COTABATO CITY - The Suara Bangsamoro Party list is one with the rest of the Filipino people who vehemently opposed the passing of the Anti-Terrorism Bill.
The Suara Bangsamoro believes that once President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will sign it into law will have a grave effect on the struggle of the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao and will sow more dissent from people whose constitutional rights were violated by the military and police authorities.
Suara Bangsamoro feels that it is ironic that while the Philippine government boasts of drafting a comprehensive peace plans and pledging road maps to peace to “resolve” the conflict in the Bangsamoro areas, her government is fast tracking an anti-terror law that would surely violate the civil and political rights of the Moro people.
Already, the Moro people has been used as cannon fodders to galvanize lawmakers into passing the anti-terror law– the recent victory against Abu Sayyaf leaders, the mysterious bombings in Mindanao allegedly done by Moro revolutionary groups and the scores of Moro civilians paraded as terrorists.
Despite not including the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the terror lists, both were always linked with the Abu Sayyaf and Jamaah Islamiya whenever they are posed to strike against US and AFP soldiers advancing in their territories.
The terror tag is hovering on their heads should they not bow down to the terms and conditions of the Philippine government for the final peace pact. Scores of Moro civilians living in MNLF and MILF-influenced areas were killed, abducted, arrested and detained without charges.
In areas identified as Abu Sayyaf lairs, scores of civilians were tortured and forced to sign papers admitting they are supporters and sympathizers of Abu Sayyaf.
Even without the law, the government has been institutionalizing her militarist policies in dealing with the Bangsamoro’s aspirations for the right to self-determination. It started with her state of lawlessness in Basilan, all-out war in Sulu and Maguindanao and “hands of steel” against the Abu Sayyaf and the on and off charges and cases filed against the MILF officials for bombing incidents in Mindanao.
We believe that the law could be used against the Bangsamoro people who criticize her militarist policies and the presence of the US troops in Mindanao. Our party list organization has been included in the “communist fronts” that irk President Arroyo whenever there are complaints against her military and police force for human rights violations.
The anti-terror law could institutionalize the covering-up of police and military abuses just like what President Arroyo has been doing for General Jovito Palparan, AFP and Army chiefs General Hermogenes Esperon and General Romeo Tolentino, and former defense chief General Angelo Reyes for their crimes against the people– political killings, illegal arrest, detention and torture of Moro civilians in Basilan, massacre of MNLF leaders in Sulu, allegedly masterminding mysterious bombings in Mindanao, massacre of innocent Moro inmates in Bicutan and the death of numerous civilians in their implementation of President Arroyo’s all-out wars.
Instead, the guns are pointed on those who criticize her militarist policy. Since 2004 elections, members and officers of the Suara Bangsamoro Partylist are being targeted for anti-terror propaganda of local military and police.
On human rights day last year, streamers hung in all parts of Cotabato City bearing messages of Suara Bangsamoro and its secretary-general, Zaynab Ampatuan, as a terrorist and a communist front.
The allied organizations of Suara Bangsamoro, KAWAGIB (Human Rights) and Liga ng Kabataang Moro were also included as targets along with their lead officers such as Sittie Rajabia Sundang and Michael Dumamba.
The terror and communist tagging of the President gives the military, police and local politicians the license to silence our ranks.
Rahman Camili, a member of the Suara Bangsamoro in Madaum, Davao del Norte was abducted by armed men in bonnets in December of last year. He was shot in the stomach and leg and is still missing until now.
We call on our Moro brothers and sisters Moro people to actively participate in street rallies and call for the junking of the anti-terror law.
The Anti-Terror Law will surely give teeth to the President to silence her critics and receive a pat in the back by US President George Bush. But it will also spawn a collective decision of the people to junk not only the anti-terror law but also the one who uses the anti-terror law for her own political agenda in the coming May 2007 elections and beyond. (Amirah Ali Lidasan is the national vice-chairperson of the Suara Bangsamoro Partylist Organization)
1 comment:
Anti-Terror Law will clear Mindanao of the negative image. That there is something being done. And, most of the Mindanaians are actually very good and peaceful people.
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