Posted to the MNLF Website (Nov 19): From the Bangsamoro People of Filipino-Colonized Mindanao--An Open Letter to President Benigno S. Aquino III, Secretary Manuel Rozas II, Mayor Maria Isabel Climaco, and Governor Mujib Hataman by RRayhanR
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PROLOGUE
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PROLOGUE
In Facebook, the OPEN LETTER of one of the few Bangsamoro intellectual icons of Filipino-colonized Mindanao (never mind the famous name) instantly received enthusiastic approval ('likes'). The OPEN LETTER directly addressed two national Filipino colonialist leaders, President Benigno S. Aquino III and DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas II and also two Mindanawan political collaborators, Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabel Climaco and ARMM Governor Mujib Hataman. It involved both an inquiry and appeal surrounding the 19-day September AFP-MNLF war in Zamboanga City
Apparently reflecting the collective sentiments and concerns of the oppressed Bangsamoro people of Mindanao under Philippine colonialism, the OPEN LETTER instantaneously elicited corresponding respose from the other well-known intellectual personalities of Filipino-occupied Mindanao , like Dr. Yolanda O. Stern and Dr. Raden Ikbala, among others.
Thus, due to the importance and controversy of the course of events revolving the Philippines-Bangsamoro war in Mindanao that has been ignited again by the present Aquino government, which have chosen military solution rather than peaceful dialogue as mandated by the September 2, 1996 GRP-OIC-MNLF Jakarta Peace Agreement, it is therefore important to let the global stakeholders of Mindanao peace share, read and judge for themselves the OPEN LETTER and spontaneous response. This is now quite possible thanks to the monitoring systems of global media and digital social networks!
ITEM ONE - READING THE SPONTANEOUS RESPONSE
Dr. Yolanda O. Stern, the famous 'daughter of Mindanao ' and globally-known peace laureate, has responded to the OPEN LETTER with a short citation of soul-searching approval. She has always been a keen observer of the consequences of the 4-decade Mindanao war and the untold suffering and misery of the Muslim and Animist Lumad natives as well as the conscious Christian inhabitants of Mindanao . Simply said, she cares. Her symbolic words of concern and advise:
"These questions need to be answered simply and clearly. Practice truth and fear nothing! All these fragments and evidences about what they saw, when they saw it and what they heard. Rumors and gossips are not accepted as evidence in court. Is there a team doing it?"
Dr. Raden Ikbala is today a noted Tausug intellectual icon whose deep concern for the healthy welfare and holistic well-being of the oppressed Bangsamoro people of Mindanao has truly earned him and few of his kind admiration, pride and tribute from the silent majority of Bangsamoro society. His valuable contribution to the Bangsamoro struggle to achieve peace, tranquility, justice and harmony with all societal groupings, including the oppressive colonizers and the colonized victims, has truly endeared him to the Mindanao peace stakeholders.
He responded to the OPEN LETTER with the following food-for-thought words:
"WEEK OF PEACE WITHOUT TRUTH AND JUSTICE IS NOT REAL PEACE."
"Those who are going to celebrate it this last days of November are turning peace into DAP (Diyurupang Aku/Pakahanungan) Fooling me on the road to peace. DAP as in Dunces Acting Peace.
We love peace. We must all love peace. Especially so that God inspires: "Wa Sulhun Khayr", ('Making peace and reconciliation is better'.) Especially so that Christmas is in the air, with the perennial theme of peace - PEACE ON EARTH, GOODWILL TO MAN. Muslims and Christians must be on in peace.
Nonetheless, the Holy Scriptures highlight truth. "Ja al Haqq", ('Truth is Love'). Veritas Liberati Vos, (''The Truth Shall Set You Free').
Justice is the bridge of truth and peace. Chapter 4, Verse 135 declares: "Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it may be against yourselves or your parents, or your relatives; even if it be against rich or poor."
Hence, to be able to establish genuine peace, the truth about the AVOIDANCE ZAMBOANGA WAR AND DESTRUCTION must be established, such as why Noynoy, Roxas, Hataman and (Mayor) Beng did not accept the ceasefire proposals of (Vice-President Binay, DND Secretary Gazmin, MNLF Chair Nur Misuari, Civil Society Organizations, United Nations (UN) and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The 'READ (OPEN LETTER) QUESTIONS" of Reynaldo R. Reyes which are similar to the questions of millions of citizens must be answered.
PEACE WITHOUT TRUTH AND JUSTICE IS MERELY A MIRAGE. Therefore, to be able to give substance, the theme of the 19th Week of Peace, 'Lord, Heal Our Land,' must be amended with the three essences of healing the social maladies, vid., TRUTH as the basis of JUSTICE, yielding PEACE: 'Lord, Heal Our Land With Truth, Justice and Peace'."
ITEM TWO - READING THE OPEN LETTER
"PLEASE GIVE US THE TRUE ANSWERS. We are law-abiding citizens of this country. We pay our taxes regularly from which BILLION PORK BARREL and the controversial DAP, by all scale and measure the government has corrupted.
As such, we strongly believe that it is our constitutional right to air out our grievances in the light of the very tragic and unfortunate man-made and natural calamities that occurred in Zamboanga City
On the unwanted 19 days siege that fidgeted untold and catastrophic destruction in terms of lives and properties in Zamboanga City , may we ask President Benigno S. Aquino III, Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Mayor Maria Isabel Climaco and Governor Mujib Hataman to clearly explain the following to the Filipino people especially to the peace-loving citizens of Mindanao .
(1) Their grounds or justifications for unilaterally refusing to accede to the ceasefire proposal of Vice-President Jejomar Binay, DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari which was reportedly endorsed by the Secretary Generals of the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), five (5) days after the outbreak hostilities. Indeed the wanton destruction and the massive tragedy could have been avoided;
(2) May we ask for a clear explanation on why Secretary Roxas was given the blanket authority to maneuver the conduct of the 19 days siege, even usurping the field functions of the AFP commanding generals, which information has been circulating in the social media;
(3) May we ask for a verified and true account or report on the number of military men casualties, who met their untimely demise because they were dragged into the bloody conflict by the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP who have chosen war not peace. One report has it that after five (5) days of pitch battle in the war zone, more or less five hundred (500) soldiers were killed and quite a big number sustained mortal wounds. Another report in the social media has it that after 19 days war, military lost more than One Thousand (1,000) soldiers, two (2) military tanks and quite a great number of wounded soldiers, who are still confined at the WESTMINCOM hospital, off limit to media;
(4) May we ask for the reason why up to this point in time Philippine Congress and the Senate have not conducted a thorough investigation or inquiry in aid of legislation on the phenomenal Zamboanga City Luzon our Liberal Party (LP) Stars of the PORK BARREL SCAM would walk a mile across even on bended knees to know the reason why. To us, this is necessary to uncover the truth that is being hidden by you know who?
(5) May we be enlightened on the Malayo-Hataman-Climaco-Roxas-Aquino conspiracy that facilitated the MAKE BELIEVE SURRENDER of 23 fake MNLF freedom fighters from Basilan, the home place of Mujib Hataman. Is it enough that PNP Superintendent Chiquito Malayo should be axed only as Acting City Police Chief? This military operation scandal demoralized honor-deserving PNP officers and bespeaks as well as of the deceitful, disgraceful and undeserving leaders we have in this country.
(6) Why did Aquino, Roxas, Climaco and Hataman allow the BURNING (as part of the military CLEARING OPERATION) of the more than Ten Thousand (10,000) homes, and 13 Muslim mosques in Barangays Sta. Barbara, Lustre, Rio Hondo, Mariki, Sta. Catalina and Talon-Talon by the military, rendering more than Twenty Thousand (20,000) families (mostly Muslims) desperately homeless? Why were the Philippine Naval vessels stationed along the sea coast of Mariki, Arena Blanco and Rio Hondo ordered to indiscriminately fire, using their heavy cannons, at private homes in Talon-Talon, Sta. Catalina and Mampang killing innocent and unarmed helpless civilians? And,
(7) We ask the International Human Rights Commission of the UN, not the Human Rights Commission (HRC) paid by Aqino's DAP, to look seriously into the human rights violations committed numerously against the innocent civilians by the military during the 19 days siege.
If Aquino, Climaco, Roxas and Hataman for one reason or another cannot give us true answers to all these valid and legitimate inquiries there is no wonder why Germany which was ruled by a fascistic homosexual has darkened some pages in world history in the early 1940s. The homo-sadist Emperor of Rome who rejoiced in merriment in his palace when Rome Sodom and Gomorrah
My friend once cautioned me to be extra careful with people "nagpapa-cute at nagpapa-angel" look. He told me even 'Satanas' was once an angel! It is from him I learned the newly coined word "BAYOTRY."
SHORT EPILOGUE
Seemingly now the die has been cast for Philippine colonialism under the Aquino government to wage all-out war rather than 'all-out peace' against the Bangsamoro freedom fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
By clearly undermining the MNLF-launched Bangsamoro freedom struggle by refusing to recognise the historical value and virtue of the September 2, 1996 GRP-OIC-MNLF Jakarta Peace Agreements to achieve 'just and lasting peace' in war-torn Mindanao, the Aquino government have only emulated the colonial duplicity of the Marcos Dictatorship, Cory Aquino government and Arroyo administration to resolve the Mindanao war with military solution. But not with peaceful formula.
Thus, if the 19-day September AFP-MNLF war in Zamboanga City will become the concrete precedent for the embattled Aquino government to put closure to the Philippines-Bangsamoro war in Mindanao, the MNLF freedom fighters can only hold their sacred ground to pursue and to pray for their original objective of regaining independence and national self-determination for the oppressed Muslim and Lumad natives as well as the conscious Christian supporters of Mindanao. So Allah help them! -rrr/bfs