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Where the real danger lies

Malaya editorial

The opposition suspects Gloria Arroyo is pushing for a piecemeal political settlement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in order to pursue her agenda of staying in power beyond 2010 through Charter change.

There is basis to this suspicion, but it should guard against under-estimating the wiliness of Gloria.

The establishment of a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity demanded by the MILF indeed requires an amendment to the Constitution. This can only be done either through a constitutional convention or a constituent assembly (the people’s initiative route is blocked by the Supreme Court ruling that it is only applicable to revisions). In either case – convention or assembly – any and all amendments, not the least a shift to a parliamentary form of government, may be entertained during the proceedings.

The hurdle to this scenario is the Senate’s opposition to constitutional amendments at this time, a stand that enjoys widespread popular support. There is simply no way Arroyo can sell charter change.

Let’s look at another scenario, based on the assumption that Gloria knew all along that given the people’s loss of trust on her administration, a binding deal with the MILF is an impossibility.

Under this scenario, she is stringing the MILF all along and waiting only for the perfect time to sweep the rug under the peace negotiations. The time is now, two years before her exit and when her ratings are at rock bottom.

History is littered with examples of discredited and unpopular leaders who resorted to war in an effort to regain popular support. We have long known that nothing will stop Gloria from seeking to retain her grip on power. Not even war, with the death and destruction it brings.

Today, Gloria wears the mask of a coddler of secessionism. Tomorrow she could take off that mask and just as easily wrap herself in the banner of the Republic and wage war against those who seek to dismember it.

Let’s not underestimate the majority’s chauvinism. The stereotypes of Muslims as lazy, treacherous and warlike good for nothings lie just under the surface of the majority’s outward respect for other people’s beliefs, customs and practices.

If Gloria sees war as her way to her continued stay and salvation, war we will get. That’s where, we suspect, the true danger lies.

Published inMalayaMindanao

33 Comments

  1. Jake Las Pinas Jake Las Pinas

    The GRP will never learn. You give them a litle bit now, they will want more next time. MNLF then, MILF now. Abu Sayyaf next? Autonomy then, state now, independence next? Can the GRP protect other territories when they will be able to amass weapons when granted statehood specially with the help of foreign entities?

    Why all this talk about changing the constitution now when this administration regularly disregards the charter?

    The first to receive copies of the MOA were members of AGFO. Why it was leaked to them first is suspicious. Are they trying to incite the generals? Retired they may be but they know the real score in Mindanao. They know these people are not interested in peace. Truly there is something going on that makes me worry.

  2. luzviminda luzviminda

    Bangsa Moro (MILF), the Federal State of Mindano. HIndi na Luzviminda ang pangalan ko. LuzVi na lang. Waaaaahhh!

  3. etcetera etcetera

    Neal Cruz of Philippine Daily Inquirer thinks that the martial law will be delivered piecemeal. The first stage of piecemeal martial law is when a severe turmoil or war erupts in Mindanao then unanong ahas will have an excuse to declare martial law in Mindanao only. The second stage will be a turmoil in Visayas caused by bombings which will give unanong ahas an excuse to declare martial law in the Visayas. The third and last stage of piecemeal martial law will be declared in Luzon.

    The big question is the timing. When will the first stage of piecemeal martial law will be declared? The second stage? The third stage?

    http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080806-152889/The-sinister-motive-behind-the-MOA

  4. luzviminda luzviminda

    Bangsa Moro Federal State of Malaysia! Hindi na parte ng PIlipinas. Malaysia has secret vested interest dyan sa kasunduan na iyan kaya sila pursigido. Sila ang gustong makinabang sa yaman ng lupain ng ating mahal na Mindanao.

  5. luzviminda luzviminda

    Imagine, pati parte ng Palawan kasama sa juridical entity eh ang layo na nun at walang kinalaman sa mga usapin ng GRP-MILF. Patago talaga magtrabaho itong pekeng administrasyon ni Gloria. Pag nakuha na nila(MangsaMOro) ang gusto nila eh madali ng gerahin at kunin pa ang mga katabing lugar. Marami ng gyera ang nangyari dahil sa territorial rights, lalo na sa mga Muslim.

  6. You bet, Luzviminda! Malaysia must have a big stake in this shady deal between the MILF and Gloria Dorobo who must be really itching down there to prostitute the Philippines for a piece of territory the Malaysians may grant her to be a sultana of one of the vasal states to be created with these “ancestral domain” (daw) that the idiot has talked about with the hoodums. Otherwise, why should it care too much on whether or not the Philippine government solves its insurgency problem with the Moslems down south.

    I doubt if the Moslems in fact would opt to be independent if the Philippine government is doing all it can for the Filipino people and if it is is not as corrupt and neglectful not just of the Moslems but ALL Filipinos regardless of whether or not they feel that they are not being served well by the public servants they pay with taxpayers’ money.

    By all means, this should be stopped, and the culprits put to jail, una na iyong nagdudunung-dunungang boba na ayaw pang bumaba.

  7. Tilamsik Tilamsik

    etcetera:

    Piecemeal Martial law, ibang klase ito, oo nga naman, para patay malisya. A well planned evil political spin.

  8. parasabayan parasabayan

    The asspweron is doing it again, throwing his weight around and intimidating the moslems who are not going along with his and the evil bitche’s plan to use the MILF to extend their illegal stay in power. Dapat kay asspweron huwag siyang nagtatago sa Malaysia. Pumunta siya at maglakad sa Mindanao para “todas” siya ng di oras! This hoodlum never learns! Akala niya eh lahat ng tao eh kaya niyang mandohan. He says he was embarassed with the SC TRO on the MoA. Marunong bang mahiya yang “kapalmuks” na yan?

  9. parasabayan parasabayan

    So asspweron is throwing his weight around again! He never learned. Hoodlum talaga! His language and actuations show what a low life he is!

  10. I agree with Jake, the invitation for trouble is deliberate. Attorney, is there such a case as “inciting to secession”?

    Look, MNLF already has ARMM (5 provinces plus Marawi City) under its administrative wings. That is recognized internationally and more importantly by the OIC. This new accord will place the whole ARMM PLUS a maximum of 721 other villages under the new BJE administration. Definitely, MNLF and its supporters in Libya and the OIC will take it as a big slap on their faces. MNLF will definitely resist supervision by a co-equal group. No doubt there will be more new problems than the agreement wishes to solve. This time it will not be just GRP vs. Moros but GRP vs. MILF vs MNLF rumble.

    That doesn’t end there, lumads are resisting it, too. Lumad settlements were created by old tribal clans who fought the Muslim sultanates of Maguindanao and Sulu but are now included by MILF in the BJE.

    So, it’s GRP vs. MILF vs. MNLF vs. Lumads. How about Manila, which was a Muslim kingdom before the merchants and the conquistadores arrived, will Rajahs Soliman’s, Matanda’s and Lakandula’s decendants find logical refuge in the MOA and demand for inclusion in the BJE? This may be stretching it, but there will be legal precedence once the MOA is signed.

    So ano ang ginagawa ng ordinaryong Pinoy? Taranta na sa paikot ni Gloria, pabayaan na lang iyan at manood na lang ng Wowowee at Eat Bulaga?

  11. Laski Laski

    Love of country is alien to gloria. What she has is love of power and money… and the sulatanate of Mindanao is a well planned refuge if and when she gets kicked out of the republic of Luzon and Visayas.

  12. zen2 zen2

    ang MNLF, na pinamunuan ni Nur Misuri, ay kinikilala ng Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) bilang lehitimong boses ng Muslim Filipinos. ang OIC ay samahan ng lahat ng bansa na may panampalatayang Islam: S. Arabia, Libya, Jordan, Indonesia, Malaysia, atbp.

    mahalaga na merong magandang ugnayan ang Pilipinas at OIC, dahilan ang mga bansang ito, ay kumukupkop ng mga milyon-milyong PINOY Filipino na manggagawa, o dili kaya’y bilang refugee.

    sa katunayan, ang MNLF ay merong ‘observer status’ sa mga miting ng grupong OIC.

    ang MILF naman, ay naghahangad pa lamang na kilalanin din ng OIC. at mahigit sa malamang, kikilalanin din nila ito, dahil nagpadala nga ng delegasyon para sa seremonyang pirmahan sa Kuala Lumpur.

    hindi pinatupad ng rehimeng Marcos ang kasunduan nila ng MNLF nuong huling dekada ng ’70, na naki-pagpirmahan sa Tripoli, Libya. ang kasunduang ito ay mas kilala sa bansag na: Tripoli Agreement o Tripoli Accords.

    ang hindi pagtupad sa kasunduang ito, ang siyang pangunahing dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon ng MILF—bilang breakaway sa orihinal na grupo—-na ang mga liderato ay pawang orihinal na kasapi ng MNLF!

    hindi pa nga nai-patupad ng gobyerno ang Tripoli Accords, eto na NAMAN at pumasok sa kasunduan sa MILF sa Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia na alam naman niyang tututol ang mayoryang Pinoy!

    malaking kahibangan, anduon na tayo. pero bakit niya ginawa ito?

    paghilo sa kalituhan ang taongbayan, maaring makikinig at susunod na lang ito sa kung sino ang may hawak ng mikropono at salapi.

    kasunod na dito ang simpatiya sa kung sino ang nag-abot…

    (mali po sana ang prognosis ko…)

  13. zen2 zen2

    kung ang kasunduang ito ng MILF at ng iligal na okupante ng Malakanyang ay hindi pa rin titinag sa mga fence-sitters at critical collaborators, wala na akong maisip pa na maaring magpabago sa kanilang kokote.

  14. norpil norpil

    the arroyos have been good in creating danger for others but seems always to be able to get out of it themselves.

  15. Etnad Etnad

    Mukhang repeat performance na naman. Arroyo, Esperon combo …. gaya nung pandaraya nilang dalawa nung eleksiyon. Ngayon naman kung papano ma-extend ni Glorya ang inagaw at ninakaw nilang posisyon. Wala na ba talagang aawat sa kanila? Wala na bang mag-lalakas ng loob na sabihin sa kanila na …. TAMA na!!!!!!!

  16. rose rose

    Tongue: Oo nga, paano ang Manila..Hindi ba nandoon ang malaking Mosque sa Echague? Maraming mga Muslims sa Manila..paano sila? Marami ding mga Muslims na sa ibang lugar…sa Antique, where before walang walang nakatira sa kanila sa Antique, I understand now there are settlements along the coastal areas..and they have evcry right to be there..Filipinos din sila..they have every right to have businesses, they have every right to send their children to school..they are Filipinos just like who we are…
    Pisssssssssss to Gloria!

  17. rose rose

    na doble ang posting ko..paki erase ng isa..
    ..we are discouraged to incite revolution, but isn’t this what Esperon and Gloria doing? Sila ang nagpapaglo sa Mindanao..sa tingin ko..pag nangyari ang gulo..ito na seguro ang ibig sabihin ng…maghahalo ang balat at tinalupan..the halo halo of Mindanao…Malungkot…

  18. rose rose

    Si glo ang nang gugulo, siya ang pang gulo: si Esperon ang taga halo..Glo-Esperon halo halo..what a pair!

  19. Mike Mike

    Esperon said this to North Cotobato Vice Gov. Manny Pinol: “Hindi namin sasacripisyo ang buhay ng mga sundalo namin para idepensa kayo. Kapag inatake kayo ng MILF diyan dahil sa TRO, bahala na kayo sa sarili nyo.”

    Isn’t it that this V. Gov. Pinol is a Gloria ally? Buti nga sa kanya!

  20. Mike Mike

    Just want to clarify with what I posted above:
    When I say “buti nga sa kanya”, I meant that because he is a Gloria sipsip, he thought he is in the good graces of Gloria. But he never realized that being a sipsip is not full proof that he won’t be fed to the lions too. Hopefully, with these turn of events, it would wake him to the reality that Gloria cannot be trusted. He should also be ready to break ties with the present regime for the sake of his constituents, his province and the country as a whole.
    On another note, I wonder what the other sipsips stand on this MoA issue, especially those provinces that will be affected??? Speaker Nograles for one is a Mindanaoan…how about Ruffus Rodriguez? Why so quiet???

  21. Etnad Etnad

    Ako ay naa-awa sa mga sibilyang masasangkot na naman sa katarantaduhan na pinag-gagawa ng pekeng Gobyernong ito. Ang ini-isip lang nila ay ang kanilang pansariling kapakananan. Lalo na ang mga retiradong General na hanggang ngayon ay nakabuntot sa anino ng pekeng Presidente. Kaya ayaw nilang umalis sa puwesto si Glorya ay dahil sila ay maraming utang sa mga mamamayan. Takot sila sa kung anong mangyayari sa kanila pag bumaba na ang kanilang inilagak sa puwesto.

  22. To Luzviminda: look at it on the brighter side, with double digit inflation at 17 year-high, tipid ka na sa mongol hehehe!
    pero agree ako sa sinabi mo bigla na lang, andyan na sa Mindanao mismo ang Federated States nang Malaysia. Indi ako naniniwala na wala silang milagrong ginagawa.

    To ToungInANew: ba’t ka tumigil sa bloggaciouness?

    To Laski on love of kawntri: that’s why nakatira sya sa “MgaKanyaLang Palace” hehehe

  23. The grand design to extend Ate Glue’s grip on power beyond 2010 is starting to emerge, and it is marked by devious cunning. The idea is to keep the public and opposition guessing, flood the environment with PR hype, keep the pot boiling, muddle the issues with other sleazy headlines (MILF-GRP MOA, judicial bribery and rot, corporate greed like Meralco, oil firms and pandesal bakers) to divert attention from the scheme. Professional con-men must be green with envy.

  24. Bakit, sinong may sabing bababa si Garutay in 2010? Si Escudero? Ogag!

    Hindi bababa iyan hangga’t di siya namamatay, at kahit mamamatay iyan papalit iyong anak niyang mukhang kabayo na baboy pa kasi ang balak niya gawing hereditary ang position niya—Reyna. Kundi iyong lalaking anak, iyong babae ang gusto niyang ipalit. Hindi pa man, abusado na ang mga ungas!

    Umiiral kasi ang kaswapangan at kasakiman sa maraming gustong magpagamit sa mga piggies.

  25. Sayang ang Mindanao pag nawala sa Pilipinas. Ito namang mga gunggong na mga kano, gusto din sakupin ang Mindanao imbes na hayaan ang mga pilipino na pagyamanin ang mga lupa doon. Gutom lalo ang aabutin ng mga pilipino pag nawala iyan sa Pilipinas o kung okupahin na naman ng mga kano iyan at gawin parang Okinawa na nasasayang ang lupa sa pagge-guerra nila.

    Kawawang bansa! Ngayon nga mukhang may samaan ng loob ang Hapon kay Dubya dahil doon sa leak na galing sa nuclear submarine ng America na ang galing mamintas ng iba pero ang ginagawa nila akala mo pirmi silang tama. Gusto sila lang ang may nuclear bomb! Di bale sana kung di nila ginagamit sa mga kaaway nila! Iyong mga lupa nga sa Afghanistan at Iraq contaminated na ng uranium ng mga kano.

    Bakit hindi iyan batikosin ng mga bobo sa Tongress at Senatong ng Pilipinas?

  26. pollyhernandez pollyhernandez

    “Kapag napuno na ang salop dapat ng Kalusin” Kahit gaano katindi ang pasensiya ng mga Pilipino kapag dumating na sa sukdulan, sasabog din yan. Huwag tayong sagarin ni GMA. Matakot siya sa kasaysayan ng pagpapaalis ng mamamayan sa diktador. Hindi ko lang ma imagine kung paano siya ililikas ni Uncle Sam kapag sumabog na ang galit ng mamamayan sa kanya. Ang ating lahi ay matatapang kaya hindi magtatagal maninindigan ang tao at sisibat siya kasama ng kanyang mga alipores

  27. Polly,
    Pag ako nakahuli diyan kay Putot, buburahin ko ng sampal yung bangaw niya sa mukha.

    Saka ako magpapayaman. Itatali ko siya sa hagdanan ng LRT saka ako maniningil ng tig-limang piso kada gustong batukan si Unana. Laking pera nun! Payat ang tatlong milyong piso every week! May gustong maging kasosyo?

  28. Teka anong matatapang? Eto’t pitong taon na tayong ginagago e dedma pa rin. Matapang ba ‘yun?

  29. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Re: Esperon said this to North Cotobato Vice Gov. Manny Pinol: “Hindi namin sasacripisyo ang buhay ng mga sundalo namin para idepensa kayo. Kapag inatake kayo ng MILF diyan dahil sa TRO, bahala na kayo sa sarili nyo.”

    Bakit, private army ni Gloria-Assperon ang AFP? Paano nangayri yon?

  30. Zardux Zardux

    The clear and present danger is Gloria.

  31. Gabriela Gabriela

    Sabi ni Tongue,”Itatali ko siya sa hagdanan ng LRT saka ako maniningil ng tig-limang piso kada gustong batukan si Unana. Laking pera nun! Payat ang tatlong milyong piso every week! May gustong maging kasosyo?”

    Sali ako. Dapat kasama rin si FG at ang anak nilang antipatiko, si Mikey.

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