Category: Bangsamoro

Watered-down BBL = A house with no roof, plates with no food

mcmangahas Leave a comment

By Cong B. Corrales

A WEAK AND EFFETE Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be like giving the Bangsamoro people “a house without a roof” or “plates without food.”

This was how peace advocates from Mindanao and Manila responded to recent statements by members of the House of Representatives that at least eight provisions in the BBL could be amended.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL, had earlier told reporters in several forums that his committee plans to scrap eight provisions of the BBL that are supposedly “unconstitutional.”

But Gani Abunda of the Friends of the Bangsamoro Movement in a public forum on Friday said such statements do not augur well for the BBL, citing “the spirit and principles of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB)” which the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed on March 27, 2014.

“We don’t think that a watered-down (BBL) will address the legitimate concerns of the Bangsamoro for peace,” said Abunda, who also represents the Initiatives for International Dialogue.

Congressman Rodriguez had earlier proposed to scrap some provisions of BBL’s Section 2 on the “Powers of Government ” authorizing the new Bangsamoro administration to have its own constitutional bodies.

Mary Ann Arnado, secretary general of the Mindanao Peace Caucus, disagrees.

She said that while the proposed BBL provides for the creation of its own constitutional bodies (i.e. Civil Service, Commission on Elections, Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Audit), these bodies would ultimately be under their respective mother commissions.

“These constitutional bodies, namely the Civil Service Commission, the auditing office, and the electoral office of the Bangsamoro will still be working together with the Comelec, the COA, and the Civil Service. So these are not really totally independent but these are offices that will be established in the Bangsamoro,” said Arnado.

The House of Representatives will commence deliberations on the BBL next Monday, May 11. To ensure that the discussions will be “compliant and reflective” of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace advocates have called on Filipinos to join a Peace March-Rally on that day.

The march-rally will start from the Sandiganbayan compound on Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City and proceed to the gates of Batasan Pambansa Complex. “It is a symbolic march that will gather at least 8,000 peace advocates to ensure that the BBL that will be passed in the lower house of Congress will not be a watered-down version,” said Arnado.

“May 11 will be beyond just joining a big rally,” she said. “It will be a massive citizens’ action for the Bangsamoro. For those of us who have witnessed the cruelty of war in Mindanao, for the bakwit (evacuees) who perennially leave their homes just to avoid being caught in the crossfires and for all the innocent victims of this long-drawn war in Mindanao, May 11 is an opportunity for all of us to show our sturdy unity to achieve genuine peace.”

Meanwhile, in an emailed statement, Thursday, Oxfam said lawmakers could be in “strategic position to put an end to the vicious cycle of poverty and conflict” in Mindanao by opening that part of the country to “sound public investments.”

“Oxfam agrees with the statement of the Citizens’ Peace Council early this week that the block grant can help the region catch up with the rest of the country since it is critical for the operations of the Bangsamoro government,” Oxfam said.

The vaunted growth of the national economy, it noted, has not helped in easing the dire conditions of communities in the Muslim Mindanao region.

In a 2012 report, t representative Gani Abunda he Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the concentration of poor people in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has remained high, “ranging between 42 percent and 47 percent” in 2006, 2009, and 2012.

Of the 17 regions in the country, ARMM has always had the highest incidence of poverty, the PSA report added.

“As we wait for the outcome of the deliberations of the BBL,’ Oxfam said, “let us be reminded that the draft law can open an opportunity to promote inclusive growth and development, and address the persisting problems of poverty and inequality besetting Muslim Mindanao.” - PCIJ, May 2015

Watered-down BBL = A house with no roof, plates with no food

mcmangahas Leave a comment

By Cong B. Corrales

A WEAK AND EFFETE Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be like giving the Bangsamoro people “a house without a roof” or “plates without food.”

This was how peace advocates from Mindanao and Manila responded to recent statements by members of the House of Representatives that at least eight provisions in the BBL could be amended.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL, had earlier told reporters in several forums that his committee plans to scrap eight provisions of the BBL that are supposedly “unconstitutional.”

But Gani Abunda of the Friends of the Bangsamoro Movement in a public forum on Friday said such statements do not augur well for the BBL, citing “the spirit and principles of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB)” which the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed on March 27, 2014.

“We don’t think that a watered-down (BBL) will address the legitimate concerns of the Bangsamoro for peace,” said Abunda, who also represents the Initiatives for International Dialogue.

Congressman Rodriguez had earlier proposed to scrap some provisions of BBL’s Section 2 on the “Powers of Government ” authorizing the new Bangsamoro administration to have its own constitutional bodies.

Mary Ann Arnado, secretary general of the Mindanao Peace Caucus, disagrees.

She said that while the proposed BBL provides for the creation of its own constitutional bodies (i.e. Civil Service, Commission on Elections, Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Audit), these bodies would ultimately be under their respective mother commissions.

“These constitutional bodies, namely the Civil Service Commission, the auditing office, and the electoral office of the Bangsamoro will still be working together with the Comelec, the COA, and the Civil Service. So these are not really totally independent but these are offices that will be established in the Bangsamoro,” said Arnado.

The House of Representatives will commence deliberations on the BBL next Monday, May 11. To ensure that the discussions will be “compliant and reflective” of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace advocates have called on Filipinos to join a Peace March-Rally on that day.

The march-rally will start from the Sandiganbayan compound on Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City and proceed to the gates of Batasan Pambansa Complex. “It is a symbolic march that will gather at least 8,000 peace advocates to ensure that the BBL that will be passed in the lower house of Congress will not be a watered-down version,” said Arnado.

“May 11 will be beyond just joining a big rally,” she said. “It will be a massive citizens’ action for the Bangsamoro. For those of us who have witnessed the cruelty of war in Mindanao, for the bakwit (evacuees) who perennially leave their homes just to avoid being caught in the crossfires and for all the innocent victims of this long-drawn war in Mindanao, May 11 is an opportunity for all of us to show our sturdy unity to achieve genuine peace.”

Meanwhile, in an emailed statement, Thursday, Oxfam said lawmakers could be in “strategic position to put an end to the vicious cycle of poverty and conflict” in Mindanao by opening that part of the country to “sound public investments.”

“Oxfam agrees with the statement of the Citizens’ Peace Council early this week that the block grant can help the region catch up with the rest of the country since it is critical for the operations of the Bangsamoro government,” Oxfam said.

The vaunted growth of the national economy, it noted, has not helped in easing the dire conditions of communities in the Muslim Mindanao region.

In a 2012 report, t representative Gani Abunda he Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the concentration of poor people in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has remained high, “ranging between 42 percent and 47 percent” in 2006, 2009, and 2012.

Of the 17 regions in the country, ARMM has always had the highest incidence of poverty, the PSA report added.

“As we wait for the outcome of the deliberations of the BBL,’ Oxfam said, “let us be reminded that the draft law can open an opportunity to promote inclusive growth and development, and address the persisting problems of poverty and inequality besetting Muslim Mindanao.” - PCIJ, May 2015

The Ampatuan Files

Julius Mariveles Leave a comment

PHILIPPINE regional trial court Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes has finally denied the petition for bail of Andal Ampatuan Sr., the principal suspect in the 2009 Ampatuan massacre that led to the death of 58 people, 32 of them journalists and media workers.

Andal Ampatuan Sr

‘AS AN important note, however, the ruling of the court is not in judgment of guilt or innocence of the accused which requires proof beyond reasonable doubt which is addressed during a full-blown trial,’ Judge Solis-Reyes adds in her ruling denying the bail petition of Andal Ampatuan Sr. | Photo from interaksyon.com

Reyes, who is hearing the murder charges against the accused, denied Ampatuan’s bail plea more than five years after charges were filed against the suspects in what is now considered as the single deadliest attack against members of the media.

“Wherefore in view of foregoing and finding that evidence of guilt of accused is strong the bail petitions filed by Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr. are hereby denied,” Reyes said in her ruling according to a report of gmanetwork.com.

How influential are the Ampatuans in Maguindanao province? How well-connected are they? In 2013, the PCIJ released its documentary “Angkan,” which explored clan politics in the southern Philippine province.

Angkan Inc., is a documentary produced by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism in an effort to understand the past, present, and future links that define the clans that have ruled Maguindanao province for centuries. Maguindanao is one of several province whose ruling clans have a long historical and cultural heritage. As such, the clans are seen as very much a part of Maguindanao culture. However, the clans have, over the decades, also intruded into the local and national political scene with the help of patrons in Manila who see their use in the gathering of votes.

And how wealthy is Andal Ampatuan Sr? What are his businesses? Interestingly, the PCIJ found out in 2011 that while Andal Sr declared in his statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth that he is a simple farmer, he and his son, Zaldy, own more than 65 properties scattered throughout Maguindanao, Cotabato City, Davao City, and even in ritzy Dasmariñas Village in Makati, home to many foreign embassies and a refuge of the country’s rich and famous.

“These real properties range from a two-hectare farm lot in Cotabato City, to magnificent structures in Davao City and Shariff Aguak that tower over the simple abodes of one of the country’s poorest provinces. One residential property in Davao City alone covers at least 4,000 square meters, and has a mansion that dwarfs other high-end homes with its opulence.” – An Anarchy of Mansions

Click on the photo to read the full story.

The tall gates conceal the mansion in Juna Subdivision, Davao City, that is owned by Andal Ampatuan Sr. | PCIJ File Photo

The tall gates conceal the mansion in Juna Subdivision, Davao City, that is owned by Andal Ampatuan Sr. | PCIJ File Photo

Tomorrow: The money of the Ampatuans in the banks and how they tried to secure amnesty for their guns.

Afraid, unsure, displaced, homeless 

Julius Mariveles Leave a comment

HRW, ICRC raise alarm over 125,000 evacuees in Mindanao

By Julius D. Mariveles

TENS OF THOUSANDS of civilians in Maguindanao province have been displaced by the month-long military operations against the Bangsa Moro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the government should promptly address the emerging humanitarian crisis and reports of violations of human rights in the area, according to two international groups.

About 125,000 residents have reportedly fled their homes for evacuation centers after the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) started launching intermittent attacks on camps of the BIFF that had been linked to the Mamasapano incident on Jan. 25, 2015.

Forty-four Special Action Force (SAF) police troopers, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters, and five civilians had died in the Mamasapano clash.

ICRC Photo

SOME of the displaced residents in Mindanao | ICRC Photo

“Fear and uncertainty remain for thousands of people displaced by the month-long clashes between government armed forces and armed groups in Maguindanao in March,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.

“Although the fighting in Maguindanao has stopped, irregular skirmishes and uncertainty in the area prevent displaced families from returning to their homes,” said Pascal Mauchle, head of the ICRC delegation in the Philippines.

The displaced families living in evacuation centers are unable to return to their homes that have mostly been affected also by the current dry season brought about by the El Niño phenomenon.

The ICRC said it has started trucking in clean water daily to around 16,000 people in 17 evacuation centers in the towns of Mamasapano and Datu Salibo in Maguidanao province. It said it would conduct maintenance of toilets it had built in 2008 when fighting also displaced thousands of people in Maguindanao.

ICRC Photo

ICRC Photo

Training on first aid for 60 health personnel working in rural health units in Matalam and Kabacan, in North Cotabato has also started, aside from the distribution of food rations good for two weeks, and hygiene and sanitaton items for about 4,000 displaced families in Pikit, North Cotabato, and Pagalungan in Maguindanao, the ICRC said.

For its part, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said, “the scale of the impact of this operation on people is significant, even by local standards.”

In a press dispatch over the weekend, the HRW said the number of internally displaced people had peaked at more than 125,000 since the military started its offensives against the BIFF over a month ago.

While the number of displaced people has fallen to about 70,000, the HRW said their situation remains dire. It cited a report of the Protection Cluster, a United Nations-supported initiative of government and non-governmental groups, that the AFP offensive “has resulted in numerous alleged serious human rights abuses,” and that the military operations in Maguindanao “are the main driving factor of displacement in the armed conflict.”

Apart from the humanitarian needs of the displaced residents, however, the HRW said that the allegations of rights abuses in Mindanao demand urgent investigation by the Philippine government.

“Philippine President Benigno Aquino needs to make clear to the armed forces that the liberty, safety, and livelihoods of the people of Maguindanao cannot be held hostage to anti-insurgent operations,” it said.

The Protection Cluster report alleged, among others, that people’s homes have been destroyed as a result of the offensive. The military has also reportedly created “no-go” areas and unnecessarily restricted people’s movement. Those who have tried to return home to secure work animals, crops, and belongings are reportedly being harassed. Soldiers also reportedly stand guard at the evacuation centers, relief distribution sites, and schools.

According to HRW, soldiers have even deployed some children to gather intelligence about insurgent operations. – PCIJ, April 2015

Afraid, unsure, displaced, homeless 

Julius Mariveles Leave a comment

HRW, ICRC raise alarm over 125,000 evacuees in Mindanao

By Julius D. Mariveles

TENS OF THOUSANDS of civilians in Maguindanao province have been displaced by the month-long military operations against the Bangsa Moro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the government should promptly address the emerging humanitarian crisis and reports of violations of human rights in the area, according to two international groups.

About 125,000 residents have reportedly fled their homes for evacuation centers after the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) started launching intermittent attacks on camps of the BIFF that had been linked to the Mamasapano incident on Jan. 25, 2015.

Forty-four Special Action Force (SAF) police troopers, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters, and five civilians had died in the Mamasapano clash.

ICRC Photo

SOME of the displaced residents in Mindanao | ICRC Photo

“Fear and uncertainty remain for thousands of people displaced by the month-long clashes between government armed forces and armed groups in Maguindanao in March,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.

“Although the fighting in Maguindanao has stopped, irregular skirmishes and uncertainty in the area prevent displaced families from returning to their homes,” said Pascal Mauchle, head of the ICRC delegation in the Philippines.

The displaced families living in evacuation centers are unable to return to their homes that have mostly been affected also by the current dry season brought about by the El Niño phenomenon.

The ICRC said it has started trucking in clean water daily to around 16,000 people in 17 evacuation centers in the towns of Mamasapano and Datu Salibo in Maguidanao province. It said it would conduct maintenance of toilets it had built in 2008 when fighting also displaced thousands of people in Maguindanao.

ICRC Photo

ICRC Photo

Training on first aid for 60 health personnel working in rural health units in Matalam and Kabacan, in North Cotabato has also started, aside from the distribution of food rations good for two weeks, and hygiene and sanitaton items for about 4,000 displaced families in Pikit, North Cotabato, and Pagalungan in Maguindanao, the ICRC said.

For its part, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said, “the scale of the impact of this operation on people is significant, even by local standards.”

In a press dispatch over the weekend, the HRW said the number of internally displaced people had peaked at more than 125,000 since the military started its offensives against the BIFF over a month ago.

While the number of displaced people has fallen to about 70,000, the HRW said their situation remains dire. It cited a report of the Protection Cluster, a United Nations-supported initiative of government and non-governmental groups, that the AFP offensive “has resulted in numerous alleged serious human rights abuses,” and that the military operations in Maguindanao “are the main driving factor of displacement in the armed conflict.”

Apart from the humanitarian needs of the displaced residents, however, the HRW said that the allegations of rights abuses in Mindanao demand urgent investigation by the Philippine government.

“Philippine President Benigno Aquino needs to make clear to the armed forces that the liberty, safety, and livelihoods of the people of Maguindanao cannot be held hostage to anti-insurgent operations,” it said.

The Protection Cluster report alleged, among others, that people’s homes have been destroyed as a result of the offensive. The military has also reportedly created “no-go” areas and unnecessarily restricted people’s movement. Those who have tried to return home to secure work animals, crops, and belongings are reportedly being harassed. Soldiers also reportedly stand guard at the evacuation centers, relief distribution sites, and schools.

According to HRW, soldiers have even deployed some children to gather intelligence about insurgent operations. – PCIJ, April 2015