Not a Muslim territory

Butch Bagabuyo

“The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government.” – Washington, Farewell Address, 1796)

EVERYONE but our government knows the urgency of altering our 1987 Constitution. What is sad and pathetic is that our government officials, both elected and appointed, have either been afflicted with absolute loss of memory or have grown so callous that they think they are our masters rather than servants––until election time.

It is high time we, Mindanaoans, stood our ground. Because of sheer arrogance, our government is of the belief that what they want they will get. And because our government has forgotten that our 1987 Constitution is the product of People Power, it does not give a damn. By its folly in signing an ultra viris agreement with the MILF, our government has unwittingly placed Mindanao in harm’s way, and on the edge of civil war.

Our government is so afraid of the MILF, Malaysia, and the US that they would rather give in to whatever MILF and Malaysia demand than care for the welfare of the majority in the paradise-like islands of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi.

Our government is well aware that the arrogant and warmongering MILF-BIFF conjoined twins have not yet surrendered their comrades who have been tagged by our government as perpetrators of the brutal massacre of our 44 valiant SAF commandos. They have been not returned all the war materiel that their warriors snatched from our brutally murdered SAF commandos. Yet our government is telling us that we better pass into law the fatally flawed BBL or there will be “many body bags.”

Are our government personnel still for the Filipino people or for the blood-thirsty warriors of the MILF-BIFF conjoined twins?

Considering that all indications and signs are ominous against the majority of the  people in Mindanao––Christians and Lumads or Indigenous People––it would seem impossible for the peace-loving in Mindanao to control and stop Mindanaoans from protecting themselves by all legal and other means against the arrogant and warmongering MILF-BIFF conjoined twins.

We, the predominantly Christian Mindanao, demand that our representatives in both houses of Congress relentlessly work for a “Concon” simultaneously with the May 9, 2016 national and local elections. It is the only way to “lasting peace,” and posterity in our paradise-like islands of Mindanao, Sulu, Palawan-Tawi-Tawi.

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“The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression is should be our first object.”––President Thomas Jefferson, 1801

During the plebiscite for the 1987 Constitution, nobody noticed Section 15 of Article 10 of the 1987 Constitution which states: “There shall be created autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and in the Cordilleras…”

According to my former dean of the College of Law at the Ateneo de Manila, Rev. Fr. Joaquin Bernas, S.J., the meaning of “Muslim Mindanao” is that the phrase is a short-hand expression to designate areas of Mindanao that are predominantly Muslim. The phrase is not meant to characterize all of Mindanao as Muslim. This sounds fine except that the world, many of Imperial Manila and the trapos emphasize the phrase “Muslim Mindanao,” thereby creating the wrong impression that Mindanao is a Muslim territory.

But Mindanaoans know only too well that Mindanao is 85 percent Christian territory in terms of population. Hence, to a good many Christians the phrase should be changed to Muslims in Mindanao if only to respect us, the Christians.

As a Mindanaoan, I don’t think asking to change the phrase is too much. Try travelling to other countries and the moment they come to know you are from Mindanao, they begin to look at you with suspicion which is not fair.

Not a single document can prove beyond the shadow of doubt that Mindanao was ever a Muslim territory. Of course, the Muslims and their Islam faith arrived in Mindanao much earlier than the Christians. But the fact remains that long before the Muslims came to Mindanao, our paradise-like islands of Mindanao were inhabited by what we now call as lumads or indigenous people.

Just like the US, the original people there were “Indians” or native Americans. But nobody calls the US today or years back as “Indians.” That is the same case with our Mindanao.

Ever since the Philippines became a Commonwealth in 1935 or for 80 years now, Mindanao has been predominantly Christian. Since then and until now, the Muslims have not gone beyond 10 percent of the population. Hence, Mindanao is not a Muslim territory. It never will.

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“In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can to do me.” –Psalms LVI. 11

Thank you Lord for everything. And Lord God, kindly teach our leaders to practice honesty and humility so they shall accept the truth that they are our servants and not our masters, and those who have less in life are their true rulers––the sovereign and very source of power and wealth. Finally, Lord, please make our leaders see the glaring light that greed is a flawed and fatal economic principle. 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, e-mail to bagabuyos@yahoo.com, and check out the blog iluvmindanao.net)