Perhaps you think that because the BARMM passed now peace will reign in Mindanao. All the troubles of the Moros have been solved. You would be wrong. The creation of the political entity known as the BARMM is only half of the MILF-GPH peace plan, the first phase. The second phase of the peace plan is the normalisation process.
The government has started meeting the family and community leaders in the camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in order to orient them on what to expect when the peace agreement is fully implemented.
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil- Mercado said the first meeting was held at Camp Bushra in Lanao del Sur where family and relatives of MILF fighters were briefed about the Normalization Track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
The Normalization Track has four major components: the security aspect, socio-economic development program, confidence-building measures, and transitional justice and reconciliation.
With its overreaching implications and vast importance to the MILF-GPH peace agreement the Normalisation Track has seemingly been the least discussed aspect of the peace agreement in the media and amongst politicians. What was widely reported is that the BARMM will give more political autonomy to the Moro people and will help correct historical injustices. Exactly how that is supposed to happen is hardly discussed but a lot of it has to do with the Normalisation Track.
Allow me to quote from
a previous post about what comprises the Normalisation Track.
Normalisation is an important part of the peace process and it consists in decommissioning MILF forces and absolving MILF members charges with crimes. That is amnesty for past terrorist acts. Let's take a brief look at it. The document can be viewed
here.
It starts off:
In the name of God the beneficent, the merciful.
That is the Islamic
Bismillah. What kind of treaty starts off with a religious invocation? Right away we get a glimpse that this whole normalisation process is in accord with Islamic law and will be more favourable to the MILF than the Philippine government. Let's take a look at of some of the provisions.
A. Policing
5. Upon its establishment and pending the implementation of the agreed policing in the Bangsomoro, the BTA shall have substantial participation in choosing the head and in the employment and deployment of the existing PNP in the Bangsomoro. The head of the police force will be selected from a list of three (3) eligible officers recommended by the PNP.
B. Transitional Components of Normalisation
2. To ensure effective security collaboration, several joint mechanisms shall be established. The Joint Normalisation Committee (JNC) shall coordinate the different processes in normalisation. The Joint Peace and Security Committee (JPSC) shall coordinate the security component of the normalisation process. The Joint Peace Security Teams (JPSTs) shall be operating units composed of the Armed forces of the Philippines (AFP), the PNP, and the MILF's Bangsomoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF). These mechanisms shall work for the maintenance of peace and order and the stability of the areas mutually identified by the GPH and the MILF.
B3. Joint Peace and Security Teams
1. Contingents from the AFP, PNP, and the BIAF, shall be organised into the JPSTs that will work for the maintenance of peace and order and the stability of the areas mutually identified by the PGH and the MILF.
2. The JPSTs shall have the falling additional functions:
a. Tracking and documenting of private armies and other armed groups, and the reduction and control of weapons and material
C. Decomissioning
2. Decommissioning shall be a process that includes achieves aimed at achieving a smooth transition for the BIAF members to productive civilian life.
3. To achieve the above goal, a comprehensive needs assessment shall be undertaken for the members of the BIAF and their communities as a basis for a comprehensive socio-economic development program.
D. Redeployment of the AFP
1. The government shall redeploy AFP units and troops from or within the Bangsamoro, consistent with a normal and peaceful life and the progress in the other aspects of normalisation.
2. There shall be a joint security assessment and an inventory of AFP units and troops in the Bangsamoro to ensure an order redeployment of AFP units and troops, and avoid a security vacuum in the Bangsamoro. The AFP shall only retain installations necessary for national defence and security.
4. There shall be coordination between the Central Government and the Bangsamoro Government in the movement of the AFP in the Bangsamoro. In the exercise of this coordination, protocols shall be established by the Central Government and the Bangsamoro Government.
G. Socio-economic Development Program
5. The Parties recognise the need to attract multi-donor country support, assistance and pledges to the normalisation process. For this purpose, a Trust Fund shall be established through which urgent support, recurrent and investment budget cost will be released with efficiency, transparency and accountability. The Parties agree to adopt criteria for eligible financing schemes, such as, priority areas of capacity building, institutional strengthening, impact programs to address imbalances in development and infrastructures, and economic facilitation for return to normal life affecting combatant and non-combatant elements of the MILF, indigenous peoples, women, children, and internally displaced persons.
I. Resource Mobilisation
1. The GPH shall provide the necessary funding for the normalisation process.
J. Confidence-Building Measures
1. Upon the signing of this Annex on Normalisation and as a gesture of goodwill, the two parties shall constitute joint task forces for the previously acknowledged MILF camps:
a. Camp Abubaker as-Siddique in Maguindanao
b. Camp Bilal in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur
c. Camp Omar ibn-al Khattab in Maguindano
d. Camp Rajaumda in North Cotabato and Maguindanao
e. Camp Badre in Maguindanao
f. Camp Busrah Somiorang in Lana del Sur
The task forces will assess the needs, plan appropriate programs, and undertake the necessary measures to transform these areas into peaceful and productive communities.
2. To facilitate the healing of the wounds of conflict and the return to normal life, the Government shall take immediate steps through amnesty, pardon and other available processes towards the resolution of cases of persons charged with or convicted of crimes and offences connected to the armed conflict in Mindanao.
What benefits do the Philippine government receive from any of the foregoing? Peace? Stability? Neither of those are assured. The GPH is giving up land and authority to the MILF. They are allowing the MILF to dictate who heads the PNP as well the movement of PNP officers and AFP units and troops in the BARMM. The AFP, PNP, and BIAF are to collaborate together to ensure security in the BARMM but the BIAF is also set to be decommissioned and BIAF camps are to be transformed into "peaceful and productive communities." The GPH is also giving up prosecuting MILF terrorists who have been charged with crimes related to the conflict in Mindanao. The MILF is getting off scot-free and will not be held accountable for their deeds. This is not a deal at all. Why would anyone in the GPH sign this document?
Filipinos, who are footing the bill for the whole process, deserve complete transparency on this issue. Does the nation at large understand that MILF criminals will be pardoned outright and no justice will ever be served for past crimes committed? Does the nation at large understand that the MILF will now dictate not only who runs the PNP but also all their movements as well as those of the AFP in the BARMM? Does the nation at large understand how much money this will cost and that they themselves will be funding it? That MILF terrorists will be given up to P100,000 while so many law abiding citizens remain hungry, poor, and out of luck? Why is no one in the media or any politician discussing the implications of the normalisation process?
It would be quite a shame if billions are poured into the BARMM and no peace or stability is achieved. Everyone is counting on the BARMM. Even those outside of the BARMM but still in its shadow are hoping to benefit from its successful implementation.
Hope and expectations from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are the undying optimism of the Bangsamoro people living outside the core areas of BARMM to be able to improve the quality of life.
During their regular meeting Monday, Moro Community leaders have expressed anew their hope and positive expectations that BARMM leaders will be able to deliver better governance than its predecessor (ARMM) since lessons were learned from the past where many people remain poor and marginalized.
With the advent of the new region, members of Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) are presumed to be aware of their mandates who vowed to adopt the so-called “Moral Governance” in order to realize the Bangsamoro aspiration.
Tahir further said that the Bangsamoro residing outside the BARMM core areas are ensured of certain assistance such as economic, social and cultural development as provided in Article VI. Inter-Governmental Relations. Section 12. in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) legally known as Republic Act (R.A. 11054)
Let's be perfectly clear here. The Bangsamoro aspiration is independence. That is what the entire 50 year insurgency has been about. Never forget that MILF split from the MNLF over this issue of limited autonomy versus independence. The MNLF chose the former. I wrote about this
here and
here and I refer you to those posts from more about the goal of the MILF and MNLF being an independent state. Whenever you hear about the "Bangsomoro aspiration" realise they are ultimately talking about independence from the Republic of the Philippines.
Why is so everyone so hopeful that the GPH, the Philippine government, will be able to fulfil all of its promises especially when so much money will be needed? Yolanda funds have still not been spent! Marawi remains in ruins despite billions being raised for the job of reconstruction. Not even Butig has been rebuilt! "Butig?," you ask. "What is Butig?" Why that is the city Maute first captured in November 2016. It was the prelude to Marawi.
As far as Asmiah H. Omar is concerned, this town, which was caught in the middle of the battle between soldiers and Islamist militants in 2016, has been all but forsaken by the government.
The fighting has left Butig in ruins, Omar, a Grade Six teacher at Poctan Elementary School here, said in an interview with Manila Bulletin.
She feels government efforts to rebuild the town and help the people recover from their loss have ground to a halt.
“Nahuli kami sa priority. Parang hindi kami napansin. Kami iyong una na nawalan, na-depressed as in sumabog iyong mga bahay, buildings, kahit isang poste walang Makita,” Omar said.
“It is a very sad feeling. Everytime you wake up in the morning, wala ka ng makikitang bahay”, she said.
The fighting forced Omar and many other residents to leave Butig. When they returned, they found their homes destroyed.
“Pakiramdam namin parang nawalan kami ng dyamante na hindi na maisasa-uli. Pero kahit konti man lang walang nakiramdam na tumulong ng ganito at magbigay ng ganyan,” she said.
Government assistance did not arrive until much later.
Omar said their hopes to have their homes rebuilt have faded.
“Sa Marawi ginagawan na ng paraan, rehabilitation, may bahay na kahit konti, may nauwian na ang nawalan ng bahay”, said Omar, referring to the massive reconstruction effort in Marawi City.
Poctan Elementary School will have to cope with overcrowded classrooms, “so that the pupils will not be left behind in their studies” she said.
Omar was thankful when a foundation distributed school supplies to the students recently.
Butig is so forsaken that the Manila Bulletin can't even mention the name in the headline or write a story that tells what is happening. What we get is a brief few statements from a resident and observations about the school. What foundation donated school supplies? Quality journalism from the Philippines once again!
Back in 2018 when the Marawi Task Force was being formed agencies were told to include Butig in their rebuilding plans.
The municipality of Butig in Lanao del Sur must be included in the interventions being crafted and implemented by the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) member agencies.
The call was made by Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Assistant Secretary Felix Castro, Jr., manager of the TFBM Field Office in Iligan City, during the first meeting for 2018 of the TFBM Working Group.
"Butig will be included in the Marawi and Lanao del Sur rehabilitation plan being drafted, with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as the lead," Castro added. Lanao del Sur was included since prior to the Maute siege in Marawi, the towns of Butig and Piagapo were first terrorized by the said group.
Some 20 classrooms were damaged. With the help of the TFBM, Butig town signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) to rebuild the classrooms.
According to Pansar, the construction of 13 classrooms will start in January 2018.
If classroom space is still limited then it is a safe bet that the OCD did not rebuild the classrooms. What has been happening in Butig? Job training. DIY job training initiatives.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in partnership with the Skills Mastery Institute for Learning Entrepreneurship and Success (SMILES) Foundation has launched here the skills training on “Do-It-Yourself (DIY)” bamboo shelter production and the establishment of a corn mill to benefit the locals and some home-based internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Marawi City.
The corn mill will be operated and maintained by a group composed of farmers, women, and unemployed skilled workers from the different barangays of the municipality.
As a member of the Subcommittee on the Business and Livelihood, DOST will train the residents on vegetable production, as it also plans to revive the handloom weaving industry in support of the recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of Marawi and the adjacent war-affected communities in Lanao del Sur.
Do the citizens of Butig really need to learn these skills? The know-how to construct bamboo shelters seems to be in the DNA of Filipinos. Do farmers really need to learn how to produce vegetables or women how to weave? It seems pointless to teach people skills they likely already know. If they can construct bamboo shelters why not just bypass the government and make their own houses?
Anyone who trusts the government to fulfil the promises made of rebuilding Marawi and Butig had better sit down and be prepared to wait a very long time. The Philippines hasn't even fully recovered from World War 2!
In short, World War II left the Philippines devastated long after it ended, historians and sociologists say.
This damage, they say, defines the modern Filipino: poor and lost, perpetually wandering the globe for economic survival, bereft of national pride, and – like the women of Mapanique – forced to suffer, to this day, the indignities of their violation.
Many foreign nations have contributed to the fund to rebuild Marawi. The amount is in the billions! Foreign governments are also offering something else to the Philippines: assistance with security strategies.
The Philippines participated in the eighth Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS) in April 2019.
National Defense Undersecretary Cardozo M. Luna headed the delegation, with Philippine Embassy in Moscow’s Defense Attaché Col. Dennis Francis V. Pastor; Third Secretary, Vice Consul and Political Section Head Anna Marie Mae R. Guerra; and military assistant from the Department of National Defense Lt. Col. Carlos Chan. The Philippines has been participating in the MCIS since 2015.
Among the topics discussed were modern military challenges and threats; countering terrorist threats; peacekeeping; military-to-military engagements; regional security in Asia, Africa and Latin America; and the situation in the Middle East—specifically the implications of defeating the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq or ISIS—as well as efforts in stabilizing the region.
Luna also granted an interview with Russian news entity Sputnik, where he shared that “the Philippines is committed to strengthen ties with nontraditional security partners like Russia.”
Bilateral ties between the Armies of both the Philippines and Spain have been boosted following the recent visit of Philippine Army (PA) Chief Lt. Gen. Macairog S. Alberto to the Spanish Army in Madrid, Spain.
During his visit to the Spanish Army headquarters from June 4 to 11, 2019, Alberto discussed with Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Francisco Javier Varela Salas efforts to mutually benefit in the training and education that will enhance joint operation capabilities of both armies.
The Philippine Army’s interest in enhancing its own Army Aviation Battalion and how their Spanish counterparts may extend its support was also discussed as Alberto visited the Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra, the Helicopter Command of the Spanish Army.
“I come to you from our home country as part of the Philippine Army – an organization that is currently on a consistent and committed push for reform through the Army Transformation Roadmap,” Alberto said in his speech.
“I am happy to share with you that through the Army Transformation Roadmap, the Philippine Army is making great strides in terms of professionalism of its soldiers, modernization of equipment, capability to conduct a wide variety of operations, and in terms of good governance and contribution to nation-building,” he added.
The Philippine Army, it was recalled, broke down its 18-year ATR into three base camps to create a sense of urgency in achieving its vision to be a world-class army that is a source of national pride.
In 2016, it aimed to be a well-equipped Army that has established a respectable image in Southeast Asia. By 2022, it expects to be a modern and respected Army in Asia. By 2028, it aims to fully realize its potential as a world-class army.
Who says the AFP is not world class now? Duterte has called the AFP the best army in the universe. But that is not why Duterte has told the NPA their time has come.
"Whether you agree to it or not, you NPAs, the communists, you are about to end. You don’t have guns, you don’t have bullets, you don’t even have food. All you have are sores and you are being bitten by leeches," the President said in his native Cebuano.
From
all out war against the NPA to letting them trickle slowly out of existence. What a strategy!
