ISIS terror threat is no excuse to partition Mindanao through Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL)

"Senator Letty Shahani, who has become a staunch proponent of BBL,   acknowledged that there is a radicalization of ISIS in the world and the Philippines is a good candidate for that radicalization. She also said that the Philippines "as a nation should think of unity and un-division." Actually, I don't see the logic of her statements. Does she mean "preemptive surrender" to deter radicalization of the people of the Philippines and so Ph should sign away parts of Mindanao through BBL?"               

By Marlene Damolo Howe
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
December 4, 2015

“How do you defeat terrorism? Don’t be terrorized.” ~~ Salman Rushdie

"The highest patriotism is not a blind acceptance of official policy, but a love of one's country deep enough to call her to a higher plain." ~~ George McGovern

NATIONAL PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE (PANATANG MAKABAYAN - original version)

I love the Philippines.
It is the land of my birth;
It is the home of my people.
It protects me and helps me to be strong, happy and useful.
In return, I will heed the counsel of my parents;
I will obey the rules of my school;
I will perform the duties of a patriotic, law-abiding citizen;
I will serve my country unselfishly and faithfully
I will be a true Filipino in thought, in word, in deed.

 I just recited this pledge out loud and tears were running down my cheeks. I used to recite this growing up. The words touched the inner core of my heart. Do we have anymore PATRIOTS in the government who will do what's right for Inang Bayan? 

"Sa manululupig di ka pasisiil." Ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo." These are the two lines of our national anthem (Lupang Hinirang) that Filipinos have sung countless of times since grade school. But many of us have forgotten the meaning of these lines and have become self-serving. We have lost our purpose and have forgotten our duties as good citizens. Many of us have become apathetic and complacent and many have lost their moral compass. Power and money are the main essence of politics in the Philippines. Politicians spend lots of money to buy votes. 

People sell their vote or voting for their celebrity idols that are unqualified and clueless what the job entails. Many would sell the country if they have to for their own benefit. It's time for change for the better! CHANGE STARTS FROM WITHIN IN EACH AND EVERY FILIPINO. STOP THE APATHY AND COMPLACENCY. VOTE FOR QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WITH GOOD MORAL CHARACTER EVEN IF THEIR NAMES ARE NOT WELL-KNOWN TO YOU. STOP VOTING FOR THE SAME INUTILE TRAPOS WHO ARE ALREADY KNOWN CORRUPT. DO IT FOR THE COUNTRY AND FOR THE PEOPLE.

I am personally heartbroken over the news Global terrorism highlights need to pass Bangsamoro bill. The Philippines is prone to threats like ISIS, says former senator Leticia Ramos ~~ Shahani and so disappointed in former Senators Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel and Leticia "Letty" Ramos-Shahani. In fact, if you notice in our welcome statement in the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum (PSCF), you will see that we go by Senator Nene Pimentel's tenet. They were the epitome of good and honest lawmakers who would only do what's best for the country and people; by the people, for the people and of the people. So what gives? 

Well, according to the article: Global terrorism highlights need to pass Bangsamoro bill. The Philippines is prone to threats like ISIS, says former senator Leticia Ramos ~~ Shahani -- it's about their FEAR OF TERRORISM. So they are now FOR the passage of BBL the way it is. The report said that The Shahani-Pimentel group "called for the passage of the BBL, which both the House and the Senate promised to pass by December 16", and this, despite a potential lack of quorum! Now, that is simply unbelievable! That would be reaking the rules in Congress.

Senator Letty Shahani, who has now become a strong proponent of BBL, acknowledged that there is a radicalization of ISIS in the world and that the Philippines is a good candidate for that radicalization. She also said that the Philippines "as a nation should think of unity and un-division." Actually, I don't see where the logic of her statements. Does she mean "preemptive surrender" to deter radicalization of the people of the Philippines and so PH should sign away parts of Mindanao through BBL?

Whatever happened to "Sa manlulupig, di ka pasisiil/Ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo?" Should we just roll over and play dead before ISIS turn our people into "Jihadists?" If she talked about "unity and un-division," she should call for ALL FILIPINOS TO BE UNITED IN DEFENDING THE COUNTRY AND NOT JUST SURRENDER WITHOUT A FIGHT. 

Senator Shahani also said that the passage of BBL "will show the political will of the Filipinos who are Christians by religion, that we are one with our Muslim brothers and sisters." We are ALL Filipinos regardless of religion! And if they really want to pass an autonomous Mindanao, go back to the negotiating table and renegotiate the deal TO INCLUDE ALL LUMADS AND MUSLIM FACTIONS. That is UNITY and fair consideration.

Let me be clear in my position on this subject, first and foremost. I am for PEACE but I am also for my beloved Philippines and Sabah! It does not take rocket science to see that BBL gives Inang Bayan the shorter end of the bargain that dismembers the country. Should MILF succeed in obtaining their sub-state, Bangsamoro under their control would become a 'buffer zone' for Malaysia against the Philippines. ..... 

Malaysia will ultimately have de facto control of MILF's Bangsamoro state that includes Palawan -- and will rape its natural resources like it did to Sabah. This has been Malaysia's plan in the making for the past fifty years as it tries its best to outwit and outplay our leaders through bribery and by sowing chaos in our own land -- making us fight among each other. After MILF's BBL, which faction will go next to demand their own BBL? Maybe the MNLF? The BIFF? The Abbu Sayyaf? The Lumads? There's not enough land in Mindanao to be had so they will expand their claim to the Visayas and then Luzon and then the Philippines as a country will cease to exist.

In early 2013 after President Aquino signed a peace agreement with Malaysia-sponsored MILF: the Sultanate of Sulu marched into Sabah (in February 2013) to assert their right to the land before the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement was to take effect. The Sabah stand-off ensued. There is no doubt that the claim to Sabah by the Philippines and the Sultanate of Sulu will be lost forever if Aquino's BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law) project is ratified by the Philippine legislature. 

This is what has inspired Malaysia, its ulterior motive in being nice to the Philippine politicians, both in elected and appointed capacities. So is this what you call PEACE? How can you call BBL "peace" when it did not even include other factions in the peace talks' equation? It's only peace for MILF and its supporters. Do we really expect other factions like the MNLF to submit to MILF-controlled Bangsamoro state which had actually sprung from the MNLF, the original rebel group?

This is exactly my point! THERE WILL BE NO PEACE IN MINDANAO IF ONLY ONE FACTION IS CONSIDERED IN THE PEACE PROCESS BROKERED BY THE SAME COUNTRY THAT STOLE SABAH FROM US!  To think otherwise, is naive and selfish because this is NOT what's good for our country and people.
 

We already have ARMM (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao) for our Muslim kababayans in the region which was created under the constitutional protectorate of the Republic. So why BBL? To do so is a sell out to Malaysia because, eventually, they will secede. MILF's not to secede doesn't hold water. Look at what Malaysia is doing to Sabah. Malaysia will not return Sabah because the state is Malaysia's cash cow that funds the Petronas, the Malaysia Federation Corporation that sucks all of Sabah's oil for Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia will do the same to President Aquino's Bangsamoro state should MILF gets its way.

Another point to consider is also MILF's desire to impose Sharia Law. This is DEFINITELY NOT GOOD and NOT FAIR to our Muslim sisters who will be treated as properties instead of equals. Most of us have seen on the news how ISIS stoned a woman to death because of adultery. They threw two gay men off a building because they were gay. They executed 13 teenagers by firing squad using machine guns for watching soccer on TV because it's supposed to be a violation of the Sharia Law. In this case, I assume that TV will then be banned from every household in the future Bangsamoro under Sharia Law.
 
Personally, the only thing I like about the Sharia Law is the cutting off of the hand of a thief as punishment for a first offense and the other for a second offense. I do think we should impose this law upon our corrupt lawmakers. But those in power certainly do not have any problem watching TV themselves and using social media to advance their agenda. How is it fair to our Muslim women and to those who don't fit in a region that is ruled by Sharia Law?


Note: The posters herein are not mine except for the photo of myself. They were lifted from PSCF where they were posted by members.


~~~~O~~~~

Marlene Howe is co-Founder and Administrator of the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum and of the Defenders of Philippine Sabah and Spratly Claims community as well as an administrator of this blog. Ms. Howe is US based but keeps a home in the Philippines.

~~~~O~~~~
REPORT: Global terrorism highlights need to pass Bangsamoro bill. The Philippines is prone to threats like ISIS, says former senator Leticia Ramos ~~ Shahani  

MANILA, Philippines – The recent terrorist attacks in Paris and other parts of the world highlight the importance of passing the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) soonest, a former senator said.

Former senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani made the statement in a news briefing after a meeting of BBL advocates with Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and other lawmakers on Tuesday, December 1. Her group urged the House of Representatives to pass the proposed measure.

"There is indeed a radicalization of ISIS in the world. [And] the Philippines is a very good candidate for that radicalization," Shahani said in the news briefing. 

Also noting the migrant crisis in Europe, the former senator said that the Philippines "as a nation should think of unity and undivision." 

"I think the passage of the BBL will show the political will of the Filipinos – who are Christians by religion – that we are one with our Muslim brothers and sisters in making one nation," she said. 

Shahani and her fellow BBL advocates, former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr and 1986 Constitutional Commission chairman Christian Monsod, met with Belmonte on Tuesday. Known BBL critic BUHAY party-list Representative Lito Atienza was also at the meeting.

The group called for the passage of the BBL, which both the House and the Senate promised to pass by December 16. 

Rule on quorum The advocates cited one obstacle to deliberations on the BBL – the strict rule on quorum. The lack of quorum has been cited as a major hurdle in discussion of the bill in the plenary. 

But Atienza remained firm on the House rule, saying that they are not changing their position. "If there is no quorum, we cannot tackle BBL," he said in Filipino. 

Pimentel said his group does "not expect the House to just disregard the rules" but argued that there are "higher objectives" to exempt the BBL discussions from the rule on quorum. 

"Why cannot it be accepted as an exception to the general requirement because of the higher objectives in the search for peace in Mindanao? Because otherwise, more lives will be lost," the former senator said. With less than 10 sessions left before Christmas break, there are concerns that Congress would not meet its deadline. 

But Pimentel wanted to remain positive, as further delay in the passage of the measure would mean a major setback for peace efforts in Mindanao. 

"What we would like to see actually is that the BBL will get through the process of Congress at this particular session, before the Christmas break. Anything beyond that will push the peace efforts backwards and we'll be back to square one all over again." 

Despite the dimming possibility of the bill's passage, Belmonte told Rappler in a text message that they still assured the supporters they "are trying their best to pass it." – Rappler.com

Posted 16 hours ago by Lioness of Sabah

It's time for PH Govt to recognise Operation Merdeka's unsung Filipino heroes who were murdered by Kuala Lumpur

"After nearly 50 years, it's time for the Philippine Republic and its government to be brave, to admit officially to the world that PH did plan to 'invade' Sabah -- and not to give a damn about what Kuala Lumpur might think or say, to open the "official" records and give due recognition to those 'unsung, under cover heroes' of the Republic, who had been embedded in Sabah and who were brutally tortured and murdered by Malaysia's dreaded ISA in the run up to the denunciation of Operation Merdeka, so that they may finally rest in peace! The Republic owes them that..."


By Anne de Bretagne
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for the Sabah Claim Society
21 August 2015


The following, in a nutshell, is the "infamous" Operation Merdeka, i.e., Philippine plan to recover Sabah (before the plan was scuttled):

Operation Merdeka was originally the brainchild of President Diosdado Macapagal but its execution was organised by his successor, President Marcos. The plan was not to wage war against the Suluks in Sabah (Suluks are the Tausug inhabitants of Sabah) but only to create disturbance in Sabah. The initial purpose was to INFILTRATE Sabah by sending military trained Tausugs from Sulu to organise huge rallies, enormous rallies (much like what Putin did to Crimea) and to catch the Peninsular Malaysians by surprise... Noting the distance between KL and Kota Kinabalu, Marcos was banking on the element of surprise, i.e., that it would take Kuala Lumpur a great deal of time to scramble their fighters and by then everything would be over. Sabah would be under PH control.

Marcos had a squadron of the the Philippine Air Force which got ready to fly over Kota Kinabalu and other towns (in a bid to frighten whatever KL troops or sentries were there) while the infiltrated troops (Tausugs and their AFP military handlers) were occupying the most sensitive positions, hoist the PH FLAG atop every point, blast the announcement over loudspeakers all over Sabah towns... the PHIL AIR FORCE fighter aircraft then would fly over to signal that Sabah was retaken! THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OPERATION MERDEKA

But as ever, Murphy's military law played its hand: "Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong!" because Senator Ninoy Aquino, true to the Aquino clan mantra, would rather sabotage the plan against his own countrys interest to favour the Peninsular Malaysians -- God knows we know not why -- just as Senator Sumulong (his 'uncle-in-law) had done before him and just as his son is doing today.

And what the Filipino public hardly knows about is what happened after Operation Merdeka was denounced: Filipinos under cover, on mission for the  Republic were captured, ruthlessly tortured, killed, and are buried in the recesses of Sabah.

Understand that there were already hundreds of PH assets, military and para-military who had gone under cover and had infiltrated Sabah* (long before the so-called or the sensationalised "Jabidah-Corregidor Massacre" victims); they had already been sent to Sabah, had been lying under cover all over Sabah in preparation for the 'Operation' and who were caught in the quagmire in Sabah (North Borneo) after Sen Ninoy Aquino denounced the operation on the Senate pulpit.

Kuala Lumpur's intel agencies, led by Malaysia's dreaded ISA, moved with lightning speed, captured many of them, tortured and killed many, many of them -- impossible to determine today the number of Filipino para-military and military infiltrates in Sabah who were ruthlessly tortured and summarily executed unless we open PH Government records officially. A horrendous end for these Filipinos who were on mission for the Republic but who remain officially nameless today. They were Filipinos.

*NB: These Operation Merdeka assets had already infiltrated Sabah as moles, plants, sleepers, undercover agents, etc., long before the sensationalised "Jabidah Massacre" and were not the "Tausug trainees' referred to in the Corregidor-Jabidah Massacre episode exposed by Senator Ninoy Aquino and who were still being groomed precisely to join these assets that had already been embedded in Sabah. The embedded assets in Sabah fell victims to Malaysia's killer hands following the denunciation of the Operation in the Senate by Senator Ninoy Aquino.

Until today, many of -- if not all, those nameless PH casualties cannot be officially recognised by our government, cannot be given proper burial, or even just be given proper honours, because to officially recognise them as Operation Merdeka heroes, PH must admit to having planned and partly executed the invasion of Sabah and that just cannot be done according to PH government. So, today, there are many unsung heroes, casualties of this "silent, undeclared war", buried in Sabah without recognition from their government for what they have done in the name of the Republic. But Malaysia knows the crimes it has committed on these people in 1968 and knows that PH doesn't give a damn about them.

It's time to face what happened in Sabah after the scuttling of Operation Merdeka nearly 50 years ago to honour those Filipinos who were sent on a covert mission but never came back because they were captured, tortured and killed by Malaysia if only to give them proper burial.
  
After almost 50 years, it's time for the Philippine Republic and its government to be brave, to admit officially to the world that PH did plan to 'invade' Sabah -- and not to give a damn about what Kuala Lumpur might think or say, to open the "official" records and give due recognition to those 'unsung, under cover heroes' of the Republic who were brutally tortured and murdered by Malaysia's dreaded ISA in the run up to the denunciation of Operation Merdeka so that they may finally rest in peace! The Republic owes them that...

YES TO PEACE, NO TO BBL MANIFESTO

Former DILG chief with some members of FORMA

On Sunday, 24th May, beginning at 8 AM, Rafael Alunan III, former Interior and Local Govenment secretary will be leading a prayer rally at the Luneta Park in Manila under the banner of 'Yes to Peace, No to BBL.'  As the country faces grave threats to its sovereignty, Rafael Alunan III, one of the major state actors who helped paved the way for the PH government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to reach a peace deal in 1996, has emerged as the strongest champion of national cohesion and is widely recognised today as the most fearless advocate for maintaining the country's territorial integrity. ~~ Blog Administrator

MANIFESTO 

By Rafael M. Alunan III
22 May 2015
 
MAY 24 YES TO PEACE, NO TO THE BBL PRAYER RALLY 8 A.M. SUNDAY AT THE LUNETA PARK
YES TO PEACE. NO TO THE BANGSAMORO BASIC LAW!  
Retain and Strengthen the ARMM and Local Autonomy.

Today, we find our nation in peril and our democratic way of life under threat, both externally and from within. All too often, the common good and national interests are sacrificed on the altar of political expediency, corruption and self-serving hidden agendas.

Nowhere is this disconnect from reality more pronounced than on the issue of the “peace process” undertaken exclusively with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that produced the Comprehensive Agreement on BangsaMoro (CAB), and the BangsaMoro Basic Law (BBL), a proposed bill that seeks to replace R.A. 6734 that created the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

We believe that a significant majority in Mindanao, and around the country, opposes the CAB-BBL because the process was not transparent, inclusive and thoroughly consultative, not unlike the MOA-AD that the CAB mirrors, which the Supreme Court struck down during the term of former president Gloria Arroyo.

Yet, government has chosen to ignore the people’s dire warnings so far to change course in order to achieve real peace. It continues to press for its passage not later than June 2015. The Aquino administration is subsequently violating the Tripoli Agreement and dismissing the 1996 peace agreement between the government and the MNLF.

We are a group of Filipino citizens from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao that oppose the BBL for the following reasons:

1. MALAYSIA: The choice of Malaysia as third party mediator was ludicrous because it is conflicted. Malaysia opposes our Sabah claim and has persistently undermined our nation's stability as a state that funded, organized and trained secessionist groups – originally the MNLF and, subsequently, the MILF.

2. BASIC LAW: The nomenclature BangsaMoro Basic Law (BBL) is in itself, a thinly veiled attempt at usurping the constitution. "Basic Law" connotes a constitution of a state, in this case, the BangsaMoro, to which all laws must conform.

3. BANGSAMORO TERRITORY: Sec 2 to 5, Art III of the BBL defines the BangsaMoro Territory and suggests a separate territorial enclave within sovereign Philippine territory. It aims to give a homeland to a group that does not represent the hopes and aspirations of excluded sectors and infested with Islamist radicals connected to the global jihadist movement under a caliphate.

4. SELF-GOVERNANCE AND RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION: Sec 1 Art IV speaks of self-governance. Later on, the “RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION" was inserted showing manifest bad faith on the part of the MILF. The intent cannot be mistaken for anything but a prelude to a subsequent declaration of independence or secession.

5. A PARLIAMENTARY FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Sec 2 Art IV of the BBL prescribes a parliamentary form of government that contravenes Section 1 Art 2 and Sec 1 Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, which mandate a Republican and Presidential form of government.

6. BANGSAMORO POLICE AND BANGSAMORO COMMAND: Sec 2 Art XI creates a BangsaMoro Police, while Sec 15 Art XI establishes a BangsaMoro Command both of which will nominally be part of the PNP and AFP. Their creation constitutes a duplication of sovereign prerogatives, violating Section 3 Article II and Section 6 Article XVI of the 1987 Constitution, which recognize the AFP as the sole bearer of military arms and the PNP as the sole security apparatus of the state, respectively.

7. BANGSAMORO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES: The provisions creating a Civil Service (Sec 2 par. 1.8 Art. V); a Police Board equivalent to the NAPOLCOM (Sec 5 Art XI); a Commission on Human Rights (Sec 7 Art IX); a Public Attorney’s Office and Prosecution Service (Sec 18-19 Art X); a Commission on Audit (Sec 2 Art XII); a Tax Office (Sec.11 Art XII), and a Sharia Judicial and Bar Council (Sec 10 Art 10X), can only be viewed as a clear usurpation and duplication of sovereign functions and powers.

8. WALI: Sec 1 Art VIII of the BBL, creating the position of WALI or titular head of the BangsaMoro that mirrors the role of a head of state.

9. RELATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT: Sec 1-2 Art VI imposes an “Asymmetric Relationship” and “Parity of Esteem” to govern relations between the proposed entity and the Central government giving the former equal status and parity with the latter. With all the elements of a state virtually granted and guaranteed by the proposed basic law (people, sovereignty, territory and government) the BBL will create a parallel state and can lead to no other conclusion other than an eventual bid by the MILF at independence.

10. PEACE PROCESS: We have reason to believe that the process that was undertaken that led to the signing of the CAB was furtive, not unlike the process that the Arroyo Administration chose to take in trying to obtain public approval for the unlamented MOA-AD. Contrary to this administration’s claims, the peace panel chose to be exclusionary and failed to undertake extensive, open and transparent consultations of all stakeholders within the area of interest. The MOA-AD was brought before the Supreme Court where it was struck down for all the reasons mentioned. The same should be done to the CAB-BBL.

11. INTERNAL SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY: The recent massacre of forty-four (44) PNP Special Action Force law enforcers by the MILF-BIFF and other sympathetic armed groups, has thrown the MILF-BIFF’s sincerity and trustworthiness further into question. The MILF-BIFF is connected to the global jihadist movement, mainly Al Qaeda and Jema’ah Islamiya. Its alleged breakaway group, the BangsaMoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), has reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS. The MILF and BIFF were co-located in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that provided safe harbor to international terrorists with bounties on their heads – Marwan and Usman. Granting the MILF a homeland is akin to putting a revolver to our heads and playing Russian roulette. Retired Supreme Court Justice Florentino Feliciano said he does not believe the BBL alone can bring peace to Mindanao. The peace problem in Mindanao he said “cannot be whisked away by uttering the word 'peace' no matter how often or loudly the utterance might be.”

12. CULTURE: BBL proponents say that ARMM was a “failed experiment” citing the regional government’s failure to reverse its feudalistic practices, poverty, economic backwardness, rebellion, terror and revenge killings. Changing the political system is the recommended solution to its cultural problem. ARMM’s creation was not an experiment. Its failure lies not in the political system but in the attitudes, behavior and skills of the people. Breaking the vicious cycle requires persistent and sufficient investments in capacity and capability building especially in the tenets of good governance. This is the real solution to the failure of governance in ARMM. If the driver keeps crashing the car, the solution is to retrain the driver instead of changing the car.

13. Social Justice: Proponents say that the BBL addresses the centuries of social injustice suffered by the Muslims in Mindanao. Social injustice, we maintain, is a national concern that has bred armed rebellions and social discontent around the country. Feudalistic practices and the revenge culture are causes of social injustice. So is exclusion that the incumbent administration is accused of. In summary, the BBL betrays the public trust, violates the Constitution; undermines Philippine sovereignty and places public safety and internal security at grave risk. While the incumbent administration maintains that peace in Mindanao will be outgrowth of the BBL, we believe otherwise.

The BBL will be the nation’s undoing. It will inflict more violence and bloodshed; and usher in the country’s eventual disintegration. Every Filipino seeks an enduring peace, but not one obtained furtively and ignores the red flags that could further fragment society, dismember the country and cause more bloodshed. The Comprehensive Agreeement on BangsaMoro and the Bangsamoro Basic Law (CAB-BBL), as signed and originally submitted to Congress, respectively, should be stoutly opposed and rejected. We implore you, our people’s representatives, to do what is right for the sake of our people and the nation’s future.

~~~~O~~~~~

Gising mga Muslim! Ang may pag-iisip ay nag-iisip!

"Dahil ang hangad ng Malaysia ay ang yamang langis at yamang likas mula sa mayamang lupa at dagat ng Mindanao. Magsisilbi itong anihan ng yaman para sa mamamayan ng Malaysia sa kanilang pangangailangang mina mula sa lupa, pagkaing halaw sa bukid at isdang galing sa dagat ng Mindanao."

By E. S. Cruz 
For FORMA - Friends of Rafael Alunan III
20 May 2015

Alam lamang ng Muslim Mindanao ang laban sa kuffar (Christians/Manila). Ang tunay nilang kaaway ay Malaysia kahit isa itong bansang Muslim.

Dahil ang hangad ng Malaysia ay ang yamang langis at yamang likas mula sa mayamang lupa at dagat ng Mindanao. Magsisilbi itong anihan ng yaman para sa mamamayan ng Malaysia sa kanilang pangangailangang mina mula sa lupa, pagkaing halaw sa bukid at isdang galing sa dagat ng Mindanao. Ipinain ng Malaysia ang Muslim Mindanao sa laban sa gobyerno upang manghinawa ang Muslim Mindanao sa kakayahang mamuno at magbigay ng sagot ng gobyernong Pilipinas sa pangangailangan ng Mindanao. 

Ngayon ay ipinalalabas na 'Peace' o Katahimikan sa pag ayon ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas sa lihim na hangarin ng Malaysia; ang tuluyang paghiwalay ng Mindanao sa Pilipinas at pagsanib sa Malaysia.
 
Gising mga Muslim! Ang may pag-iisip ay nag-iisip. May mga bagay ng hindi ninyo gusto subalit makabubuti sa inyo at may mga bagay na inyong gusto subalit makasasama sa inyo. Surah 2. Al-Baqara, Ayah 216

كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Fighting is prescribed for you and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth and ye know not. Quf al BBL wa Sabru!

Itigil ang BBL at maghintay. Stop BBL and Wait!
Ang Malaysia ay magnanakaw!/ Malaysia al harami'l kubra!Ninanakaw ng Malaysia and lupa at langis ng Sabah!Isusunod ng Malaysia ang pagnanakaw sa Mindanao!

~~~~O~~~~


The author, an administrator of FORMA - Friends of Rafael Alunan III, is Muslim and is a staunch advocate of "YES TO PEACE! NO TO BBL" Movement.

Armed conflicts in Mindanao: events triggered by unresolved Sabah issue and influenced by Malaysia

All the events involving armed conflicts in Southern Mindanao from 1968, 1969 and specifically in the early 70s until today were triggered by the one standing unresolved issue between the Republic of the Philippines and Peninsular Malaysia: Sovereignty rights over Sabah or the Manila Accord. These 'events' have been "influenced" by Malaysia. 

- Malaysia commenced "influencing events" in Southern Mindanao immediately after the discovery of a plan by the Republic to take control of Sabah in 1968

- Malaysia's Tunku Abdul Razak (father of current Malaysia Prime Minister Najib) was the first PM to pour money into Muslim secessionist rebels who at the time were led by Nur Misuari (first chair of MNLF) and seconded by Hashim Salamat (founder of MILF)

- Malaysia's PM Mahathir as soon as he took over continued the exercise and improved Tunku Abdul Razak's modus operandi by modernising the Malaysian armed forces. He then poured resources after resources into and "enlarged" Muslim secessionist training camps in Sabah. Mahathir devoted a great deal of effort in the Islamisation of Sabah by allowing the influx of Muslims from all over the region and granting them Malaysia citizenship in exchange for their votes so that Barisan Nasional (his party) would remain in power. He was responsible for the nationalisation of the oil resources of Sabah and created PETRONAS that would control the industry.

- When FVR's Govt, finally concluded a peace deal with the MNLF in 1996 with the backing of the OIC, Malaysia realised that their attempts to sow trouble in Southern Mindanao through the MNLF of which they were patrons might be endangered. The MILF shunned the 1996 Peace Agreement. Mahathir trained his efforts on the break-away faction headed by Hashim Salamat aka MILF and funded and supported the rebel group.

- In 1998, President Estrada who had just been elected to the presidency, and who was despised by Mahathir, decided to launch an offensive against the MILF after intel revealed that the MILF, fully armed with weapons from Malaysia (including missile systems that Mahathir had ordered earlier on) was gearing up for a full scale offensive against government military bases in the South. The AFP won.

- In 1999, the Sipadan hostage crisis took place. Sipadan is a Malaysian resort island. The hostage crisis began the long descent to hell of Estrada.

- In 2004, Gloria Macapagal accepted MILF's demand that Malaysia be the head of the monitoring team to supervise a Framework Agreement. Malaysian troops began to arrive in Southern Mindanao.

- Shortly thereafter, Senator Nene Pimentel questioned the wisdom of calling on Malaysia to oversee the proposed "peace talks" with the MILF invoking the fact that PH has a standing unresolved issue over Sabah

- In 2012, President Aquino handed over to Najib the signed "Talking points" for the envisioned shared sovereignty over a new political entity between GPH and MILF

- In 2013, Sultanate of Sulu launched siege in Tanduo, Sabah in a bid to re-take Sabah; many Tausugs died; in September, MNLF decided to rally against the planned signing of the Malaysia-inspired wealth sharing agreement between GPH and MILF which is scheduled on 16 September, on the 50th anniversary of the illegal annexation of Sabah to the created Malaysia Federation.

The bottom line is that Malaysia has always put one over GPH in their bid to ensure that PH will never be able to turn around to re-claim Sabah.

Malaysia-engineered GPH-MILF Framework Agreement and President Aquino's 'debt of gratitude' to Malaysia

We have always said that we should not allow Malaysia to engineer peace talks with Muslim rebel groups in Mindanao especially with the MILF. 

We don't have anything against wealth sharing with members of our country, individuals or groups but we take issue with the presence of Kuala Lumpur. We don't want Kuala Lumpur's people in Mindanao. We don't want their troops in Mindanao. And this entire GPH-MILF so-called peace framework agreement has sidelined groups in Mindanao notably the MNLF and the Sultanate of Sulu whose sons and daughters are languishing in jail and possibly will face the death penalty in Kuala Lumpur government prisons over the Tanduo, Sabah siege in February. 

Why did they do that? Why did President Aquino approve such Malaysia-engineered arrangement? Because we figure it is his way of annihilating the Philippine claim to Sabah which is rumoured was  was his father's -- the late Senator Ninoy Aquino -- vow to Malaysia.
 
It smacks of great stupidity to allow Kuala Lumpur to engineer this so-called peace talks. President Aquino, ever the appeaser himself said that he has a personal debt of gratitude to Malaysia. What debt of gratitude? His father's debt of gratitude to the Malaysians, to Mahathir via the Sultan of Johor, is not the nation's debt. President Aquino's sister, Kris Aquino, who, by the way, has been cavorting with the Sultan of Johor if we believe her own show, could very well pay for that debt personally and there's no need to involve the nation's national integrity in that Aquino debt of gratitude.

It smacks of common sense that you do not allow one with whom you have an outstanding territorial dispute to engineer an important peace initiative with your country's secessionist rebels. And we have an outstanding territorial dispute over Sabah with Kuala Lumpur. 

Doesn't the Aquino Administration know that Malaysia, the engineers of the so-called peace framework, has been funding rebels against this govt for the last 40 years? Kuala Lumpur has been funding the MILF to sow terror in Muslim Mindanao. Kuala Lumpur has been able to stage manage this rebellion and then convinced the Philippine government to accept Malaysia boots in Mindanao. How stupid and idiotic can one get!

Malaysia has not even deigned honor the Manila Accord, a United Nations treaty no less, which was signed 50 years ago and you trust them not to be in cahoots with the MILF to push the 13 provinces to ultimately secede from the Philippines? 

Once more with feeling: You cannot and must not trust the MILF. They do not speak for all the Muslims in Mindanao. They do not represent the great Bangsamoro. There are at the very least 5 rebel factions in Mindanao among which is the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the enemies of the MILF, on top of which you have the Sultanate of Sulu which has been sidelined by this inept Aquino Administration.

The MILF has been funded by Kuala Lumpur since the early 70s to wage war against the Republic of the Philippines. They are the permanent boots of Kuala Lumpur in Mindanao. Wake up. Open your eyes. 

A Malaysia-engineered so-called peace framework cannot bring the ultimate peace that you desire.

Start all over again! Kick out Malaysia from "peace talks" and kick out "Malaysia troops" from Mindanao. Select another country to chair peace talks and assemble, include all the rebel groups in Mindanao in the drafting of a peace agreement. To achieve a minimum of just and lasting peace, the process must be inclusive otherwise pockets of war will be inevitable.

~~ By HM Sultana Matt Salleh
for the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
15 July 2013

Related post: A plan to dismember the Republic

In September 2004, the MILF Chairman wrote to Malaysia Federation's Prime Minister Badawi to make known his desiderata. Immediately thereafter, the peacenicking talks panel was established. We thought even then that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was completely out of her mind to ask Malaysia to engineer the talks and we were hoping that President Aquino would right that serious wrong. Sadly, we did not count on President Aquino's loyalty to Kuala Lumpur because of his Daddy's promise to Mahathir through the Sultan of Johor.

Excerpts (lifted from official MILF website):

.../...
Of course, as far as we are concerned it is to our great advantage. But it is fresh in our mind and memory that we belong to Malay race and we came from the same recent ancestors plus the fact that we cembrace the same Faith. We learn to love and to beloved, yet we have suffered enough for several centuries under these bad circumstances and situations of the creations of others. We, the Suluans are but just human. We feel that our backs are now against the wall. But before running out of time we would like to suggest that both parties concerned – Malaysians & Suluans – should create two panels whose members should come from the different sectors of society to include, above all, the Ulama then come to the negotiating table for brotherly confrontation, make resolutions for lasting and comprehensive peace that serve as a monumental reservation for our coming generations. 

At this juncture, only two options hereunder have been left for us and we are required already to decide and choose our prerogative, by all means: 

1) Return back Sabah to its rightful owners and be under the Federation of Malaysia as a compromise. We are considerate enough; we believe it is a win-win solution more appropriate to both Malays Bomeputra and the Suluans as brothers of the same religion. Allah says: “Muslims are just a single brotherhood 2) The cessation or disintegration of the entire Sulu Archipelago to include Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan and North Borneo (Sabah) from both the Philippine Republic and the Federation of Malaysia and be created an Independent State as Sultanate of Sulu & North Borneo with her own government and sovereignty. 

To avoid bloodshed and for legal purposes, all past Treaties entered into between the US Governments and the Sulu & North Borneo Sultans be used as vital instruments for the creation of such State. Otherwise, worse will come to worse, God forbid. We should get lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan which are severely devastated now owing to the obstinacy and stubbornness of their leaders who imposed tyrant rules and dictatorship just for personal aggrandizement. These are all charged to experience. I am confident that relinquishing Sabah to her legitimate owners is inevitable.  

On behalf of the Islamic brotherhood and in the name of Islam I venture to challenge Yang Amat Berhormat to lessen your burden of responsibility here in our contemporary world and in the hereafter by solving the Sabah conflict before stepping down from top position in the near future.  

May Allah bless us all. W a s s a l a m!!!! 
Ustadz/Prof. SHARIFF MOHSIN JULABBI Amer/Chairman, MILF-BMA, Personal Envoy of HRH Sultan Ismael Ibn Al-marhum Sultan Haji Punjungan Kiram 

cc. Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong X11 Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail 

Full post: www.defenders-philippine-sovereignty.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-is-milf-leadership-silent-about.html

Related news report: 'Ninoy vowed to drop Sabah claim to get KL support vs Marcos'
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/12/13/ninoy-vowed-drop-sabah-claim-get-kl-support-vs-marcos

By Janvic Mateo, The Philippine Star
Posted at 03/13/2013 7:42 AM | Updated as of 03/13/2013 7:42 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. had promised Malaysia in 1983 that the Philippines would drop its claim over Sabah in exchange for its support in the move to oust strongman Ferdinand Marcos, a former foreign affairs official revealed yesterday.

Hermes Dorado, former national territory division head of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said Aquino met with then Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammad Mahathir before he went back to the Philippines and was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983.

Dorado said there were no official records of the supposed meeting between Aquino and Mahathir, but said he “became privy to this bit of intelligence” from former ambassador and retired general Rafael Ileto.

“General Ileto indirectly confirmed that Ninoy Aquino asked for help from Mahathir in exchange for dropping the Sabah claim when he gains power,” Dorado told a forum at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City.

Dorado said Ileto was the person assigned to monitor Aquino’s movement on his journey back to Manila.

“There was a commitment to help oust Marcos,” he added. “That is the reason why the government today is somehow reluctant to support the Sabah claim.”

“Our hands are tied today because the leadership up to this day is committed to drop the Philippine claim of Sabah,” he said.

According to Dorado, the clearest proof of Ninoy’s supposed pledge to Malaysia will be found in the 1987 Constitution, which was written during the presidency of his widow Corazon Aquino.

Dorado said the 1987 Constitution amended the first article of the 1973 Constitution and removed the phrase, “and all other territories belonging to the Philippines by historic right or legal title.”

The 1987 Constitution revised the definition of Philippine territory and “deleted Sabah as a historic claim backed up by the legal title pertaining to the sultanate of Sulu,” he added.

Dorado said Mrs. Aquino had no choice but to honor Ninoy’s commitment to Mahathir because she needed support from ASEAN nations to legitimize her ascendancy to the presidency through the people power revolution.

“Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir adamantly refused to attend the ASEAN Summit in Manila until President Cory made a firm commitment to amend Article 1 of the 1973 Constitution,” Dorado pointed out.

“Malaysian hard-ball diplomatic and guerrilla war maneuverings, backed by shrewd use of economic leverage, sourced from huge revenues from oil extracted in Sabah, were completed by 1987,” he added.

“They succeeded in forcing the Constitutional Commission to drop the Philippine Sabah claim, hands down.”

Dorado said the amended Baselines Law approved in March 2009 resulted in the exclusion of Sabah from the Philippine territory.

He said the amended law removed Section 2 of the 1968 law that included the phrase, “…the territory of Sabah, situated in North Borneo, over which the Republic of the Philippines has acquired dominion and sovereignty.”

“Removal of the specific reference to Sabah represented a disastrous outcome to the claims of the sultanate of Sulu,” Dorado said.

He claimed the results of the supposed “Ninoy-Mahathir pact” have destroyed all peaceful possibilities of pursuing the country’s claims.

Proprietary rights

Reacting to Dorado’s presentation, Princess Jacel Kiram – daughter of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III – maintained that Filipinos have proprietary rights in Sabah.

“We have so much wealth in Sabah na dapat tayo ang nakikinabang (we should be the ones benefitting),” Jacel said.

She said the lease agreement over North Borneo expired in 1978.

She accused the Aquino administration of protecting the interests of the Malaysian prime minister rather than the interest of the Filipino people.

“I would prefer to be another (nationality) rather than a Filipino citizen under our current set of leaders,” she said.