Chief MILF peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal reads the Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper at a hotel in Zamboanga after attending a forum in Zamboanga City where he and 14 other members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission were insulted and booed by local participants opposed to the inclusion of the city to the proposed new Muslim autonomy region in Mindanao.
And Iqbal's group in Sulu province where members pay their courtesy to Gov. Totoh Tan and other provincial officials on February 13, 2014 and held a dialogue on the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Ahl-Franzie Salinas)
Members of the 15-man Bangsamoro Transition Commission headed by Mohagher Iqbal, the chief MILF peace negotiator, held a dialogue on Thursday in the southern Filipino province of Sulu where locals warmly welcomed the group – a far cry from insults they experienced in Zamboanga City.
Abdullah Cusain, head of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission's communication group, said provincial officials led by Gov. Totoh Tan welcomed them to Sulu, one of five provinces under the Muslin autonomous region. “It was really a warm reception in Sulu and we were welcomed by the people there and we thanked Governor Totoh Tan and all provincial officials,” he told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner by phone from Sulu.
He said Iqbal’s group paid their courtesy call to Tan and to his father, Vice Gov. Sakur Tan and other officials and later briefed them about the progress of the peace process and various issues related to the peace talks between the Aquino government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group.
“It was far from what happened to us in Zamboanga. Here in Sulu the discussion was friendly and cordial and we appreciate the support of the province and its people to peace in Mindanao,” Cusain said.
Sulu Representatives Maryam Arbison and Tupay Loong and town mayors were also present during the dialogue held at the indoor amphitheater of the Area Coordinating Center.
But not all Tausugs support the new Bangsamoro region because of various reasons, but many of them wanted the 1996 peace deal between Manila and the rival Moro National Liberation Front under Nur Misuari fully implemented.
Misuari's group is also opposing the current government peace talks with the MILF because any peace accord between the two sides would violate the government peace agreement with the MNLF.
Others wanted Sulu to separate from the autonomous region or be part of the new Bangsamoro region for the simple reason that development projects are not equally distributed among the provinces under it. While others believe Sulu belongs solely to the Tausug tribe just as Samal belongs to Tawi-Tawi and Yakan to Basilan - and run their own affairs or even put a separate autonomous region for the three provinces.
Insults
In Zamboanga, Iqbal’s group was booed and insulted by residents who are opposed to the inclusion of the city to the proposed Bangsamoro autonomous region. But Iqbal said Zamboanga is not even included in the new Muslim autonomy.
The BTC was supposed to pay its courtesy call to Zamboanga Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar on its way to Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, but the politician wanted Iqbal’s group to hold a forum so residents would be able to ask questions about the proposed autonomy for Muslims in Mindanao, and whether the city may be annexed in the new region.
During the forum, a BTC member, lawyer Akmad Sakkam, has told those in the forum to join them in the Bangsamoro autonomous region despite the strong opposition of the locals to be included in the new Muslim homeland.
Sakkam’s comment sparked a heated debate that led many in the forum to walk out and left Iqbal’s group. Locals also felt insulted by Sakkam's comments.
Pursuing peace
But Iqbal said they hold no grudge to those who are not in favor of the Bangsamoro homeland, saying, his group is campaigning for peace in Mindanao which would benefit not only the Muslims, but all Filipinos in the mineral-rich region.
Iqbal said they were only supposed to pay their courtesy to Salazar, but she declined to meet them at the City Hall.
“Originally, it was a courtesy call and the original plan was to hold it at the Office of the City Mayor, but at the last hour, it was change to that forum to some sort of a meeting with many people, kami naman our intention is good, our purpose is good so okay and sabi namin kahit ano ang importante eh makiusap namin ang mayor to convey to her that our message is about peace, about reaching out to people who will understand, who will listen to us because after all what we intend to do as far as the writing of the basic law is concerned is for everybody’s benefit,” he told The Manila Times.
Iqbal said they received reports that they had been set up in the forum by Salazar’s group.
“There were reports that everything was set up, the report went further to say that it was a frame up, but I don’t believe that. We were booed, there were some questions raised and harsh voice, but for us we held our composure, we are there to communicate, we are there to reach out, and we are there to transmit information that are necessary for building peace in Mindanao. So we prepared ourselves for whatever situation that we may encounter,” Iqbal said.
In the end, Iqbal said the BTC and the MILF is willing to listen to all sectors of society just to be able to pursue peace in the country, particularly in the restive region of Mindanao.
“Our message is very simple, it’s like playing ‘Jack and Poy’ (rock-paper-scissors), when people use stone, we use paper; if the other side uses scissors, we use stone; so it’s just about having a situation which is not confrontational so that we can maintain the level of communication with all groups whether they are hostile to us or friend with us, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and the MILF are willing to listen, are willing to argue with reasons, after all we are all civilized people,” he said.
The other members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission are Ibrahim Ali, a member of the MILF; Maulana Alonto, of the MNLF, Talib Abdulhamid Benito, a Shari’ah lawyer; Abdulla Camlia, also of the MILF; Pedrito Eisma, a politician in Basilan province; Raissa Jajurie, a lawyer from Sulu province; Froilyn Mendoza, a member if the Teduray tribe from Maguindanao; Hussein Munoz, also a member of the MILF; Fatmawati Salapuddin, a peace advocate in Sulu; Said Shiek, of the MILF; Asani Tammang, a lawyer from Sulu; Timuay Melanio Ulama, also a member of the Teduray tribe; Johaira Wahab, an advocate of women's rights.
Bangsamoro land
Zamboanga City Rep. Lilia Nuño has openly supported the peace process and said the peace deal between government and MILF would bring prosperity not only in Zamboanga, but the whole of Mindanao.
She said Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks, has immediately pledged P 20 billion for Bangsamoro areas after the signing of the Annex on Normalization by peace negotiators just recently.
“Even if we are not part of Bangsamoro but we would still benefit because Zamboanga City is the center of business in the region. All the trade and commerce will still come to our city,” Nuño was quoted as saying.
Zamboanga City serves as the trading and commercial hub of the Muslim provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, all part of the autonomous region, but majority of its inhabitants and their officials do not want to be part of the Bangsamoro region. Zamboanga was a former Moro capital.
President Benigno Aquino is also actively campaigning for the passage of the Bangsamoro basic law, saying, this will bring peace, progress and development in the southern Philippines.
“Nananabik na po tayo sa araw na maipasa na ang Bangsamoro Basic Law, upang tuluyan na ngang mabuksan ang bagong kabanata ng kasaysayan sa Muslim Mindanao. Pagkatapos nating sunod-sunod na nalagdaan ang mga bahagi ng Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, abot-kamay na natin ang ganap na pagtutuwid ng sistema sa rehiyong ito, at ang permanenteng pagbabago sa Lupang Pangako,” he said.
“Ang taumbayan ang siya na pong nagkukumpas ngayon sa direksyong tinatahak ng ating bayan—ang landas ng pangmatagalang kaunlaran at kapayapaan...iyan din ang nakikita nating magiging bagong mukha ng Bangsamoro sa mga darating na panahon,” Aquino said. (Mindanao Examiner. With a report from Ahl-Franzie Salinas in Sulu province.)
http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2014/02/insults-praises-greet-bangsamoro.html
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