Official Website of the Sultan of Sulu

Quality of life worst in 7 Mindanao provinces

Written by Dharel Placido
Wednesday, 20 May 2009

Experts say key to human development is big revenues and smaller population to share them

Seven provinces in Mindanao, almost all of them conflict areas, are among the 10 where the quality of life is worst in the Philippines, the latest human development report on the country showed on Wednesday.

Sulu ranked lowest in the human development index (HDI), followed by Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Masbate, Sarangani, Eastern Samar, Zamboanga del Norte, and Romblon.

The experts at the briefing on Wednesday said that because of the armed conflict in the southern provinces, thousands of families are displaced that were unable to access basic services.

“The policy challenge is to stop war, but the whole military approach is not the correct approach,” said Toby Monsod, an economics professor at the University of the Philippines and principal author of the 2008/2009 Philippine Human Development Report.

The poor quality of life in these provinces is almost at the same level as in poor African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Mauritania, and Senegal, and conflict-ridden countries like Pakistan and Myanma, according to a comparison of HDIs made by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Population a Factor

Commission confirms first Filipina Muslim as ambassador

By Llanesca T. Panti, Reporter

A Filipino Muslim woman made history in the diplomatic service when the Commission on Appointments confirmed her as ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Corazon Yap-Bahjin, who was confirmed May 20, is the first Filipino Muslim woman to serve as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported in a statement released Friday.

In 1979, she also became the first Filipina Muslim to pass the Foreign Service Officers (FSO) exam, said to be one of the toughest examinations in the Philippines. That exam is needed to join the Philippine foreign service. Her grandmothers and late husband, Datu Samsuddin Rasul Bahjin, were Tausugs from Sulu province.

Bahjin will replace Ambassador Eduardo Pablo Maglaya, also a career diplomat, in Manama, the capital of Bahrain.

Before her confirmation, she served as the assistant secretary for personnel at the Foreign Affairs home office in Pasay City. She also served as assistant secretary of the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Coordination and as acting assistant secretary of the Office of Consular Affairs.

Her previous postings included Cairo, Amman (Jordan), Bangkok and Xiamen (China), where she was consul general.

Before her diplomatic career, Bahjin was an educator.

She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and obtained a Master of Arts in Social Studies from the University of the Philippines in 1974. She then taught at the Holy Trinity College in Palawan, later at Centro Escolar University, and then at Palawan State University, where she became an assistant professor.

Bahjin joins the short list of Filipino Muslim career diplomats, including Bahnarim Guinomla, former ambassador to Turkey and now assistant secretary for Mindanao; Usop Kadatua, consul general and deputy chief of mission in Dhaka; Candidate Gutoc, former ambassador to Oman; and Mukhtar Muallam, former ambassador to Libya.

There were other Filipino Muslims who were not career diplomats but were appointed to serve as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary: Alunan Glang (Kuwait); Abraham Rasul (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia); and Mauyag Tamano (Kuwait).

Muslims to have Shari�a Courts in ARMM, urban areas, if pushes through

DAVAO CITY, May 26, 2009 –To help Filipino Muslims resolve their legal conflicts in relation to their distinct personal and family laws, a lawmaker from the 1st District of Sultan Kudarat is urging for the passage of a measure seeking to create shari’a courts in the Autonomous Region in Muslims Mindanao (ARMM) and areas outside of it.

Cong. Datu Pax S. Mangudadatu, author of House Bill 6337 said that the bill aims to strengthen the shari’a district court system by establishing shari’a courts in areas where there are countless Filipino Muslims.

Mangudadatu added that establishing shari’a courts in the country is mandated under Presidential Decree 1083, although at present shari’a courts are only in limited areas of Mindanao and the ARMM.

He added that due to the limited access of Muslims to shari’a courts the situation also becomes inconvenient and difficult especially in solving personal legal problems.

“There are Muslims’ communities all over the country especially in urban centers. That is why the limited access to shari’a courts make it more difficult for them to avail,” he said.

Under the proposed bill, five judicial districts with one shari’a district court and one judge each shall be created in the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Isabela City in Lanao del Sur, Marawi City in Maguindanao and Cotabato City.

Apart from that, six special judicial districts, each to have one shari’a district court, shall be established in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Iligan City, North Cotabato, South Cotabato and General Santos City and the ninth shari’a district in Metro Manila among others.

The measure also provides that permanent stations or offices of shari’a district courts shall be created in the ARMM particularly in the first district of Jolo, Bongao, Isabela City, Marawi and Cotabato City. Those permanent offices outside the ARMM shall be put up in Zamboanga City, General Santos City, Metro Manila and Cebu. (Mark S. Ventura)

P50-M beach resort eyed in Sulu

PANGLIMA TAHIL, Sulu, May 27 (PNA) –- The mere mention of its name Sulu sends a chilling effect mechanism, but all this would be a thing of the past as the provincial government has unveiled a master plan to build an ultra- modern beach resort here as a come-on for both local and foreign tourists.

A plan is afoot to build a P50-million resort on this scenic islet that would erase the stigma of Sulu as a war-torn island.

The indefatigable Sulu Governor Sakur Tan has unveiled the ambitious plan to develop the Panglima Tahil beach resort, about 10 kilometers west of the capital town Jolo, and make it a haven for tourists.

The island province of Sulu, situated in the southernmost portion of the country, is blessed with rich natural resources both in land and sea.

However, because of the long-existing problem of law and order, the development of Sulu has remained stagnant through the years.

Tan noted that tapping the island’s potentials could uplift the economic conditions of its citizens and curtail the “conflict status” that has besieged the province for many years.

Sulu boasts of its pristine beaches, particularly on the island municipality of Panglima Tahil where the Sulu provincial government plans to put up a world-class beach resort. It is located in front of the capital town of Jolo and just 10 minutes ride by motorized boat.

Panglima Tahil is composed of five island barangays with a total land area of 4,950 hectares. It has a population of 6,192 persons as of the 2007 census.

Private investors are reluctant to venture in this project because of the perceived peace and order problem prevailing in the area.

But seeing the immense potential of Panglima Tahil, Tan said the provincial government is initiating a public investment to lure foreign and local investors to invest in the province.

Among the many pristine beaches in the province, Panglima Tahil is the most feasible considering its proximity to the town of Jolo and the most peaceful among the 19 municipalities of Sulu. It is very easy to secure and very attractive for diving activities. OBJECTIVE

STRANGE FRUITS � Kidnaps for Ransom

May 18, 2009
STRANGE FRUITS – Kidnaps for Ransom
Yolanda O. Stern – President, One World Institute

It has been little more than a quarter of a year for Eugenio Vagni of the ICRC in the forests of Jolo. He was taken with two other colleagues, Andreas Notter and Mary Jean Lacaba, also of the ICRC. While the two have rejoined their families after their release, Mr Vagni is still being held. The forests of Basilan, a collection depot for kidnapped hostages who are transferred there by motorized outrigger canoes after they are seized, also hold many hostages according to eyewitnesses. One poor farmer was beheaded yesterday for lack of ransom.

Nothing has changed in the kidnap for ransom business for 600 years. There are those who take, those who board and lodge, and those who negotiate the ransom. When reason is lost to the darkness, there are those who do the beheadings. Yet there are also those who provide the security on all fronts. It is a global consortium with many actors from different walks of life.

Hundreds of families have been affected by this business. Some have sold their homes, mortgaged their family car, lost all their meager assets to raise the ransom. Helped by better weapons, communications technology, and a larger population of young adults who lack gainful employment, the cycle continues unabated.

We can argue until the swine flies that this scourge is a product of poverty, lack of basic services, illiteracy , and an absence of opportunity for ‘the pursuit of life, liberty and justice for all’. But of the substantial number of poor, especially in Mindanao, only a very small percentage turn to “kidnap for ransom” as their livelihood. Yet the scourge it creates has impacted every administration, and the war against terrorism has an even bigger budget today. US military aid to the Philippines has practically tripled after ”9/11”.

Filipinos are no strangers to poverty. Even the wealthy are aware of the slums next to their estates. Where would their overworked, underpaid servants come from if it were not for the slums? Count the hundreds of foundations trying to alleviate things. More and more overseas Filipinos and overseas Filipino workers are sending subsistence money home for family alleviation. Some of these families are at the mendicant stage but not by choice.

Tausug Triumph In The France Music Festival

SULU, Philippines - Given the opportunity, the Tausug can always emerge triumphant. Who would think Tausug maggabbang and magbibiyula would have turned the renowned music festival of France very meaningful and memorable.

Crossing boundaries of distance and time, of experiences and cultural differences, the Tausug gabbang and biyula players wowed French audience in a very rare performance of a lifetime, the first time that took place in the history of the France music festival held October 05, 2008 in Paris.

Standing ovation was given to the group, especially after playing the Christmas song �Jingle Bells� in gabbang and biyula.

Tantung Isbarani, Mama Banni, Almasud Jalaidi and Tilma Jalaidi recently brought fame and glory not just to Sulu province, but for the Philippines as well, when they performed at the music festival on invitation from Le Baroque Nomade under the direction of Jeane Christopphe Frisch.

The invitation was made possible thru the help of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts that invited the performers at a music festival in 2005 in Manila where David Irving, a musicologist and friend of Frisch, performed with players from Sulu. The invitation was through the Tourism Office of the Provincial Government of Sulu.

Gov Abdusakur M. Tan was elated with the representation made by the local performers, who went to see him before they left for their Paris trip.

�There are many Tausugs who excel in many talents, from music to arts, and we are so proud of them because this only shows that Tausugs are not only peace-loving people, but very talented as well,� Tan said.

One of renowned Tausug artists is Abdul Mari Asia Imao, whose pieces of art works are famous around the world. Sulu has several of his works, including a 1984 painting of an inscription of Allah's name and a set of stained glass mural at the Provincial Capitol. Imao is one of the country's national artists.

JIHAD OR SUICIDE?

“An Analysis of the Contemporary Moro Struggle”
by Darwin Absari

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Compassionate. Praise be to Allah who has made His graciousness to His worshippers, which is the revelation of His grace, a clear guide to knowledge of Him. I testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad (S.A.W.) is His messenger.

Know, O brother that by being humble, one is elevated to the highest spiritual rank, then when he is in the station where there is no place, his pure heart will enable him to see the Truth directly. I rejoice to find these two qualities in you. These are favors which Allah reserves for His elect as they are wings one can fly to the realm close to his Lord. May Allah increases you in knowledge and registers you among the witnesses of truth. May Allah decrees for you in this world that which is good and also in the hereafter.

I decided to write to you what we had discussed regarding my assessment of the contemporary Moro struggle. It was what Allah has inspired me to understand according to my capacity. I shall however inform you that my intention of writing this down is not to underestimate their ma’rifah (gnosis). To get killed is indeed the bravest act, and so it is to this fact that I wish to bring our attention. Our religion commands us to value life, Allah says, “do not kill yourselves (or one another).”    “…and whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption (done) in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely”   because it is from this life that we derive our strength just as Allah derives His attributes of knowledge, will, power, speech, hearing and sight from His attribute of life. Although in Islam we are told to fight, the Holy Qur’an says, “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Allah does not like transgressors.” “And fight them until there is no fitnah and (until) the religion (i.e., worship), all of it, is for Allah.” “And what is (the matter) with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and (for) the oppressed …..?”   But when war is not directed and utilized in the cause which God has determined, according to the law of creation, it becomes deviant. Then it results in wars of conquest waged for material expansion and destruction of humanity. It is for this reason that the term jihad is always attached to the locution fi sabilillah (in the way of Allah) and it is here that one must be very careful. Perhaps one may ask why are we concerned in examining the contemporary Moro struggle. I say, jihad is always the answer whenever we ask our brothers who are fighting. But without grasping the essential significant meaning of the term fi sabilillah, although one may think that he is fighting for God’s cause, in reality, he is actually committing what I may refer, suicide, and there is no reward but punishment for this. “But if you are killed in the cause of Allah or die – then forgiveness from Allah and mercy are better than whatever they accumulate (in this world). And whether you die or are killed, unto Allah you will be gathered.”

I shall not indulge myself of going into the details of the struggle since you know it better than I do, but I say it once again that it is not fought in the way of Allah. Much has been said about jihad fi sabilillah. Muslim scholars say that the way of Allah is the very path of the well-being and betterment of human society. It is the way of justice, truth and human liberty. But I say that the way of Allah is the manifestation of His Divine Mercy. If we are to grasp the significant meaning of fi sabilillah, we must begin to understand this Divine Mercy. It is through this Mercy that Almighty Allah first brought the universe into existence from Himself, and in virtue of His name Most Compassionate (al-Rahman) He exists in all things that He brought into being. Nothing becomes manifests from the All-merciful but objects of mercy. But it is only from the position of tawhid (union) that it can be understood where both the strugglers (Muslims) and the enemies (the none-Muslims) are embraced in this Oneness. Here, one must be able to see things in their proper places, one should learn to recognize God, His presence in every form in which He discloses Himself and in every form in which He descends. There is no difference, each is an object where God discloses Himself according to their forms. Both must be viewed as God’s servants through whom His Divine Mercy is manifested. And it is in the battlefield where the highest gnosis can be made manifest. We may be patient in fulfilling our obligations to Allah, in praying five times a day, in fasting during the month of Ramadan, in following Allah’s Divine Law. We may be patient when hunger, loss of wealth, and lives strike us. But how about when it is our own life that is being asked by Allah? As Allah says, “And if We had decreed upon, “Kill yourselves” or “Leave your homes” they would not have done it, except for a few of them.”   “And indeed, there is among you he who lingers behind…” and so because of it, “not equal are those believers remaining (at home) – other than the disabled – and the mujahideen, (who strive and fight) in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred the mujahideen through their wealth and their lives over those who remain (behind), by degrees…”

War, dear brother is the best way where Allah tests us. Allah Most High says, “And we will surely test you until We make evident those who strive among you (for the cause of Allah) and the patient, We will test your affairs.”   And He tests us by means of other people. We must realize that it is also Allah who inspires the enemies to attack us. When the Mongols invaded Nishapur putting the residents of that place mercilessly to sword, the Muslims came to Attar for help. Attar turned his bowl and all the soldiers turned blind and the massacre was stopped. Genghis Khan ordered the massacre to be carried on. Attar again turned his bowl and the soldiers turned blind. On the third day, Genghis Khan himself appeared on the scene and again ordered his soldiers to kill, the Muslims again came to Attar, when he was about to turn his bowl, Hadrat Khidr appeared before him and said, “Refrain from interfering with the mandates of the Lord. You shall be taken to task for what you have already done, whilst terrible will be the consequences to you if you repeat the thing over again.”
How many of us who have killed each other over a piece of land or a political position? How many of us who have turned away from the remembrance of Allah? How many of us who have divided our religion and became sects? How many of us who have desired the commodities of this world while Allah desires for us the hereafter? So Allah has to test us, “And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned.”   But let it be noted, Allah has to test us because He has mercy on us. Trial means that God listens to our prayers and it is the way by which God purifies us. “And that Allah may purify the believers through trials…”   and He is purifying us because He wants to embrace us with His Divine Mercy. But most of us are not patient with the decision of our Lord. The true believers are grateful when there is trial because they know that they have already gained the mercy from their Lord. The more trial they will face, the more humble they will become. They are the people who when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.” Those are the ones upon whom are the blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it those who are the (rightly) guided.”

Among the tests which are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an is fear, it is when the enemy comes to our homeland. “And We will surely test you with something of fear...”   God commands us, thus, “O you who have believed, when you meet those who disbelieved advancing (for battle), do not turn to them your backs (in flight).”    “…… so fear them not, but fear Me…”   Here we can proudly say that most of our brothers were never frightened by our enemy, they have hearts solidified by the faith in God. They have endured and remained stationed although there are some of them who were not steadfast, who betrayed the cause and turned their backs to join the enemy. But how do we kill or be killed is another test.

We know from the beginning that the rise of the contemporary Moro struggle was triggered by the jabidah massacre. This incident was used to agitate the Moros to fight. So that what dominated then was anger and hatred towards the government. As a result, war became revenge. Our brothers were proud to kill as many military as they can. They rejoice to cut enemies’ head and chopped the bodies. This is a manifest error. This is not the way of Allah. Getting killed in emotionalism out of someone’s agitation is suicide and killing out of anger and vengeance is murder. Islam reveres humanity all the time and respects morality even in the battlefields. The killing of the enemy for enjoyment of victory is inhibited. We are advised to observe justice and fairness. “… do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just, that is nearer to righteousness….”   The Holy Qur’an clearly tells us, “…do not transgress. Allah does not like transgressors.” Imam Jafar Sadiq (A.S.) says, “Anytime the messenger of God intended to dispatch an army or manage an expedition, he advised the soldiers as follows: Fight in the name of God, that is God ought to be your aim, march in the path of God, and do not trespass your brethren’s share of booties…. Do not mutilate the limbs of the killed ones. Do not break your vows and treaties. Do not slay old men and women and children. Do not uproot a green tree unless you are forced to do so.” because jihad is not just killing but a demonstration of God’s Divine Mercy.

As I have hinted out earlier that it is also God who inspires the disbelievers to attack the Muslims. It is because that He may punish them by our hands. In one verse Allah most high says, “Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands….”   The Arm Forces of the Philippines may appear to be brave and confident in television, but we know in reality, behind the scenes they are afraid. Should there be a choice, I am certain that they will not fight. But this is not a matter of choice but a matter of realizing God’s divine command. If only they realize what I am saying, they will willingly give their lives because it is an act of fulfilling that command. The punishment here is not out of anger but still, it is God’s Mercy encompassing His Wrath.   He punishes them because He has mercy on them. He wants them to repent and return to Him, and their way of repentance and return is for them to get killed. Unfortunately, anger veils them from this. So too, they are committing suicide.

These are the means by which Allah’s Divine Mercy is manifested. This mercy, says Ibn Arabi comprises and includes all things and that all people and creatures end up with mercy. The path of Allah is the path of and towards His Divine Mercy, and both are essentially struggling in this path. Those who realize this is a martyr, regardless of which side they are. A martyr is not the one who stands to protect the Hula, Bangsa, Agama , or the one who is killed for the cause of Islam. These are deceptions of the ego. Those who fight this way are not fighting for God’s sake, but for the sake of the ego. A true martyr is the one who is able to see Allah in the buried manifestations both in the horizons (i.e., the enemy) and in themselves. The root word for Shahadat which is martyrdom signifies witnessing . A shahid or martyr is the one who has experienced the shuhud (vision) of truth. Thus, to die fighting for Allah is to die a Gnostics. This is why according to our shari’at, he needs not be washed with outward water for he has been washed by the inward water of purification through direct experience of the presence of Lordship. It is for this reason that Allah most high says of them, “And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, “They are dead.” Rather, they are alive, but you perceive (it) not.”   But again immortality should not be our goal. I should say that a true martyr should not hope for any reward for it is as if putting back the veil after it has been lifted. This is the good test which Allah mentions in the Holy Qur’an, “…that He might test the believers with a good test…”

The good test here is what I may refer as the “Tawhid of Jihad” to which only few of our brothers understood. Many of them have slipped. In most cases the tawhid of the Moro fighters in war is that “none should harm them except Allah.” A good warrior is one who is invulnerable. I do not discourage this invulnerability in battle, perhaps if not because of this, our small tribe has been washed away by our enemies during the centuries of bitter warfare, but they have not in a way escaped the subtle intrigues of the ego. Jihad is either taking or giving one’s life for Allah’s sake. The Tawhid of jihad is where both the believers and the disbelievers are annihilated in God’s Divine Mercy. But this is something that lies not in one’s action and intention but in one’s ma’rifah (gnosis).

In one battle Hazrat Ali, the fourth caliph had overpowered an enemy warrior and had his dagger at the man’s throat when the nonbeliever spat in his face. Immediately Hazrat ‘Ali got up, sheathed his dagger, and told the man, “Taking your life is unlawful to me. Go away!” The man who had saved his life by spitting in the face of ‘Ali, was amazed. “O ‘Ali,” he asked, “I was helpless, you were about to kill me, I insulted you and you released me. Why?” “When you spat in my face,” Hazrat ‘Ali answered, “It aroused the anger of my ego. Had I killed you then it would not have been for the sake of Allah, but for the sake of my ego. I would have been a murderer. You are free to go.” The enemy warrior moved by the integrity displayed in Hazrat ‘Ali, converted to Islam on the spot.    Hadrat Ali knew that if he had killed the man on that moment, it would have been an association which will lead him to polytheism and which Allah does not forgive. “He who associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin. “ (4:48)

It must not be Hazrat Ali or us or anyone who will kill, it must be Allah Himself. “And you did not kill them, but it was Allah who killed them. And you threw not, (O Muhammad, when you threw, but it was Allah who threw”   says Allah. La Qadirun, La Muridun, La ‘Allimun, La Hayyun, La Sami’un, La Basirun, La Mutakallimun fi Haqiqatillah. This is the tawhid of jihad which to me is the essential significant meaning of fi sabilillah.
I shall end up here now. If you find something enlightening in this paper, it is from Allah. If there are errors, it is from me. I have no knowledge except what Allah have taught me. “Peace!” a word from the Merciful Lord.

Mindanao Series - Bangsamoro Economic Development Plan

By Yolanda Ortega Stern

“The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on!”

Let us thank the Organization of Islamic Conference for taking quick action to move for damage control among the MNLF. Allowing wounds to fester never does any good. Let us also thank the Philippine Court for granting bail to MNLF Chairman Nur P. Misuari on a case that is entering its 7th year. As for settling scores among the men, Libya has offered its facilities.

The MILF-GRP negotiation is bleeding to death. There is no life saving apparatus but courage on the part of the government to decide one way or the other: either give Mindanao an autonomous Bangsamoro with protection for the Lumads and Christians or continue another century of armed struggle. The Regalian rule on Natural Resources in their territories should also be exempted. And plebiscites do not work to redress wrongs against a minority population.

What lies ahead now? What is possible today?

With Chairman Nur P. Misuari back at the helm of the MNLF, the reorganization of the Bangsamoro can now take place and the transition to a mainstream civilian vanguard must continue at a careful pace. With all the lessons learned from the past, it is possible to bring all the former leaders together to draw up a comprehensive economic development plan run by their private sector. This must be complimented by the ARMM with full implementation of the 1996 Peace Agreement. There are many highly qualified professionals, businessmen, educators, lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers, overseas workers, who can contribute to the economic infrastructure of the region. They are waiting to be tapped by leaders they can trust, support and follow. The MNLF cannot succeed in isolation and only the deliberate move towards autonomy that integrates experience with goals will work for the long term.

Phase I of the Economic Plan should be concentrated on Agriculture and Fisheries. The majority of the Moslems and Lumads are farmers and fishermen. Traditional trade and counter-trade should be facilitated among the municipalities and baranggays by every means possible. With many nations in the OIC suffering from food shortages, the fertile soils and the rich waters of Mindanao can do contract growing and fishing for export to the hungry nations while benefitting the poor farmers and fishermen in the Bangsamoro. Food production is easier done in Mindanao than anywhere else on earth. With help from the OIC, it can grow enough food to supply the 17 African States in the OIC alone. The cooperation of the Christians and the Lumads is necessary so lands can be pooled towards this effort. The OIC member states must lead the way in addressing poverty alleviation in the Bangsamoro by prioritizing the purchase and the placement of orders for food, fuel, as well as material aid. A mutually beneficial trade relation can begin tomorrow. There are men in the MNLF who are capable of organizing this today.

Phase II must address illiteracy. Education is paramount to progress. Major research on affluent nations shows a high degree of correlation to literacy. Bangsamoro citizens should become bilingual- bi-literate in Arabic as well as English. Scholarships for other language capabilities particularly in French should be encouraged. The future major population of the world will be centered in Africa. Seventeen of the 57 member States of the OIC are African with French as the principal dialect. A student exchange program must be immediately implemented between the Bangsamoro and the OIC nations with help from the brothers at DepEd.

Phase III A Bangsamoro Credit Union or a Bangsamoro Bank must be immediately established. The prominent members of the MNLF to include the so-called Council of 15 who deposed Misuari, should lead the establishment of this economic institution and embark on a training program to teach the citizens money management, taxes, and business planning. The lack of a people’s bank to service micro-finance and to jumpstart entrepreneurs will become a major roadblock to progress because the majority of the people today cannot qualify for standard micro-finance. This challenge can be capitalized by 100 willing investors at P1 million apiece with branches in Cotabato, Jolo, Basilan, Lanao, Davao, Marawi, Tawi Tawi and Zamboanga. There are many Moslems who can afford to do this today. Even ARMM can leverage such a deal. So it may be prudent to postpone the ARMM elections until the GRP-MNLF-MILF negotiations are completed so that Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan’s projects are not left on the lurch. Giving the Bangsamoro economic empowerment cannot be done without money. Leaving only those with money to push a common goal in isolation from the people will not work. Everyone must get involved.

Phase IV Behavior Modification is a must. Are the Philippine Government and all local governments so corrupt that nothing can be accomplished? Doesn’t it follow that if all national and local governments are so corrupt that the people are corrupt? I say this, not to start an argument but to let Filipinos, Moslems, Christians, and Lumads look at themselves in the mirror and think. Actions speak louder than words. The people must start by supporting only constructive actions and move on with good behavior, and with the right company.On the positive side, the Philippines today is 30 years ahead of Cambodia, and about 300 years ahead of some African nations. Travel around Southeast Asia, Africa and even parts of the USA and Europe for an extended time and you will be very glad to be back in the Philippines. Our dive sites are competitive if not better than most of the Caribbean Resorts. Our fruits and fish are as tasty as the imported varieties that we so covet. Our weather is idyllic, our countryside so lush, our culture so saturated in tradition. Our Lumads can boast similarities to our neighboring lumads. Our democracy gives us freer speech/song than some of our neighbors enjoy today.

So is the Bangsamoro better off today? The answer is NO. But to quote Ambassador Al Masry of the OIC –“ there is light at the end of the tunnel”.

As Malaysia withdraws its IMT from Mindanao and another nation takes over the role of Mediator, some are worried. But if Malaysia was frustrated by their role, can anyone else do better? Today’s conditions are different. The actors have changed. A new generation is rising. Can the old voices meet the new voices halfway and come to an understanding? The exchange of perceptions is crucial to the future of Mindanao. At the end of the day, at the conclusion of all conferences, at the end of every prayer, the exchange of perceptions keeps people and common visions clear.

MNLF Leadership: Is Misuari stubborn and incapable of listening as he is often accused of? Is he too dictatorial and unwilling to bend and forgive? Is he a failure as a leader of men? Is he as corrupt and as inept as some claim President Arroyo to be? Is he isolating himself from the people while he has been incarcerated for six years? Is he hiding millions of dollars in hidden accounts in Malaysia and Washington D.C. as the stories go? Criticisms are a form of feedback. All leaders must make feedback a necessary tool for self evaluation. There should be a Feedback Box for every leader, provided the backgrounds of the critics are known. Not only is feedback helpful, it gives great opportunity to judge the critics on the things they do not say. Behind the spine of every criticism often lies the answer to the riddle. A workshop on constructive criticism must be required of all self appointed as well as paid critics. The right response, the right feedback, can even smoke out anonymous critics.

In all the years that I have commiserated with Prof. Misuari, I have not felt I could not be honest with my thoughts. Our professional exchanges have included contentious topics, no holds barred. I have never felt compelled to share my thoughts anonymously. I have never seen him disparage another privately or publicly, not even his critics. My children and family have all come to respect him. Neither have I ever felt the urge to say anything behind his back that I would not say to his face. This attitude has served me well among my peers. I believe in shared perceptions among people, especially among peers of different opinions and even religions. That’s how changes come about. And yes, I have asked him about the rumors, and have been satisfied by his responses.

The MNLF internal struggle pains Misuari as much as it pains others. There is no question that the internal rift is there. Blaming it on Misuari alone does not make matters better. Attacking his supporters will not help. But internal matters must be dealt with at an open round table in the presence of all the figures central to the organization. There must be Honor, Integrity, Transparency, Courage and Humility (HITCH) in the actions of men so integral to the heart of an organized struggle. The mediator to this rift must be IMPARTIAL and must bear no animosity or prejudice towards one or the other side. The mediation cannot squeeze the Philippine government or ARMM “between the devil and the deep blue sea”. The MNLF must come up clean and there are many solutions. The “Council of 15” who recently voted Sema as their leader has much to contribute to the struggle. The truth is, based on the five topics being reviewed at the Joint Technical Working Group meetings, the MNLF today should reorganize into five compartments or branches: Economic; Religious; Political; Legal; Security. The Council of 15 could serve well, an Economic Department. They alone can capitalize the Bangsamoro Bank or Credit Union and manage trade and commerce in the regions. They can afford to travel, lobby, and run charitable foundations for poverty alleviation. They can put their money where their mouth is. They can use their worldwide connections to this end. They do not need anyone’s permission. But they cannot do this in isolation. The support of the Christians and Lumads in their areas are as vital to the advancement of the struggle as sun is to photosynthesis. Islamophobia can only be eradicated through inclusion and not by exclusion. Self sufficiency is power, and even the simplest of struggles cannot survive without it.

MNLF-MILF : There are media reports that Tripoli is stepping up to replace Malaysia and the IMT. What formula will Tripoli use to broker the unification of the MILF and the MNLF? What about Misuari and the “Council of 15”? Dr. Salem Edam, an expert on our Moslem Affairs, having been Libya’s ambassador in the Philippines for many years throughout many conflicts, is trying to bridge the divide. How does he help to regain unified loyalty among thousands of followers, some loyal to one camp, others made bitter by the divisions? Will he include the new generation of young adults and women that have joined the struggle? Why did Malaysia withdraw? Will Tripoli, too, be left frustrated?

The legacy of the leaders of Mindanao will be judged by the peace and the prosperity or the conflict that the leaders sow today. The next generation can harvest the fruits of a thriving environment or taste the bitter fruits of war and hopelessness. Until we can settle our differences amongst ourselves and peace and civilized conversation is no longer brokered, we have not matured into a self sufficient region.

I ask all the people of Mindanao to practice HITCH, one man, one woman, and one child at a time!

More US troops arriving in Mindanao - report

AL JACINTO, GMANews.TV
04/30/2008 | 10:50 AM

SULU, Philippines – More US troops are expected to arrive soon in the Philippines to support hundreds already deployed in the southern part of the country aiding Filipino troops in combating terrorism.

At least 30 soldiers, part of the Guam Army National Guard's 1st Battalion under the 294th Infantry Regiment, are heading to support the "Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines," the Guam-based Mariana's Variety newspaper reported Wednesday.

It said the soldiers will serve as security, at least for six months, for a unit of the Special Operations Command-Pacific that is conducting joint civilian-military operations and training with the Philippine military.

US soldiers deployed in the south are under the Joint Special Task-Philippines which is based in Zamboanga City, but its "area of operations," according to a US military publication, spans 8,000 square miles, covering the entire island of Mindanao and its surrounding islands and seas.

With various military facilities now being constructed for their use, members of the unit refer to their bases in Mindanao as "forward operating base-11" and "advanced operating base-921".

Though US and Philippine government officials have consistently claimed that the unit is not involved in actual combat, US troops themselves describe their mission as "unconventional warfare" and "counter-insurgency" operations in the country. US troops join Filipino soldiers on patrol, provide them with intelligence, and assist in various aspects of their operation.

American soldiers are also active in many development and humanitarian activities in the southern Philippines, especially in Sulu province where they built roads and schools and join medical missions with local troops and provincial government mostly in poor areas.

The humanitarian missions is part of the Balikatan, which means "shoulder-to-shoulder," an annual Philippine and US bilateral military humanitarian assistance and training activity.

Sulu Governor Sakur Tan said the humanitarian missions helped many poor families in the province.

Just earlier this year, about 600 US troops worked with civilian authorities and the Armed Forces of the Philippines in various humanitarian projects that included free medical, dental and veterinary care in Sulu province and also in central and Western part of Mindanao.

US and Philippine soldiers, many of them construction engineers, built schools and other community infrastructures in those areas.

In 2006, the United States Navy hospital ship Mercy had treated more than 60,000 mostly poor Filipino patients in separate medical missions in Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi islands, including Zamboanga City, as part of the Project Bayanihan. - GMANews.TV

"Extinct" Pygmy Elephants Found Living on Borneo

John Roach
for National Geographic News
April 23, 2008

A gift exchange between Asian rulers several centuries ago may have inadvertently saved a population of elephants from extinction, according to a new study.

Today a small population of unusually placid and genetically distinct elephants lives in the northeast corner of Borneo, a Southeast Asian island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei (see map).

Scientists have long wondered why the elephants' range is so restricted and why they are less aggressive than other wild elephants in Asia.

The new research suggests the elephants may have descended from a population of elephants that originally lived on the island of Java in what is now Indonesia (see Indonesia map).

The finding is based on an analysis of archaeological and historical records. It supports a long-held local belief that the elephants arrived there from the island of Sulu, which is now part of the Philippines.

The sultan of Java is thought to have sent the Javan elephants as a gift to the sultan of Sulu. For unknown reasons, descendants of the elephants were subsequently shipped to Borneo and abandoned.

Back on Java, the original population went extinct by the end of the 18th century, after the arrival of Europeans in Southeast Asia.

The gift to the sultan of Sulu may therefore have inadvertently kept the lineage alive.

"There's a lot of literature on these exchanges between the different courts," said Michael Stuewe, an elephant biologist for WWF, an international conservation organization.

"These elephants may be the oldest example of a wild [mammal] population that is saved without intention to do so by royalty and through a captive detour," Stuewe said.

DNA and Archaeology

Stuewe was not an author of the new study, but he was part of the research team that showed the Bornean elephants to be a genetically distinct population of Asian elephants.

He began studying them in 1999 as part of a project to determine how to protect wildlife from the rapid conversion of Southeast Asian forest habitat into palm oil plantations.

He noticed then that the elephants were unusual—shorter and rounder than other Asian elephants and with longer tails.

"They were like little cartoon figures of an elephant," he said.

(See photos of pygmy elephants and the threats facing them.)

His colleagues at Columbia University in New York conducted DNA analysis in 2003 and found the Bornean population to be genetically distinct.

The team concluded the elephants were likely isolated on the island when the last land bridges connecting Borneo to the mainland disappeared some 18,000 years ago.

WWF's Junaidi Payne was a co-author of the genetics study and the new paper.

He and co-authors Earl of Cranbrook and Charles M.U. Leh were unable to find archaeological or historical evidence confirming the existence of so-called pygmy elephants on Borneo beyond a few centuries.

They concluded that the most plausible explanation is the Bornean elephant population "consists of remnant survivors of the extinct Javan population."

The study, the authors add, raises the importance of the Bornean population and suggests other large mammals could be saved from extinction by removal from threatened habitat to safer locations.

(Related: Borneo Elephants: From Pest to Priority [September 4, 2003])

The research was published last week in the Sarawak Museum Journal.

Palm Oil Threat

Simon Hedges is the Asian elephant coordinator for the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society.

He said the new study makes a "plausible case" that the Bornean population is descended from the Javan elephants but that more research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.

If the authors of the new study are correct, he added, the remnant Javan population on Borneo will be important for genetic reasons, since it would contain material thought lost from the gene pool.

However, the population will likely be given less of a conservation priority, since it is outside its original wild range.

"[Such] factors are generally seen as downgrading the importance of such populations versus the truly wild animals," he said.

WWF's Stuewe noted that if the finding is confirmed, it will mark another instance in which royalty had inadvertently saved a mammal from extinction.

A similar fate met the alpine ibex, a mountain goat whose remaining population was protected by an Italian king in the 1850s, captive-bred by the Swiss, and reintroduced throughout the Alps in the 1900s.

European royalty imported Przewalski horses from Mongolia in the early 20th century for their stables. The wild horses went extinct in the 1960s. European captives were reintroduced to Mongolia in 1992.

"The ability of these large charismatic mammals to recover from what seem to be extreme [population] bottlenecks apparently is there," Stuewe said.

"There is a chance for these guys if you take care of them."

Palm Oil Threat

Today, Stuewe added, the elephants face new challenges from the rapidly developing palm oil industry in northeastern Borneo, where the remnant population is located.

Driven by surging demand from the biofuels industry, Stuewe said the forest is being converted to palm oil plantations at increasing rates.

"And unfortunately," he said, "oil palm plantations are to elephants what a candy store is to little kids—they just love them."

The love, however, is not shared by plantation managers who view the elephants as a nuisance and kill them. Biologists estimate about a thousand elephants remain on Borneo.

The only hope for these elephants now is protection of the lowland forest as nature reserves or sustainably managed logging concessions, Stuewe said.

Hedges, of the Wildlife Conservation Society, noted the palm oil expansion threatens a host of species on Borneo.

"One ultimately hopes that some of the expansions of the oil palm industry are going to be controlled and done in an appropriate way so that the whole suite of species at risk isn't wiped out," he said.