BANGSAMORO YOUTH CORNER
07 September 2011

WHY IS MINDANAO PEACE HOSTAGE TO
FILIPINO-MORO WAR IN MINDANAO?

By R. Rayhan R.

Introductory Notes

The Bangsamoro youth of Mindanao under Philippine colonialism are gratified with the invitation of www.mnlfnet.com to share their views with both the domestic and global audience attracted curiously to the website. Logging in to www.mnlfnet.com, people worldwide can monitor the raging armed, political and diplomatic struggle of the Bangsamoro people against the Manila government. As the pioneer liberation front that launched the Bangsamoro people's struggle against Philippine colonialism in the closing 1960s, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) under the leadership of the Bangsamoro professionals, like Prof. Nur Misuari, Abul Khayr Alonto, Ustaj Salamat Hashim and prominent others, has had harvested international recognition for challenging the Philippine Republic, which was only fabricated by both the American and Filipino politicians in 1946 to continue and to perpetuate Filipino colonialism in the Bangsamoro homeland of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan (MINSUPALA). Thus, it is appropriately newsworthy that the website www.mnlfnet.com, a metamorphose of the original www.mnlf.net, had to be blogged in the internet for the information of the world humanity and community of nations worldwide. The Bangsamoro youth also welcomed the progressive move of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for coming out with its own web-news center 'luwaran' after the MNLF.

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Now, focusing on our thoughts for our maiden exposure in the internet forum, again, why is Mindanao peace hostage to Filipino-Moro war in Mindanao? From the time the Bangsamoro people's revolution erupted in the 1960s, triggered by the heinous Jabidah massacre of almost seventy Bangsamoro youth trainees in Corregidor island on March 18, 1968 by the Philippine military soldiers, Philippine colonialism has always used the 'law of the jungle' that 'might is right' in imposing its hegemony on the colonized Bangsamoro and Igorot peoples. On this note, the Filipino colonialists must now learn that they have too long oppressed, exploited and colonized the Bangsamoro and Igorot nationalities whose illegal and immoral incorporation into the manufactured Philippine State in 1946 has only contributed to the mass suffering and misery of the Moros and Igorots under Philippine colonialism. Having said that, the crystal clear words of bitterness and caution of a visionary Igorot, Joseph F. Fallon, come to mind:

"After so many decades of abuse and betrayal, for the Moros and Igorots to trust Manila and to remain with the Philippines would not only be naive, it would be suicidal."

Although projecting a civilian government or posing a copy-cat of the American system, the Manila government relied heavily on its military arm to entrench its chosen officialdom in power and also to perpetuate Philippine colonialism in Mindanao.

Since the time the Filipino-Moro war in Mindanao broke out during the murderous Marcos regime, the Philippine government had used the old Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) troops to conduct a war of extermination and genocide against the Bangsamoro people. Clearly, Philippine colonialism wanted to pattern the genocidal war efforts of the U.S. government in massacring the aboriginal inhabitants of the old Indian nations and land-grabbing of their ancestral lands that are now labeled the 'United States of America (USA). In short, copying the U.S. government sinister design of erasing the Indian nations and forcibly integrating the human remnants in the caged settlements into pan-Americanism, the Filipino colonizers wanted to wipe out the Bangsamoro race from their homeland using the colonial AFP occupation forces in accomplishing the dirty work.

However, Philippine colonialism never did succeed and will never succeed. Why? Apparently, the early political animals in Malacanang and their American military advisers have forgotten that while the early aboriginal Indian warriors resisted vigorously against the genocidal campaigns waged by the European Americans to extinct their native Indian race, but tragically succumbed at the end, they never had, like the Bangsamoro warriors, battled three layers of piratical invasion exemplified by the Spanish, American and Japanese marauders. In is noted in history that during the colonization campaigns waged by the three foreign invaders, the Bangsamoro people stood their ground refusing to be conquered unlike the poor native 'American' Indians. Thus, today, the Bangsamoro people again are facing their fourth epic historical battle against the home-grown colonizers - the Filipino occupation forces in Mindanao.

What is now the outcome of the Filipino-Moro war in Mindanao after more than four decades of war of attrition?' Is the Manila government successful in wiping out the Bangsamoro race in war-torn Mindanao? Is Philippine colonialism successful in integrating the major portion populace Bangsamoro natives of Mindanao to accept being identified 'Filipinos,' once subjects of King Philip II or colonial slaves of Spain? Did the so-called Commission on Integration (CNI) help Philippine government assimilate the Bangsamoro people into its colonial fold? Is the newly-formed version of the old 'Office of Muslim Affairs' (OMA) - 'Commission on Filipino Muslims' something - another colonial master plan to discredit the Bangsamoro people's struggle for freedom from Philippine colonialism?

The answers to all these inquiries rest with the Filipino colonizers, particulalry those now in the executive branch of government. Let them answer objectively the relevant questions, if they want the Filipino-Moro war in Mindanao to end. More so, if the present Philippine Aquino government want to establish permanent peace in war-ravaged Mindanao, it has to answer the bitter question. Why is the Mindanao war transformed into a lucrative business enterprise for the AFP generals?

That being said, it is now discerned that Mindanao peace is held hostage by the Filipino-Moro war in Mindanao because the enterprising "Armed Forces of 'Pabaon' (AFP) generals", quoting Jimmy Gil of DZBB, are not at all interested to end the "bitterest war in Southeast Asia" (defunct Asiaweek) for million dollar reasons.

In today's news, the Ramos regime-new AFP as distinguished from the Marcos regime-old AFP, has figured in so many shenanigans, involving amassing unexplained wealth from tax-payers' money, pocketing UN monetary aid, enriching shamelessly from million-pesos ghost salaries, selling of war armaments to the politicians and oil to the civilian businessmen and ship owners, etc. Thus, the AFP today has produced the most crooked kind military officials, like former Generals Garcia, Rabusa and money-hungry others, and suicide addict, like ex-AFP Chief of Staff, General Anegelo Reyes.

Apparently, the unfolding Philippine military mess is all at the expense of the Mindanao war. Does this explain then why there is no end to the Filipino-Moro war in Mindanao? Is this not a decadent sign that Philippine colonialism want to prolong the war because it has become a profitable business to the few war-monger money-conscious AFP generals?

If this be the sad case, God forbid, then it is not only the Mindanao peace that is being held hostage by the Mindanao war, but also the sworn civilian Philippine government today that sincerely desire durable permanent peace in Mindanao.

On the comprehensive solution to the Filipino-Moro war in Mindanao in achieving lasting peace, the wisdom of the Mindanao former Senator Aquilino 'Nene' Pimentel, Jr. is a valuable guidance to the powers-that-be in Malacanang. He profoundly emphasized the gem of words:

"The reason why the government approaches so far have not succeeded in providing a just and lasting peace in the Moro land of Mindanao is that the efforts have been superficial. The Moros see through the superficiality of the solutions the government has thus far tried to address their grievances. The government's attempt to apply the divide-and-rule tactic to subjugate the Moro people has not succeeded. The government tactic to integrate the Moro people into the mainstream society of the country for the reason that they do not wish their identity as Muslims to be erased by their integration into the mainly Christian culture of the people."

"That is the principle nuance of this centuries-old conflict between the Moros of Mindanao and the government of our country from the Spanish era to the present. It is a nuance that seems to have been consistently overlooked or even ignored by governments in dealing with the Moro rebels."

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Next on Bangsamoro Youth Corner:

Is PH Media Merely a Mouthpiece of Philippine colonialism? Why War, Not Peace?