MILF Ancestral Domain claim and Malaysia’s 'Neutral' Role

If the MILF are really serious about their claim on Ancestral Domain why in the name of 72 virgins are they holding the negotiations in Malaysia? Have they forgotten that Sabah is their ancestral dominatrix errr used to be and supposed to be owned by the sultanate of Sulu leased to Malaysia that has been annexed by them. So what gives, did they fell for the suppossedly “neutral” stance allowing Malaysia as the venue to resolve their claims, when there is a standing claim on Sabah?

What’s up with that anyway? Why did they not include Sabah since they wanted a bigger chunk of territory, bigger than the MNLF the group where MILF originally came from and broke away with? Since the Philippine government seems to be feeling generous why not ask Malaysia to surrender Sabah as well, after all they have the experience and a successful one at that as seen in Singapore.

This pathetic conflict really is so absurd and ridiculous and what about Manay (big sister) errr Manoy (big brother) Ernie Maceda’s claim on Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s vindictiveness giving away 8 burangays (village) that turns out to occupy 80% of the area? Sabah is bigger and probably more richer in natural resources so forget those 8 barangays, they are peanuts compared to Sabah. Here is what Maceda is saying on the matter:

Mad at Iligan. GMA lost the elections in 2004 and 2007 in Iligan, her other hometown. It is known that she is angry at Iliganons. So it’s no surprise that she is giving eight big barangays of Iligan to the MILF.

What has not been pointed out is the fact that the eight barangays being annexed to the MILF/BJE covers 81 percent of the land area of Iligan City. That certainly will cripple the remaining Iligan because it will mean a big reduction of its internal revenue allotment which is based on area and population. Vindictive to the max.

The Iligan City Council declared Secretary Jesus Dureza, Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and Gen. Rodolfo Garcia persona non grata. If they are really angry, they should declare GMA persona non grata, too!

Dang, if this is true this is what people get when they offend La Napoleona...... stripped of citizenship to become a Bangsa Moro citizen that is if the MILF decides not to expel them. A disaster in the making and hopefully they don’t follow in the footstep of Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe formula of instant billionaires in reclaiming their ancestral domain against the small time “land grabbers” who worked the land so the separatist can claim it as their own. All they have to do is plant their crops, that is as long as they don’t go the Zimbabwe’s route of unwittingly killing the agricultural sector bringing famine and up the roof hyper inflation where a 100 billion Zimbabwean dollar buys one a single banana.

This deal is more of a brokered deal ala ZTE-NBN if we go by the secrecy that both negotiators are looking more like back room operators of the Comcollect errr Comelec (Commission on Elections) math wizards where even the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) are excluded from the whole process denied as an observer as they requested. What's up with Gloria Arroyo's penchant for brokering secret deals anyway, it's like an addiction that she just can't resist.

Some parties are not happy and one can’t deny the fact that the peace agreement signed in 1996 between the GRP and the MNLF were obligations were not met to date and here they are embarking on another peace treaty as if the one signed earlier does not matter.

How concerned are the MNLF group to this botched MoA is reflected on this inquirer article:

He said MNLF leaders, including founding chairman Nur Misuari, expressed deep concern over the effects of the MOA on the existence of ARMM as the sole mechanism to implement the contents of the peace agreement between MNLF and GRP.

With the likelihood of the GRP-MILF pact to "superimpose" on the ARMM territory, Hussin said a renewed armed conflict across Mindanao would not be far-fetched.

"In an environment where everybody is armed, the breakout of violence is a possibility," said Hussin.

What is sad is that the contending parties are not really indigenous to the area. They came from neighboring Malay countries and elsewhere and to surrender this territory to Muslim armed groups that is populated by different groups of Indigenous people like the Lumads, Mamanwas, Sebuans, Manobos, etc is just absurd. If they excluded the MNLF what more with the indigenous people who was not consulted if they are agreeable to be under the rule of the Muslim separatist? Should they not have their own ancestral domain accordingly and not treated like a wholesale commodity of the separatist imposing their will on these people? How will the MILF and the MNLF rule and conflicts resolved among themselves and the indigenous people? Through the barrel of the gun I suppose, whoever has the bigger firepower wins and the indigenous people that relies on their ancestral domain to sustain them in preserving their way of life gets caught in the crossfire and that does not even include the Christians that are arming themselves as this develops.

Ancestral domain is intended for Indigenous people that is quite clear cut now what is it that entitles the MILF to get the territories on a wholesale when they are not exactly indigenous. If that is the argument are the Christians indigenous too since really there is no race or ethnic difference among Filipino Muslims and Christians. With that in mind, do the Christian land grabbers have a right and entitlement as well as the MILF in the area? Or the bigger question really is what gives the Muslims the entitlement with centuries old resentment to boot against the Filipino Christians and those turned agnostics and atheist who are no different from them when we all came from the same pug nosed Malay race? This is basically surrendering Philippine territory based on religion and not on the principle of self determination by the IPs as the Muslim separatist are as indigenous as the Tagalogs, Ilocanos, Visayans, etc. as Dean Jorge Bocobo has been pounding on this issue of BangsaMorostan.

If the MILF and the MNLF are really intent on reclaiming their ancestral domain maybe they should include Sabah too since the Malaysians are deeply involve in the “peace” process. Since we are on the Sabah issue, we might as well include the Brits as they are responsible for that leasing contract. Is it because they are too scared and too submissively feudal to address the issue with their benefactors? Heck, here they are so eager beaver at brokering the deal even hosting it but eerily silent on the Sabah issue. How about paying reparations for expelling Filipinos out of Sabah when that is clearly a Philippine territory or an Ancestral Domain not just of the MILF's but of the Filipinos? Why screw a delusional administration that may haunt them in the future......... you know as in not sane enough to enter into a contract..... and then there is the American role as pointed out by KPD-Mindanao, but that will be on our next posting...........

Related articles:

• Ameril Umbra Kato MILF’s Lost Comatose errr Command
• Nur Misuari a BangsaMoro of Filipino Citizenry and the Sabah Dispute
• Malacañang’s Gambit may Signal Violence Escalation in Mindanao
• The Moros and the Indio-Filipinos
• Ameril Umbra Kato is no Renegade Commander says MILFs Eid Kabalu
• MILF’s Mohagher Iqbal & GRP’s Deluded Done Deal
• Gloria Arroyo's GRP MILF Peace Formula leads to Civil War

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