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PRIMAVERA Residences welcomes the city council’s subdivision and landed estate committee’s inquiry into the alleged complaints filed by unit owners.

We welcome any investigation by the committee, in fact we see this as an opportunity to clear the malicious issues that are being spread against us.

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The building has performed extremely well and the vast majority of unit owners are satisfied. The issues being raised are unfounded and without sufficient basis.

The building was handed over to it’s Homeowner’s Association, known as Primavera Residences Condominium Corporation (PRCC), as of 2013. All maintenance issues have been the responsibility of PRCC since the handover. –Primavera Residences

Marawi is Worth Dying For

LITTLE do we know perhaps that the Maranaos (people of the lake), like the Japanese, have a practice to commit suicide if only to preserve their own dignity and pride as a people! In the case of the Maranaos, it begun from a mythical legend where the four founding ancestors (pat a apo) of the Maranaos, who later on established the pat a pengampong ko ranao (four states of Lanao) — Bayabao, Masiu, Unayan and Balo-i — forged and agreement and covenant among themselves to maintain peace and security among themselves and the next generations after them. The ancestors forged this agreement, an institution to settle any kind of conflict that may disrupt smooth interelationship among themselves and the next generations to come.

The agreement forged was so sacred and binding that “whosoever will not abide by it, will not be blown by the wind, will not be seen by the sun and will not have children of their own from generation to generation.” The ceremony as described thus: “a rattan string was cut, an egg was broken, a gunshot was fired, a torch was put off” and every one must follow and abide by this covenant to keep the peace. This became known as the rido, and institution that is for generation to follow and observed.

In addition, the founding ancestors structured the society into 16 supported and 28 supporting villages. Neolithic rocks were also erected to delineate the boundaries each of this four states which are still visible at present. The laws that govern individuals, groups include taritib (social order), igma (common consensus), and adat (customary practices) which until today are still observed though unwritten.

The Sultan with the wisdom of a wakil (judge), knowledgeable on Islamic law and traditional laws sit in the arbitration council together with the council of elders (pelokelokesen), usually retired sultans well respected as members of this court.

The victims and protagonists with their respective witnesses come to the Council, and each of them present their cases, witnesses and arguments. The cases may include rape, murder, stealing of properties and other kinds of conflict. The Sultan presides over the hearing of the case and after all the arguments, the Council meets and decided on the case. The decision is final and executory which may not be appealed because the Sultan’s word is considered “law.”

If the guilty cannot agree with the decision of the Council, he is considered an outcast because the Council’s decision is just and fair for everyone.

If the case is murder, death is the penalty. The person who did the act must also be killed to keep the peace in the community. If he steals a property he must be able to return the value of the property he took.

The Marawi case is unique in many ways:

(1) The intruder came trespassing without due respect to the elders in the community;

(2) They violated religious teachings and precepts in particular because it started with the observance of the Holy Month of Fasting, Ramadhan;

(3) It is an insult to the entire community because of the destructions of properties, lives, dignity of the people. Thus, the punishment is death!

In Islam, self-defense is categorized as jihad-ul akbar (self discipline) and jihad ul asghar (holy war). Both categories may apply to the Marawi siege. Therefore, any able and devout Maranao can be sacrificed (death) if only to restore peace as one of the primary covenant agreed upon by the founding ancestors. If death is a way to end the conflict, it is justified for one to do the sacrifice. It will save human lives, millions of money spent in the conflict, and will be able to restore the pride (maratabat) and dignity of the proud Maranaos. In addition, it will put and end to the terrorists’ dream to establish a caliphate(?) in Marawi and elsewhere in the entire country.

This is the reason why we appeal to the Secretary of National Defense, Delfin Lorenzana, to include as the sixth committee the Sultans and elders to participate actively in the rebuilding and rehabilitation of Marawi.

We are fighting an ideology which we must confront. People die but an ideology will last for generations. As the Secretary has mentioned, the next threat are the kids and this must be confronted this early!

I have taken my sacred oath as member of the Marawi Assistance Coordinating Organization and wish to contribute and abide by its laws “without mental reservation…” Indeed, Marawi is worth dying for! –Prof. Nagasura T. Madale, retired professor on cultural anthropology, peace and non-violence

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