November 1, 2012
Bangsamoro Ancestral Homeland is fantastic as well as uncertain
by BA Hamzah[1]
Despite a recent, most publicised Preliminary Framework Agreement in in in between a Government of a Philippines (Manila) as well as a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), inked during Manila upon October 15, 2012, questions sojourn over a destiny of a Bangsamoro ancestral Homeland.
The Moro people have been fighting for full autonomy from Manila given a Spaniards colonised a Philippines in 1521.
Incidentally, this is a fourth vital agreement in in in between Manila as well as a emissary of a Bangsamoro for an unconstrained region. Malaysia has been concerned in all 4 agreements. The initial traffic took place underneath a auspices of a Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1971 soon after Tunku AbdulRahman Putra became a initial Secretary- General.
The KL Accord of 1974 paved a approach for a Tripoli Agreement (September 1976) by a OIC. In Apr 1987, a Jeddah Accord reignited a routine serve with support from Saudi Arabia. In 1987 President Corazon determined a Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which became partial of a 1987 Philippine Constitution (vide Republic Act no.6734, amended in 2001 as RA 9054 ARMM Organic Act-2001).
In 1994, Manila as well as Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) signed a Joint Guidelines as well as Ground Rules for a implementation of a 1993 Ceasefire agreement.
In Sep 1996, a 3 parties-the Government of a Philippines, 
To a credit in 1977, a MILF cumulative a ceasefire agreement with Manila. In 2000 after a little bombing incidents, President Estrada spoken an open war upon a MILF. The Moros will never forget a situation in June 2000 when President Estrada systematic a military to bomb a MILF Camp Abubakar in Maguindanoa.
Once in power, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo resumed assent talks with a MILF following a Estrada's debacle.Apart from Malaysia, many alternative Islamic countries helped to facilitate a assent routine for a Moros. Libya, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, in in between others, possibly alone or underneath a OIC, have put vigour upon a ready to quarrel parties to seek assent by negotiations.
According to Nur Misuari, Manila has "illegitimately annexed" a Moroland. Many blame Nur Misuari for a disaster to end a Moro militancy. Few recognise, however, his personal sacrifices as well as a problems of a duplicity of a Government during Manila were outward his control. To a obtuse extent, a inner bickering inside of a MNLF denotes how energy has been slowly slipping from a aging leader.
Manila has never concluded to accede to full autonomy to a Moros. On a contrary, unbroken Philippine regimes usually concluded to negotiate for an unconstrained region-mainly in southern partial of a Philippines- for Bangsamoro people.
Islam came to a Philippines in a 13th century, two centuries prior to a Spaniards arrived. Contrary to popular belief, a Islamic change was not cramped to southern Philippines; Islam had a significant presence in a Luzon, especially in today's Manila.
The Moros have been fighting for autonomy as well as a freedom to rehearse Islam given 1521. History is full with st! ories of how a dauntless Moros used kris, swords as well as sharpened bamboos opposite a Spaniards (from 1521), Dutch (1774), British (1775), French (1884 blockade of Basilan) as well as a Americans (1898-1946) who invaded their homeland, suppressed Islam as well as tried to wipe out their identity.
The story of suicide bombers in Afghanistan as well as Iraq, for example, pales in more aged with a Moro juramentados. These fighters would undergo eremite rites which rebuilt them for death, in a presence of their families, prior to they went out to face a colonisers of their homeland. For these juramentado warriors, murdering a colonisers was a eremite duty as well as partial of jihad.
Many Moro warriors were desirous by a Mactan situation in 1521 when Sultan Lapu-Lapu, a devout Tausug Muslim personality speared Ferdinand Magellan to death. The Sultan indicted Magellan of converting Muslims to Christianity, hidden their ancestral land as well as for interfering with a internal customs similar to slave trading.
In a Sulu Sea region, a Moros go upon to quarrel for their autonomy as well as grace until today. The Abu Sayyaf as well as a Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have been members of a "Lost Commands" who have been not party to a new assent process.
Since 1512, a Moros have violently deserted acclimatization with a mainstream Christian multitude in a Philippines whom they indicted of selling their homeland to a colonisers. Until today, a Moros exclude to recognize a treaties of cession of 1898, 1900 as well as 1930, which assigned a Moroland underneath Philippines rule. The Moros go upon to hold this sell-out, as an action of betrayal, a original sin, in their struggle for a query of Bangsamoro Homeland.
Since 1972, a little Moro leaders similar to Nur Misuari (left), have! staid f or an autonomy as a approach forward to bring assent to a Moros. Because of poverty, tribal infighting, warlordism as well as lack of military strength, many have unwillingly concluded to be partial of a Philippines. However, except for a leaders who have benefited from a assent deals well known as "war vultures", many exclude to compromise their autonomy for an unconstrained region.
While a MNLF as well as MILF have alone concluded to settle an unconstrained segment for Bangsamoro; their leaders sojourn during odds with any other. There have been reports which Nur Misuari, personality of MNLF, is unhappy with a stream horizon agreement. Wielding substantial status as well as change in a IOC, he has in jeopardy to raise his grievances during a stirring OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting during Djibouti in Nov 2012.
The OIC as well as alternative countries have recognised a MNLF as a bona fide organisation, with whom they have freely negotiated with over a years. The MILF, underneath a late Hashim Selamat, one-time Misuari's deputy, flush usually after a 1976 Tripoli Agreement as well as it went underground.
The stream horizon (2012) agreement has a subsidy of President Benigno Aquino III, Prime Minister Najib Razak as well as members of a International Contact Group (ICG), which included a UK, Japan, Turkey as well as Saudi Arabia.
The International Monitoring team comprising Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Japan, Libya, Norway as well as a European Union additionally played a role.
The most preferred assent for Bangsamoro homeland will be during risk, if by 2016, Manila were to cave in to bureaucratic as well as domestic pressures as in 1997 as well as before, as well as rescind a agreement.Another mouth service. Another rebellion.
There is a additionally a probability of sabotage from inside of a Moro organisations as well as Moro chieftains. Bridging their differences has regularly proved fatuous in a past as well as a destiny does not look bright.
The OIC Secretary General (left) was in Manila in October 2012 to reassure President Aquino which he would make use of his good offices to unify a interests of a MNLF with a MILF.
Minimising a fallouts from a war- from- inside of those championing a Bangsamoro homeland could pose a challenge. The tiff in in in between maritime-based MNLF as well as mainland-based MILF, for example, is legendary. It has been irreconcilable in a past.
Getting a buy-in from a dissident groups is key to implementing a conditions of a Framework Agreement.
The Government must demonstrate genuine commitment to a Bangsamoro homeland. It must overcome pressures from a civil societies as well as domestic parties with own agendas, who instruct to criticise a process. Many times in new history, a domestic oligarchs failed a test; they all succumbed to a pressures.
The Supreme Court can be a tornado of peace. In 2008, it struck down a Memorandum of Agreement upon Ancestral Domain since it lacked transparency. It can happen again in a light of accusations which a new (2012) Framework Agreement lacks transparency.
The former Solicitor General Mendoza (right) has questioned a constitutionality of 
the Framework Agreement. Some claimed a Agreement has violated a 1987 Philippine Constitution. The former Dean of a Law School has created upon a supernatural attribute in in in between a Framework Agreement as well as a Constitutional Bodies.
With all a problems, no one can expect Manila to broach upon a promises to a MILF. At a heart of a Moros' query for autonomy is a difficul! ty of re conciling self-determination inside of a state which is determined to keep a territorial integrity as well as sovereignty.
No Filipino personality will go down in history as one who gives divided a Moroland as well as be indicted of a treasonable offence for renouncing a Philippines's emperor right to territorial integrity.
Amidst charges of betrayal, deceit, conspiracy, treachery, mouth use as well as unfulfilled promises, upon both sides of a divide, a query for an eccentric Bangsamoro ancestral homeland with a authorised personality of a own remains, in my view, fantastic as well as uncertain.
[1] The writer is a tyro of politics, maritime confidence as well as general law.
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