Moro Islamic Liberation Front: Vanguards or Just Rebels?
With all the troubles the Philippine government has during these times, and the clamor for “Gloria, Resign!” grows, one can only surmise that maybe the Philippines really needs a change of President or government. For me, the change of government as a whole maybe the best (but not the most feasible) option at this time, not just the head of state.
However, the history of Philippine politics has not really changed throughout the decades since former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos (my provincemate). It was during his regime that “rebels” surfaced and rebel groups began to flourish. Marcos’ time saw the birth of the CPP-NPA, MNLF and MILF. Islamic insurgency was on live wire. Muslim Mindanao was on its feet and the people lived in fear.
One group that made a huge mark was the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It now has its own website. According to their website “the MILF is the vanguard of the Islamic movement in the Bangsamoro homeland in Mindanao and the neighboring islands. The MILF was formed in 1977 when Hashim Salamat, supported by ethnic Maguindanaos from Mindanao, split from the Moro National Liberation Front, advocating a more moderate and conciliatory approach toward the government.” On the other hand, the Philippine government may not always think the same. For them this group will still be a rebel group with an intent to topple the government. For commoners who live near areas of MILF camps, these are truly vanguards of national liberty. Truly, our points of view differ, hence subjective. I even said before in one of my articles that somebody’s suicide bomber may be another man’s hero. And this is certainly true.
If we are to scratch the surface of Islamic insurgency in the Philippines, the most probable cause of rebellion are poverty and oppression. While it’s true people in the southern parts of the archipelago are now gaining attention from the government, some decades ago, they have virtually not gained any. These people have been oppressed and treated as mere minorities. Mindanao was ignored for the longest time. For the Muslims and Christians there (especially the Muslims), this is basically unacceptable. If that’s the case, then maybe they have the right to be angry. I’m not in any way condoning terrorism, if by any chance you’re thinking that I’m supporting terrorism. Terrorism is a totally different act. It is a shameless act of cowardice, trying to instill fear in the hearts of innocent people. I’m simply stating my opinion about “rebel” Muslim groups. Some of these have attainable ideologies, too, just in case you didn’t know. Others simply wanted to make money. As for me, it’s also a good thing vigilant groups exist. They balance the flow of power through a struggle so that it simply won’t tip on one side. Alas! Many innocent have been in the middle of this struggle and crossfire that peace has been neglected at all.
So, what is your take? Are Muslim groups vanguards or are they fundamentally outcasts?
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Tags: insurgency in the philippines, moro islamic liberation, muslim mindanao, Politics
This is another great post that Im sure will get a certain amount of attention. I am from Mindanao, particulary the southern part of it (GenSan). The existence of the belligerent communities are prevalent. True, they are now given enough attention not to mention that the government made efforts in helping them build the Muslim communities because the MILF & MNLF groups were asking for it. They wanted autonomy from the Philippine government. They claim that they were the original occupants/ inhabitants of the Land of Promise before people from the North migrated here and so they wanted it back. Since the government authorities wanted peace and not war, they somewhat “gave in.” ARMM became a separate region in 1989 and it’s the only region that has its own government. They were given autonomy that they have been long asking for and separate funds for them were provided to build anew their own people, their government and thereby gain progress and economic stability.
But try to look at their economy. They are now running their own government, but why is it that they are one of the most impoverished region in the Philippines? Why is still poverty very high? And why is it that majority of the cities composing the ARMM were among the top 10 poorest cities in the country? We have been discussing these in class in my major subjects when I was still taking up my undergrad degree and this made me really wonder why. They have great and educated leaders and I can say that they are capable of making their region progressive.
I have nothing against Muslims. My bestfriend in Grade 3 was a Muslim. I have a close friend from college who was a Muslim. I admire some of my Professors from college and Graduate School and most of them were Muslims. I am not losing hope for our country. I still would love to work here and live here and raise my kids here in our country because there is no place like home. But if PEACE, ECONOMIC & POLITICAL STABILITY seems so out of reach, I would rather opt to widen my horizon and consider living a peaceful life in foreign shores.
Scotty’s Princess’s last blog post..Grand Eyeball @ Twerlyn’s Wedding
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datch reply on March 10, 2008:
hello scotty’s princess. can i have the gut to reply to your comment? indeed, your opinion is true. there’s no wisdom of denying it as everyone also shares this point. The 2005 Human Development Network Report also proves that a great degree of poverty is experienced in the ARMM despite the self-governance granted to the region. but if we browse over the legal bases that created the ARMM, it can be found out that nothing substantial in their provisions granting it the power to generate its own revenues; there’s no such a thing as BIR-ARMM. ARMM is instead “structurally powerless” therefore “financially handicapped.” It is even more decapitated at the tragic passage of R.A. 9054. Since its creation, ARMM did not receive an annual budget that has reached one percent of the annual national budget. A study conducted in 2005 that 85% of that local budget is spent for ARMM’s personnel services; 15% for its maintenance and operation services while just the negligible remaining amount is allocated for its region-wide socio-economic programs and projects. As such, ARMM is not more than an extension of Malacanang in the south whose survival depends upon the dictates of the people there. there has been no governor ever elected whose candidacy is not endorsed, let alone appointed, by the president. It is therefore likely that (with due respect) ARMM’s care taking can be entrusted to trapos who can have no qualification, let alone political will, to run the regional government which the national government has no mechanism to check on other than election. Meanwhile, if we analyze local events in Mindanao, it can also be found out that those programs and projects of the national government in the past were most of the time poured en masse in non-Muslim areas at that expense of Muslim-populated conflict affected areas which instead need rehabilitation efforts before development initiatives. Of course, socio-economic programs and infrastructure projects can also be seen now in the region, yet these were just negligible which are but funded by foreign donors. As such, various solutions that the national government has tried were just palliatives to appease some but at the expense of the general Moro public.
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Scotty Princess and I share the same outlook on this one.
I have nothing against the Muslims. Nor even those non-Muslims who have joined the group. I live in Lanao del Norte, one of those “war zones”. But it is true that they’ve been claiming to be the first occupants of Mindanao, thus, they should have it and rule it. But since the appointment of ARMM, the situation is still the same.
by the way… have you read my reply regarding in that comment of yours about the “hubby” thing? I don’t have one.
shiera’s last blog post..Maruho Duo - The Reunion
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@ Ellaine and Shiera,
That’s true, Muslims should be treated as our equal because that’s just the plain truth to it - they’re our equal. I also had friends in college who are Muslims and they, too, did not like what were happening in Muslim Mindanao at that time which are not far different from today - war, apathy, indifference and oppression.
Maybe it’s really high time for our government to provide the region with independence to put an end to insurgency. Although this is not constitutional, this could be the only solution left that we really haven’t tried to stop insurgency. Nobody benefits from wars. It’s a lose-lose situation. Hence, giving peace a chance by any means could be the wake up call all Filipinos should be concerned with.
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