as favourites (48) | Quote this article on your website | Views: 2726 | E-mail | Read more...

The killing of a Catholic priest in Tabawan Island last January 15 at around 8:30 in the evening drew in condemnation from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), saying the lives of non-combatants including priest are held inviolable in Islam even in combat situation. Sheikh Mohammad Muntassir, head of the MILF Da’wah (Call to Islam) Committee, said the killing is an indication of the worsening situation in the Philippines that spared no one from the scourge of violence.

“We condemn this killing in the highest possible terms and the killers  deserve Hell for their barbaric act,” he said.

The priest was identified as Jesus Reynaldo A. Roda, director of the Notre Dame of Tabawan and head of the mission station there for the last ten years.

Father Roda, a member of the Oblates of the Mary Immaculate (OMI) congregation, was killed while praying at the chapel “n an apparent kidnapping attempt,” report said. The armed men barged in and tried to take him, but he  struggled and resisted being taken away, and explicitly told his kidnappers, said a witness said, he preferred to be killed right there and then.

The priest was beaten before he was shot to death.

Tabawan is an island located some eight hours away by boat from the capital town of Bongao, where the body of the priest was brought and then to Cotabato City and finally to the Oblate cemetery in Tamontaka, Datu Odin Sinsuat in Shariff Kabunsuan for his final resting place.

Father Roda was ordained priest on May 10, 1980

Be the first to comment this article | Add as favourites (28) | Quote this article on your website | Views: 1483 | E-mail | Read more...