Tales of hope from war survivors on eve of Bangsamoro plebiscite

Bobby Lagsa

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Tales of hope from war survivors on eve of Bangsamoro plebiscite

Bobby Lagsa

All three have seen the ugly side of war, but they are hopeful the Bangsamoro Organic Law will finally bring peace and development in Moroland

COTABATO CITY, Philippines –  There is a sense of euphoria and a lot of early celebration in this city leading to the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite on Monday, January 21 as the Moro people see an overwhelming approval of the BOL.

At the Governor Gutierez Avenue leading to the regional headquarters of the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), thousands of Moro flocked to join and listen to President Rodrigo Duterte who was campaigning for a “yes” vote.

The conflict in Mindanao dates back to the Spanish era and lasted until the present  with the Moro people previously cherishing self-determination and seccession.

Since the 1970s the establishment of the Moro National Liberation Front and its breakaway group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, an estimated 100 to 150 thousand people were killed in the conflict and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) estimated P640 billion in economic losses.

The history of Mindanao is riddled with bullets and blood and at this historic moment comes Monday. This is the day the Moro people will decide to get rid of ARMM, long regarded as a failed experiment, and replace it with the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

BARMM is crafted to give the Moro people more economic power and freedom on how to develop their resources. It will also have a parliament that is more diverse, with equal representation of the Moro, Christian and Lumad people.

Stories of hope

Rappler tells the narratives of 3 people who actually have experienced the ugly side of war in Moroland. These are: a young woman who saw the horrors of war as a child; a 15-year army veteran, who grew up in a mixed marriage of a Moro father and a Christian mother; and a former Moro fighter.

NO MORE WAR. Former MNLF fighter Abdul Mero narrates why he and other MNLF fighters became rebels and now they are supporting the Bangsamoro Organic Law. Photo by Bobby Lagsa/Rappler

All 3 are hopeful that the BARMM will usher in a new era of peace and development that has long eluded Muslim Mindanao.

Abdul Mero was just 15 years old when he joined the MNLF in 1972. He said that he joined the insurgents because their community was attacked by the Ilonggo settlers who came into their lands.

Mero said that the The Ilonggo Land grabbers association (Ilaga) attacked several Moro communities. “They attacked us, we have nothing to do with them, they cut the ears of the victims,” Mero recalled.

The Ilaga was a Christian extremist paramilitary group based in southern Philippines. The group complemented the then Philippine Constabulary as a militia force during the 1970s in the fight against Moro guerrillas. 

Mero said he joined the MNLF for the protection of his land and people. Forty years on, Mero said, he was confident the new BARMM will usher in peace and understanding between the Muslims and the Christians.

“We hope that the new law will allow us to live peacefully,” Mero said. But when asked about Muslim extremists like ISIS, Mero said that they are fighting ISIS. “They are not Muslims, they kill innocent people, we will hunt them down,” Mero added.

Mero said that with the new BARMM, the Moro people will have leeway in handling their economy and the policies that affect them.

Victims of war

Rosmina Dali was just 10 years old when she first experienced becoming an Internally Displaced Person (IDPs).

Dali recalled that in August 2008, war broke out in their place in Barangay Malingao, Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao. The government troops were pursuing MILF’s Western Mindanao Front commander Abdullah Macapaar alias Commander Bravo.

Dali said that she was just in Grade 3 when the war happened, “We evacuated and we were not able finish the school year,” Dali said.

“Our entire village evacuated and we did not return until 2010,” Dali said.

Dali added that entire village was torched. “Nothing was spared, not even the chicken or the cats,” Dali said.

When asked who razed their village, Rosmina said it was the military.

“They think that we are all MILF there,” Dali added.

When asked what can the BOL can do for them that the ARMM failed to do, she said that the BOL will bring in peace in the region.

Dali also pointed out that Christians and Muslims are all the same, aspiring for peace and respect.

“We respect them, they also respect us,” Dali said.

When asked again if there is one thing that she would want to tell the BARMM government, she said she just wanted a good life. “Peace, equality,” Dali said.

Even soldiers want peace

An Army Staff Sergeant from the 4th Light Armored Cavalry who requested anonymity said that he was among the government forces in the 2008 war in Shariff Aguak. His recollection of the war was that it was not the military troops who burned the houses.

He said that during the war, they were trailing Commander Bravo who attacked Lanao del Norte after the failure of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD). Commander Bravo and his forces launched assaults on 3 towns in Lanao del Norte.

After attacking Lanao del Norte in July 2008, Macapaar retreated into Lanao del Sur and ended up in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.

The sergeant said that they never burned the houses. He said the torching was perpetuated by the men of then Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan.

Andal Ampatuan was a close ally of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Ampatuans employed a private armed group that did their family’s bidding.

Andal Ampatuan is also the alleged the mastermind of the dreaded Ampatuan Massacre.

The sergeant said it was Andal Ampatuan’s men who set the houses on fire. Ampatuan’s group would also take over the lands cleared by the  military.

When the sergeant was asked what was his take on the BOL, he said that he was hopeful that it would bring lasting peace in the Bangsamoro region.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front leaders will have their hands full when they will take over politically over.

The MILF will also have to seek help of everyone – Moro, Christians and Lumad – in managing BARMM if only it will have to live up to expectations. – Rappler.com

Bookmark these pages:
LIVE UPDATES: Bangsamoro Plebiscite 2019
Bangsamoro Vote 2019: News, Analyses, Videos

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!