Some 300,000 Moro peace advocates join Minda-Wide Rally for Peace

COTABATO CITY - Moro peace advocates troop to the city plaza here to call for the resumption of GRP-MILF peace talks and respect the Bangsamoro people's right to self-determination.

The Mindanao-Wide Rally for Peace is organized by Mindanao Alliance for Peace (MAP), an alliance of Moro organizations and individuals, aiming for just and lasting peace in Mindanao.Speakers include Bai Ali Indayla, national secretary-general of Suara Bangsamoro and Ustadz Nurul-am Abdul of MAP.

The MAP estimates almost 300,000 Moro peace advocates gathered all over key cities in Mindanao - Cotabato, Tacurong, General Santos, Davao, Pagadian, Basilan, and towns of Pikit, North Cotabato and Pagalungan, Maguindanao.

Suara, LKM join Minda-wide Mass Rally for Peace; call for resumption of GRP-MILF peace talks

COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro people once again come together to press one call – respect Bangsamoro people’s right to self-determination towards just and lasting peace in Mindanao, in a one-day Mindanao-wide mass rally spearheaded by Mindanao Alliance for Peace (MAP) here today.

The Suara Bangsamoro (Voice of the Bangsamoro) and the Liga ng Kabataang Moro (League of Moro Youth) unite with the entire Bangsamoro people on its quest for peace vis-à-vis resumption of peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Bai Ali Indayla, national secretary-general of Suara Bangsamoro, believes that the ‘present attitude of the Arroyo administration towards the GRP-MILF peace negotiation is a testament of insincerity in attending Bangsamoro’s welfare.’

“We support the peace negotiation but with the records of human rights violations and disrespect of the government towards signed agreements, there could be no true and genuine peace agreement that could be signed under the US-Arroyo regime,” Indayla said.

The groups also deem that while Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo still in power and with Gen. Hermogenes Esperon as the appointed ‘peace czar’, it is difficult for the Moro people to believe that the talks on Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) will resemble the Bangsamoro’s vision for a community free from imperialist plunder and warlord domination.

“Should the peace negotiation resume, we demand that Gen. Esperon be removed for he does not bring peace to the Bangsamoro. His records of human rights violations as one of the brains of series of all-out wars towards the Bangsamoro people will surely taint the spirit of peace in the negotiation,” Indayla said.

Further, the groups also challenge the government to stop declarations of all-out war in respect to the impasse of talks, pull-out AFP troops in Moro areas and stop terrorist-tagging to MILF and innocent Moro civilians.

“While we call for the resumption of peace talks, the Bangsamoro people could not afford to stay mum should the government betray once again, we will continue to fight against the attack of our civil and political rights and right to self-determination,” Indayla said. #

On Ces, et al abduction, Suara to CIDG WestMin: Surface Juamil Biyaw

COTABATO CITY – A Moro group here is calling for a probe on Juamil Biyaw, the military asset, who allegedly brought ABS-CBN news anchor Ces Drilon and her two cameramen including MSU Professor Octavio Dinampo to near-demise after they were abducted in Maimbung, Sulu on June 8.

The Suara Bangsamoro (Voice of the Bangsamoro) demands for a thorough investigation to surely pin down the real culprits especially that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has already released evidences that point Indanan Mayor Alvarez Isnaji and his son, Haider, as the masterminds of the kidnapping.

“The PNP quickly tags Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) as the perpetrators where Mayor Isnaji said that behind the kidnapping is an unorganized and nameless group. It is also mind-puzzling that the PNP ignores the involvement of Juamil Biyaw in the abduction,” Indayla said.

“It is very clear, according to Dinampo that ‘Biyaw was the one who made the arrangements including the time and place, and left Drilon’s group.’ Also, Marama Hashim, their driver, said that ‘Biyaw was the one who led the group in a forested area and returned alone.’ With these first-hand accounts, anyone could perceive something and doubt,” Indayla added.

The group has also qualms over the immediate release of Biyaw from the hands of Task Force Comet under the headship of 3^rd Marine Brigade Commander, Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban after the latter denied the allegations against him.

“Brig. Gen. Sabban is so quick to refute that Biyaw is not a military agent where majority of the people in Patikul, where he is a village councilor, knows that he is,” Indayla pointed.

The Suara Bangsamoro dares the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Western Mindanao to surface Juamil Biyaw and not to white-wash the investigation.

“Let Biyaw speak the truth. It is another high time for the military to prove that there is no truth to military-ASG connivance, especially now that a military agent is the one suspected bringing Drilon and others to their captors, and still at large,” Indayla said.

Furthermore, Suara Bangsamoro challenges the Arroyo administration to be true in their declaration that the government guarantees the freedom of the press, act on the numerous unresolved killings of journalists and continuing human rights violations and ensure the welfare of its people.

“A good government is sensitive to the wellbeing of its people. This government should look and act into the unceasing increase of recruits to rebel groups where minors are the majority members. Poverty and neglect of basic social services pushes people to do crimes in order to live,” Indayla stressed. #

Moro group opposes Sulu oil exploration

COTABATO CITY – The Suara Bangsamoro (Voice of the Bangsamoro) has express dismay and apprehension on government’s ‘comfort and receptiveness’ stance on the programmed exploration of Exxon Mobil Corporation, a US-based oil firm, in the country.

Department of Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes bragged that Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest oil and gas company, is set to explore the rich-sea of Sulu – the home to one of the world heritage sites, Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park , for crude oil deposits this year.

Sulu Sea connects the South China Sea and Celebes Sea which serves as route for tuna and other varieties of fishes going in and out the Pacific Ocean.

Bai Ali Indayla, Suara Bangsamoro’s national secretary-general, frets on the imminent aftermath of exploration to the people of Sulu which have had enough of never-ending wars, kidnaps, hamlets and killings since American occupation.

“The affirmation of Secretary Reyes that ‘Exxon Mobil will not go into any area unless the reserves are large scale or large amount of quality of oil’ is a proof that the United States of America has long been probing the vastness and productiveness of the Philippines soil in the guise of Balikatan exercises and humanitarian missions,” Indayla said.

Secretary Reyes also boasts that the oil in the Philippines such as the one produced in Galoc oil field in Palawan Basin owned by Australia-based, Otto Energy Ltd., will be sold to local refineries like Shell and Petron and would translate to a lower price of gasoline.

Moreover, ExxonMobil is into number of global operating divisions such as Upstream (oil exploration, extraction, shipping, and wholesale operations), Downstream (marketing, refining, and retail operations), Chemical division and many others. Thus, Exxon Mobil does explore, produce and sell crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products.

“The government’s claim is a big deceit to the Bangsamoro people and the Filipino people in general. Exxon Mobil is not only into exploration but wants total control to oil-rich nations like it did in several countries like Iraq , Afghanistan , Angola , Sudan , Kazakhstan and Indonesia . In the Philippines , they had started in Galoc which is north of Sulu Sea and has extended in the nearby area, Calauit oil field, also in Palawan Basin ,” Indayla explained.

“The Exxon Mobil’s exploration in Sulu sea , which would spend $110 million for exploration alone, is just a genesis to roster of large-scale explorations in other oil-rich areas of the country. Despite government’s concession to foreign oil companies to explore the Philippine Basin, the country continuously import oil and experience mounting increases of prices in petroleum as well as basic commodities,” Indayla stressed.

The Suara Bangsamoro strongly opposes the exploration of Exxon Mobil in Sulu Sea for it would not only affect and devastate the environment and people’s livelihood, which majority are fishermen, but also a testament to the long-list of documents that Filipino people vend their natural resources to foreign countries.

Indayla added, “Foreign countries especially the US have long been the ones benefiting the wealth of our natural resources. It’s not the Filipino people. We are putting our hands to a tiger’s mouth by allowing them utilize and exploit our own reserves,” Indayla said.

“We are calling the government to safeguard the welfare of the people first before the interest of foreign corporations. With their presence, is Philippine’s economy developing? Did it change the impoverished lives of the Filipino people especially the Moro? But, after all, the Philippine constitution guarantees several provisions and exempts taxes to all foreign corporations like oil companies,” Indayla said. #