A Moro homeland Posted 10:21pm (Mla time) Feb 19, 2005 By Randy David Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A15 of the February 20, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer FINISH them off, or give them back their land. Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile may have uttered this sentiment in exasperation over the Arroyo government's lack of a clear policy on Mindanao. But he should know Mindanao, having played a key role in the Marcos regime's handling of its problems. He also has business interests in the place. What does he really have in mind? He cannot possibly seriously think that a total war against the Moro rebels can succeed. Thirty-one years have passed since the Marcos military burned down Jolo, but the resentments generated by that single atrocity continue to simmer to this day. As the recent events in Sulu have shown, there is no way the military can hunt down and kill remnants of the notorious Abu Sayyaf group without hurting other members of the communities in which they seek refuge. Most of these rebels are not full-time fighters. It is not easy to tell a rebel from an ordinary resident. The possession of firearms is not a distinguishing mark of a rebel because nearly every male adult in this place owns one. Moreover, names like "Misuari Breakaway Group," "Jemaah Islamiyah" and "al-Qaeda," are labels used by outsiders like the Philippine military and US agents. Just because the government and foreign forces use them to identify the enemy does not mean that these terms of affiliation have any meaning for the local people. The "enemy" that the government is pursuing, whether Abu Sayyaf or MNLF-Misuari loyalist, is a human being with a proper name. He belongs to a family and a kin group. He is a member of a community; he goes to a mosque and prays among other members of his faith. You cannot kill this enemy, especially one who fights in the name of his people, without making enemies of the rest of his relatives and community. As important, the Moro people-the Muslims, the Lumad, and, indeed, Christians who identify with the aspirations of a Bangsa Moro homeland-may be a minority both in relation to the total Mindanao population and the Philippine population. They may be concentrated in four or five Muslim-dominated provinces in Mindanao. But the reality is that they are also now everywhere in the country. The war and its insidious cousin-land-grabbing-have forced them out of their homeland. Now they are in Metro Manila, in Baguio, in Central Luzon, and, practically, in every major urban center of the archipelago. They sell pearls, pirated DVDs, and smuggled goods. Forced by circumstances unique to displaced people, they inhabit the lower rungs of the informal economy. Their assimilation into the mainstream is skin-deep; they remain a separate people, steeled by their faith, and bound together by a shared dream to regain their homeland. That they are currently uprooted from their homeland does not mean they have stopped being Moros. The man who sells DVDs in Quiapo or pearls in Greenhills may be far from the war, but he is not psychologically distant from its horror. It is na�ve to think that he no longer cares what happens in Panamao, Patikul, or Parang. He may not himself plant a bomb in a bus full of innocent people to express his outrage; but maybe, whether he knows it or not, he is sheltering someone who would. Anyone who thinks it is possible to confine the hostilities to the remote villages of Sulu and win a decisive victory there, without provoking retaliation elsewhere, betrays a cockeyed view of the world. The new American vocabulary of global anti-terrorism is a paradigm of such a stilted view of reality. It may give us what seems like an informed way of looking at world events, but it will not shield us from the horrific consequences it creates or makes possible. When a bomb is dropped on a community in Sulu, we call it a military operation. But when a bomb is exploded in Metro Manila, we call it a terrorist attack. That is not the way a Moro militant would view it. Both events, to him, are integral aspects of the same war. And yet, by calling these isolated attacks on civilian targets the handiwork of the Jemaah Islamiyah or of elements linked to the al-Qaida, we draw attention away from their basic local roots. We confer upon them a global conspiratorial character they do not possess. I do not condone terrorism of any kind. But this semantic arrogance not only blinds us to the real sufferings of people at the receiving end of state aggression, it also induces in us a moral smugness that justifies simplistic solutions to human problems. But we have earned a minor place in the US-led war on terrorism-a role that compels us to give up a part of our rights as a nation in exchange for military and economic assistance. We have brought American forces right into the door of the Mindanao conflict, in total violation of the letter and spirit of the 1987 Constitution. The Mindanao conflict is complex enough as it is without having to locate it in the American world map of global terrorism. Its roots go back to the unsuccessful wars of pacification under the Spanish and American colonial regimes. The new Philippine Republic rode on the inertia of these colonial expeditions. It spread its rule, its settlers and carpetbaggers, all over Mindanao, completely ignoring the ancestral domains of the native peoples and the sovereign rights of the sultanates that had administered these territories since pre-colonial times. Land is what the Moros lost, and a homeland is what they hope to recover. Everything else-Misuari, Salamat, the MNLF, the MILF, the Abu Sayyaf-is but a footnote in a just struggle that will never be resolved by war. http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=28069&col=60 .................................................................... Some 800 ex-Moro rebels in forefront of Jolo battles Posted 02:17am (Mla time) Feb 18, 2005 By Cynthia Balana Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A20 of the February 18, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer SOME 800 Moro National Liberation Front integrees, "embedded" in three Army battalions, are at the forefront of the military force against the followers of ex-MNLF chair Nur Misuari in Sulu. Armed Forces spokesperson Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan pointed out that this was one irony of the battle that, he said, had produced encouraging results for the government in its offensive against the insurgents. "So far, they (the integrees) have been acquitting themselves. They are doing very well," Adan told reporters before attending the hearing of the House special committee on peace, reconciliation and unity that was looking into the conflict. He added: "In fact, during the first few encounters that our troops in Sulu had, several MNLF integrees were killed and several more were wounded. We are saying that they are good fighters [and] they continue to be loyal to the government." Three MNLF integrees were among the 71 casualties, according to Adan. At the hearing, Adan dismissed the suggestion of Pasig City Rep. Robert Jaworski Jr. that a provision in the peace agreement between the government and the MNLF-which stipulates the integration of MNLF members into the AFP and the Philippine National Police-be suspended. Jaworski had recommended to AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Efren Abu and PNP Director General Edgar Aglipay that surveillance be conducted on the integrees. "Who knows? The soldiers and police may be sleeping with the enemy," the lawmaker had said. But Adan said the AFP hierarchy saw no need for a loyalty check because the integrees had proven themselves to be worthy soldiers: "They are fighting the terrorists that are inflicting harm to their own communities in Sulu." 8 battalions At present, there are eight battalions in Sulu consisting of 3,000 soldiers from the Army, Marines and Air Force. Adan said troops from nearby provinces had been alerted for possible reinforcement if the fighting escalated. He said the military had been able to establish that the rebels were followers of Misuari, founding chair of the MNLF and former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Adan refused to say whether Misuari was coordinating the attacks on soldiers from his prison cell in Laguna. But he confirmed that the military had confiscated Misuari's mobile phone. He denied that the military had sparked the fighting with the massacre of civilians. Pre-planned Adan said the Sulu hostilities and the Valentine's Day bomb attacks in three cities had been pre-planned and coordinated. "From the military point of view, these could be diversionary activities [on the part of the MNLF] to ease the pressure in Sulu and divert government military efforts from Sulu," he said. He also said the military offensives would continue unless stopped by President Macapagal-Arroyo. As to the speculation that a third force was behind the revival of hostilities in Sulu, Adan said this was not possible. "There is no such thing. This is a constitutionally mandated military action against terrorists who have been victimizing innocent civilians and attacking government troops, in complete violation of the peace agreements as well as our Constitution," he said. Terrorist tactic In Zamboanga City, General Abu echoed Adan's remarks and said he was convinced of the link between the fighting in Sulu and the Monday bombings. "These were planned activities; [the bombings were] not a knee-jerk reaction. Definitely, these were done by the Misuari Breakaway Group and the Abu Sayyaf," he told reporters while visiting 21 wounded soldiers at the Camp Navarro Hospital. The bomb attacks occurred when government forces were about to take the rebel training camp in Barangay Bitan-ag. "They were trying to divert our attention ... It is a common terrorist tactic-[a means] to get public attention by targeting innocent civilians, para mapahinto tayo (to stop us)," Abu said. But Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza said they were still looking for links between the Sulu fighting and the bomb attacks. "Maybe the Abu Sayyaf is just riding on the issue," Braganza said. Abu, however, said Misuari's followers would not go unpunished: "I will not let this one go away ... We will get them; we will not stop until we have given them the punishment." 'Minimal' damage Sulu Gov. Benjamin Loong said the damage that the fighting had brought to civilian and government projects was "minimal"-about P2.5 million. Loong said some 2,600 families had been affected by the fighting, "but their needs are being properly attended to and the resources are enough." However, Sulu Bishop Angelito Lampon told the Inquirer that except for some families that had managed to get to Jolo, "we don't know where [the evacuees] are taking temporary shelter." "What we were informed is that they are all in the interior towns, and we are really worried about their actual situation," the bishop said. But Brig. Gen. Agustin Dema-ala, commander of Joint Task Force Comet, said the needs of the displaced families in the interior towns were being addressed. He said soldiers had also been deployed to the evacuation centers "to ensure that [evacuees] will not be used as shields by withdrawing rebels, or that rebels will not pretend to be evacuees." With Julie S. Alipala, PDI Mindanao Bureau http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=27881 ..................................................................... Religious scholar, actor-to-be lead rebels Posted 02:24am (Mla time) Feb 18, 2005 Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the February 18, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer A RELIGIOUS leader who served as a spiritual adviser to Moro rebels and a notorious bandit who dreamed of becoming a movie star were two of the key figures in the recent Sulu violence and the Valentine's Day bombings. The religious leader is Habier Malik, whom the military has blamed for leading Moro National Liberation Front rebels in attacking an Army detachment in Sulu on Feb. 7. The ensuing gun battles left 71 people dead, including an Army battalion commander and 30 soldiers. The notorious bandit is Zain Sali Jr., aka Abu Sulayman. The spokesperson of the Abu Sayyaf said his group was responsible for the Feb. 14 bomb attacks in the cities of Davao, General Santos and Makati that left at least seven people dead and hundreds wounded. Deputy House Speaker for Mindanao Gerry Salapuddin, former MNLF chair in Basilan, described Malik as a respected religious leader and spiritual adviser of jailed MNLF founder Nur Misuari. Salapuddin said he last saw Malik at the signing of the peace agreement between the government and the MNLF in 1996 during the Ramos administration. Spiritual figurehead "I've known him not really as a commander but as a religious scholar," Salapuddin said. "He may be leading the attacks but not necessarily joining the fight. He is probably the spiritual figurehead of the Moro rebels involved." Sulu Rep. Hussin Amin described the 45-year-old Malik, a graduate of Islamic Studies in Saudi Arabia, as a patient man. Before the attacks in Sulu, Malik chaired the Regional Unification Commission. "He was active in bringing peace to warring families in Sulu. He is a man of peace. It is safe to conclude that Ustadz Habier Malik commands great respect and following not only in the province of Sulu, but also in the nearby provinces. He has the support of the people," Amin said. The lawmaker chided the media for referring to Malik and his group as "Misuari loyalists" that gave the impression that the Sulu violence was a continuation of past conflicts between the MNLF and the military. Turning point Amin said the present Sulu conflict had nothing to do with Misuari who is undergoing trial on rebellion charges in connection with MNLF attacks on military camps in 2001. Amin said his contacts had told him that the Sulu hostilities were triggered by the massacre of a family in Barangay Kapuk Punggol, Maimbung, on Feb. 1, 2005. Salip Paie, a relative of well-known MNLF leader Najar Padiwan, his pregnant wife and another child, were reportedly killed by Army soldiers. "This was the turning point among the remaining MNLF members who for years have kept their patience in the face of reports of atrocities committed by the military in Sulu," Amin said. He said Malik's group attacked Army soldiers on Feb. 7 to give justice to the victims of the massacre. Abu Sulayman The Sulu conflict took on a new twist on Feb. 14 when Abu Sulayman, the Abu Sayyaf spokesperson, told a radio station that his group was responsible for the deadly bomb attacks in the three cities. Abu Sulayman said his group would not spare innocent people "to exact vengeance on the military" for its Sulu campaign. Abu Sulayman's townmates in Lantawan, Basilan, said the 42-year-old Abu Sayyaf spokesperson was a civil engineering graduate who once dreamed of becoming a movie actor while still a student in Manila in the 1980s. Another source said Sali had envied actor-TV host John Estrada, a fellow Basile�o, who had made it big in the entertainment industry. Lantawan Mayor Tahira Ishmael-Sansawi said Abu Sulayman came from a respectable family. The mayor described as a "very righteous person" the bandit's father, Zain Sali Sr., who is the current municipal assessor of Lantawan. Wife's wrath Sansawi said the elder Sali had warned his son that his wicked ways would earn him the wrath of his wife and children. Abu Sulayman's wife, a doctor, filed for divorce under Shari'ah law in 2002 owing to her husband's "irresponsibility." By then, Abu Sulayman had become an Abu Sayyaf spokesperson. His ties with the Abu Sayyaf began in 2000 when he met with the group's leader, Khadaffy Janjalani, and Aldam Tilao, aka Abu Sabaya. The military said Tilao was killed in a clash with government forces, but his body was never found. Actors as negotiators According to a source, it was Sali's idea to get then TV newscaster Noli de Castro and actor Robin Padilla to negotiate for the release of abducted schoolchildren in Basilan in exchange for truckloads of rice in 2000. But the source said most of the rice was later found in warehouses of some Basilan businessmen who had bought the shipment from an Abu Sayyaf negotiator. Reports from Cynthia D. Balana in Manila and Nash B. Maulana, PDI Mindanao Bureau http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=27887 ...................................................................... Aid funds used for war? Posted 06:54am (Mla time) Feb 18, 2005 Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A16 of the February 18, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer THIS is in reaction to the Inquirer editorial on the negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. (PDI, 2/7/05) The GOP-MILF peace agreement may be signed by both parties within this year, but it is most likely that the so-called MILF lost command will mature into another rebel group. Thus, there will always be Muslim rebels that the government will have to deal with. In such a scenario, there will be no peace in Mindanao. While a faction of the MILF will have the legal authority to access funds for development, the lost command will continue to sow terror. But how is it that large amounts of development aid were diverted to purchase high-powered firearms that were used against the government and support terroristic activities? �DING TELERON (via e-mail) http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=1&story_id=27899 ....................................................................... Gov't troops capture rebel camp Posted 00:59am (Mla time) Feb 17, 2005 By Julie Alipala Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Feb. 17, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer PANAMAO, Sulu, Philippines -- The military formally declared victory over followers of jailed Moro leader Nur Misuari by raising the Philippine flag inside an abandoned encampment in Barangay Bitanag here yesterday morning. The place was renamed Camp Dennis Villanueva in honor of the fallen commander of the 53rd Infantry Battalion, the main unit that figured in more than one week of fighting with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) renegades backed by Abu Sayyaf members. Seventy-one people, 31 of them soldiers, have died in the clashes. More than 22,000 villagers have been displaced. Villanueva, 42, a lieutenant colonel, was buried with full military honors yesterday at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Makati City. He will be posthumously awarded with a Distinguished Conduct Star, the Armed Forces' second highest honor. Brigadier General Agustin Dema-ala, chief of the Task Force Comet, said the "camp" was overrun Tuesday afternoon after sporadic clashes. Blood stains, bunkers Inside the 2,000-sq.-m compound is a cluster of eight houses, two wooden watchtowers, underground bomb shelters, a parade ground and two "bunkers." Surrounding it is a bamboo fence held steady by clotheslines. Dema-ala said one of the bunkers could accommodate up to 10 people. One of the houses belonged to Ustadz Habier Malik, the rebel group's leader, who was reportedly wounded in a clash but was not captured. It has a large room believed to have served as meeting place. Posters of Misuari from his heydays as MNLF chair and governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are tacked on the walls. In the other houses, children's and women's clothes were scattered alongside combat uniforms. Blood stains were everywhere, but there was no sight of Malik's group, only three heads of cattle resting. About 100 meters away from the compound, a two-story madrasah or Muslim school, which was damaged by military aerial bombings, stands. Educational materials for learning Arabic and Koran were found inside the structure. Outside, a sign reading "Camp Imam Muallam Dhabab" hangs. Behind it are fields just planted with cassava. 10 Gold Cross awardees The flag-raising ceremony was meant "to assert government victory," said Lieutenant General Alberto Braganza, Southern Command chief. "This is not just the victory for the military but for the people of Sulu as well and everybody who wants peace to reign." A soldier crumpled a rebel banner and flag as other troops erupted in cheers. Among those who attended were Sulu Governor Benjamin Loong and Sulu Representative Munir Arbison. Braganza pinned Gold Cross medals -- the military's highest combat award -- on 10 soldiers who showed "exemplary performance" during the assault. The awardees were led by Lieutenant Colonel Pablo Lorenzo, chief of the 35th IB; Lt. Col. Elmer Estopin of the 10th Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT); Lt. Col. Macairog Alberto, commander of the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion; Major Federick Cutler of the 205th Air Strike Wing; Captain Federico Diosanta of the 15th Army Armory; 2nd Lt. Roberto Reyes of the 9th Field Artillery; T/Sgt. Paulino Boca of the 53rd IB, and Privates First Class Asban Kasri of the 35th IB, James Dolotallas and Basri Habir of the 53rd IB. MNLF integrees Habir and Kasri were among the more than 500 MNLF fighters who were integrated into the AFP in 2000 after the government and the Moro group signed a peace agreement in 1996. "I want to dedicate this award to all my companions who worked hard these past days," Habir said. Despite Braganza's claim to victory, other military officials said they were still clearing the area. "We are still pursuing remnants of the renegade forces in nearby barangays and towns," said Col. Nehemias Pajarito, commander of the Army's 104th Infantry Brigade. On Tuesday night, movements among the MNLF renegades were monitored, Alberto said. The military shelled at least six pump boats carrying gunmen in Barangay Kulay-kulay here, he reported. "They were either reinforcement or retreating forces, we managed to sink those sea crafts." Retreating rebels Loong said the government would rebuild the damaged property. Maj. Benjam Espinosa, commander of the 4th MBLT, said the retreating rebels burned some of the houses in the area. "What they did was before withdrawal, they fired laser shots. We were about to put off the burning house but when we heard some explosions, we just let it burn. There were stored ammunition inside," Espinosa said. "We will continue with the punitive action not only against the Malik group but also against other lawless elements, we still have to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf leaders Radulan Sahiron and Doktor Abu," Braganza said. "We have disrupted their operations and reduced their capability," Dema-ala told reporters. He said the rebels abandoned the camp after running out of food, forcing them to slaughter cattle owned by residents of nearby villages. About 3,000 soldiers and Marines have been pursuing Misuari's followers -- backed by Abu Sayyaf guerrillas -- since they attacked an Army detachment in Panamao town on Feb. 7. The rebel strikes were apparently a retaliation for the death of a number of people, including a child, who were caught in a crossfire when troops assaulted a community of Misuari's followers while pursuing suspected Abu Sayyaf members. 21-gun salute During the burial rites yesterday, Villanueva was given a 21-gun salute as an Air Force helicopter dropped flowers on his grave site, Army spokesperson Maj. Bartolome Bacarro said in a phone interview. Among the military officials who brought the battalion commander to his final resting place were Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Efren Abu, Army chief Lt. Gen. Generoso Senga, and 1st Infantry Division chief Brig. Gen. Gabriel Habacon. As his coffin was lowered into the grave, Villanueva's classmates at the Philippine Military Academy (Class 1986) sang their alma mater song, Bacarro said. On Tuesday night, a necrological service was held at the St. Ignatius Cathedral in Camp Aguinaldo, the military's general headquarters in Quezon City. "Fallen he may be, but his memory and the cause he fought heroically for remain in our hearts," Senga said in his eulogy. Heart of a leader "When he was in the hospital, before he breathed his last, he even managed to encourage a subordinate who was writhing in pain to hang on. In this, we see the heart of a great leader and a truly compassionate commander," he added. With reports from Alcuin Papa, Luige A. del Puerto, and Inquirer wires http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=27766 ..................................................................... Salapuddin gathers Muslim leaders Posted 11:34pm (Mla time) Feb 16, 2005 By Belinda Olivares-Cunanan Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A15 of the February 17, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer YESTERDAY the President was scheduled to visit Zamboanga City and Basilan, but her trip was canceled reportedly upon recommendation of Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza. Postponing the visit was a sensible decision, as there might be security factors that cannot be controlled. It's better to ensure her safety than to expose her to potentially dangerous situations. Ms Arroyo has so many tough decisions to make and her personal security should be the least of her concerns now. The big problems involve the handling of the ongoing military conflict in Sulu as well as the recent terrorist bombings in Makati, Davao and General Santos. There are various theories about these two incidents, and one question is whether there's a connection between them. Our lawmen are now looking into it and we hope they can solve the puzzle fast, as this could help them beef up security where it's most needed. Frankly, I share the disbelief of Rep. Benasir Macarambon about the Abu Sayyaf owning responsibility for the bombings. Macarambon opined that the Abu Sayyaf is not that strong any more to launch such attacks. What seems to be gaining ground is the theory that there could be a third force out to sabotage the government in the light of a number of fortuitous developments. Among them are the Cabinet economic team's revamp that has met the approval of the business community, the Philippines' removal from the list of countries being monitored for money-laundering activities (which came ahead of the two-notch downgrade of Philippines' credit rating by Moody's Investor Services), and the moving of the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Yesterday I was able to catch on the cell phone House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao, Gerry Salapuddin of Basilan, who also chairs the Philippine Muslim Leaders' Forum (his co-chairs are Gov. Parouk Hussin of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Rep. Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao). He was in Basilan to prepare for President Arroyo's visit, but when it was canceled, he made plans to fly back to Manila, so he could call a meeting of Muslim leaders to explore some "rational thinking" on the Sulu conflict and the terrorist bombings. Salapuddin said he would convene the Mindanao Muslim leaders for a show of support for the administration and to convince it to call a meeting of top Muslim leaders, including the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) faction loyal to Misuari to discuss current developments. He said he broached the idea to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, who has been very much involved in the peace process with the MNLF and MILF. It's better if all of us, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of National Defense, talk things out, he said. What about President Arroyo's statement about finishing off the rebel groups in the South? Salapuddin said this was understandable, as she has to project an image of strength. But he left unsaid what is in the minds of many people who have been observing the Mindanao problem for decades: that while the Abu Sayyaf bandit group ought to be exterminated once and for all, the problem with the MNLF and the MILF cannot be resolved solely by force of arms. At the height of the Mindanao conflict with the MNLF in the 1970s, President Ferdinand Marcos fielded 10 battalions but the conflict continued. President Ramos concluded a peace agreement with Misuari, which worked for some years, affording Mindanao unprecedented prosperity and development. But the process stalled, thanks to the misguided thinking of Misuari, who was perhaps corrupted by too much funding. Now there's Marcos' longtime defense secretary, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, opining that if the dissidents can't be wiped out for good, let's give them the island of Mindanao "na lang." But then, the Christians now outnumber the Muslims there perhaps five to one, making that an impossibility. I'm glad Salapuddin is taking the initiative in gathering the Muslim leaders, for now, more than ever, their input is badly needed to make sense of what's going on. It's interesting to note that the three top leaders of the Philippine Muslim Leaders' Forum, Salapuddin, Hussin and Datumanong, are all former MNLF commanders who have turned their backs on violent secessionism and are now in government, working to improve the lot of their people. Salapuddin condemned the "senseless" bombings as a violation of Islam's sacred tenets, but he also lamented that the "explosive situation" in Sulu was triggered by a series of episodes, e.g., the human rights abuses by some military elements there, which Misuari loyalists and the Abu Sayyaf have exploited. For instance, he said, the current Sulu war was triggered by a conflict involving a barangay leader's wife. I asked Salapuddin if there is a connection between these loyalists and the bombings claimed by the Abu Sayyaf, and he said it's "not remote" that there could be a "tactical alliance" between them. After all, "maraming magkamaganak sa mga factions na 'yan, and some of them are involved in conflicts over property rights." Salapuddin also said Misuari should be made to answer for inciting his followers to rebel against the government after the ARMM elections two years ago, which resulted in the death of more than 100 of them. But even as he stressed that the judicial process ought to be upheld for the former MNLF chair, who is now detained in a Laguna prison, Salapuddin said it should be "quickened" and resolved. This was echoed a few days ago by Governor Hussin, prompting the order from President Arroyo to the justice department to move that case. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has discovered that the reason it has languished is that the judge assigned to it resigned many months ago and has not been replaced! He has petitioned the Supreme Court to name a replacement. With two top Muslim leaders now saying the same thing, that case ought to move faster! http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=27750&col=78 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Take a look at donorschoose.org, an excellent charitable web site for anyone who cares about public education! http://us.click.yahoo.com/_OLuKD/8WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? 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