“Start anywhere you can. Give your best shot to whatever is in front of you, and opportunity will begin to find you. It’s called developing a reputation. It’s called ‘One thing leads to another.’”- Andrew Matthews, Author: Follow your Heart. TO repeat, in my younger days and most especially now, I’ve always been fearless in fighting for what is right despite my recurring perpetual empty pockets. Yes, sir! Everybody knows in the City of Golden Griendship that ever since I first saw the light of day, I’ve always been poor––yes, all my life––yet oozing with confidence and happiness. Intrigued? I’ve never aspired for material wealth because, my guiding principle, Veritas Liberabit Vos. The Jesuits of old taught me well and good that love and peace, which are humanity’s ultimate goal, are priceless and beyond pecuniary estimation, as lawyers are opt to say; hence, money serves no purpose other than insatiable greed. All religions propagate love and peace; ergo, violence has no place and is inferior to nonviolent resistance. So why waste our precious time only to be the second best? And who’s afraid of death in exchange for ones’ freedom to live in peace and harmony with his neighbor? Death is not to be feared for every blood spilt in the name of love and peace is empowering. Death can neither stop peace nor love. Death even gives birth to a more potent struggle for freedom and self-determination via love and nonviolence. So, dear Mindanaoans, fear not to stand up, be counted and fight for our rights. But not in armed uprising but in love, nonviolence, and civil disobedience, if need be. That is the best way to peace and posterity to Mindanao. Truly, the fastest and the surest way to peace is not through the barrel of a gun nor the BBL but love and nonviolence. Indeed, BBL is not only anathema to peace. It is debilitating greed by Imperial Manila, the trapos and the filthy rich. Now, picture ourselves peacefully marching in tens of thousands if not, millions or more to the various freedom parks in Mindanao even if only in the seven chartered cities of paradise-like islands of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi on the day “Super Digong” and his team file their certificates of candidacy come October. What can Imperial Manila, the trapos and the filthy rich as well as their mercenaries do? Nothing! Sobra ka na, Imperial Manila, sa Mindanao na ta. Tsada, di ba? •• “I am a man of peace, God knows how I love peace; but, I hope I shall never be such a coward as to mistake oppression as peace.” – Kossuth As I’ve repeatedly insisted, the soldiers are, even in their own homes, the minority. A soldier’s domestic helper, cook, spouse and children would be civilians, who are opt to join the fun in every peaceful rallies. The undeniable fact is, our government does not have enough prison cells or camps to incarcerate freedom fighters of conscience like us. Neither does our government have enough food to feed 22 million Mindanaoans hungry for freedom and posterity for too long in our islands endowed with abundance in resources. All our 15 past presidents have, so sorry to say, miserably failed us. Mindanaoans have always been treated worse than 3rd class citizens. It’s high time a Mindanaoan led us to lasting peace and posterity. Enough of Imperial Manila. With Mayor Rodrigo “Super Digong” Duterte of Davao City, seven city mayors of highly urbanized cities, 27 city mayors of component cities, 26 provincial governors, 46 congressmen, two senators and the living legends from Mindanao––former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., former governor and assemblyman Homobono “Bono” Adaza, and former no-nonsense mayor and assemblyman Reuben “Ben” Canoy––plus a whopping population of more than 22 millions (as of 2010 census), Mindanao is a potent power block in the whole wide world. No doubt about it! So, dear poor Mindanaoans, fear not to stand up, be counted and fight for our rights but not in armed uprising but in love, nonviolence, and civil disobedience, if need be. For the nth time, what shall it be, Imperial Manila? Constitutional Convention simultaneously with the May 9, 2015 elections or the Independent Federal Republic of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi, an armed neutral country of Religious pluralism and equity between capital and labor where profits and losses are equally shared by labor and capital? After all, both capital and labor equally need each other. Useless is the capital without labor, vice versa! This is what we, Mindanaoans, are now for for. Is it not? •• “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed... Nothing shall be impossible unto to you.” - Matthew 17:20 “In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do to me.” –Psalms LVI. 11 Thank you Lord for everything. And LordGod, kindly implant in all of us, especially in our leaders, honesty, humility, transparency and hard work in our solemn task as poor servant-leaders because we who have less in life are the sovereign and the very source of our borrowed power and wealth. Finally, Lord, enlighten us all to see the light that greed is a flawed way of life. For truly, there is more profit in giving than in taking. For it is in giving that we receive. Truly, love begets love. Amen! (Call or text 09188030197 or e-mail to bagabuyos@yahoo.com, and check out iluvmindanao.org.com)