Time to Revisit Mindanao Peace Process

by Ben Serrano

March 31, 2009

BUTUAN CITY- During the 4th Mindanao Media Summit held at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao City I was imparting to summit participants and government officials the need to revisit the Mindanao Peace Process particularly in dealing with purely criminal elements posing as freedom fighters and the real freedom fighters if there are any.

In fact I was the most talkative then among media participants from media groups in Mindanao caused I insisted that the current Peace Process is irrelevant to some sort and that kidnapping in Mindanao will never end because the peace plan do not answer the real issues and concerns of Mindanao.

In a press conference at the summit, I was appealing to Sec. Hermogenes Esperon the idea to revisit the plan and that it is not only a question now of the MILF but a question of distorted values where criminals are posing as freedom fighters.

I was telling then that kidnapping in Jolo, Sulu, Zamboanga Peninsula and southern part of Mindanao is already source of livelihood to some and that some kidnappers were allegedly relatives of law enforcers with some allegedly relatives even of politicians.

Thus it is already being made by some as source of election fund raising, livelihood all rolled into one.

I was predicting then that as the economic crisis worsened, terrorist acts will also worsened like kidnappings, raids and attack for obvious reasons, ECONOMICS.

When popular TV journalist Ces Drilon was kidnapped and later released. The culprits until now are not caught there were no news in the development in pursuing justice and put those responsible behind bars.

When an American couple (the husband died in the hands of Abbu Sayaff I forgot the names now) and other foreign missionaries were also kidnapped by Abbu Sayaff, the kidnappers were not also caught much less no criminal charges were filed. Worst there are no efforts to go against the kidnappers not even efforts to identify these criminals.

Friends of mine who just visited Jolo told me and alleged that it seems kidnappings there is a normal event of the day.

“There were many untold stories of kidnappings that were not reported right smack in the faces of government authorities in the area because the victims were just ordinary not foreigners”, they all claimed.

At one instant, they were even warned to go home and board the next boat of which they did.

Local officials there told them we do not have control of the other group who might have interest to abduct them. They claimed that even a Provincial Treasurer there who is a Christian has five fully armed bodyguards.

They have not seen in their whole damned life that Municipal Treasurers have full packed of bodyguards tailing everywhere they go even to the comfort room.

In reality, unless these criminal pugs are not identified, tried in court and punish, kidnappings will never end in the far south of Mindanao .

The problem now is not a question of plain poverty and underdevelopment it is now question of greed MONEY, MONEY and MONEY

The unfortunate kidnapping of three helpless International Red Cross volunteers who were kidnapped right smack in the faces of Provincial Officials of Jolo, Sulu because they were snatched few meters from the Provincial Capitol should not have happened if local law enforcers are present and have some visibilities.

The ICRC workers are there in Jolo, Sulu to help people especially the less fortunate ones they should have been spared of this foolishness.

Eastern Mindanao Command Chief Lt. General Raymundo Ferrer

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. General Raymundo Ferrer answer questions from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) commissioners during the during the public inquiry on the extralegal killings in the city on March 31. AKP Images / Keith Bacongco

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. General Raymundo Ferrer chats with Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Region XI director Atty. Alberto Sipaco during the public inquiry on the extralegal killings in the city on March 31. AKP Images / Keith Bacongco

Joint Consultative Meeting

Engr. Romeo B. Zaragoza, Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator and Provincial Program Management and Implementing Unit (PPMIU) Head presiding a joint consultative meeting to fast-track the implementation of projects under the Mindanao Rural Development Program.

The meeting held at the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) on Friday, March 27, gathers stakeholders from the Regional Program Coordinating Office, Project Support Office and MPMIU heads of the MRDP recipient-municipalities in the province. (AndrewHornales/PPDO-Sultan Kudarat)

Commission on Human Rights

Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson Leila De Lima and Commissioner Norberto Dela Cruz grills Police Supt. Michael Dubria, chief of Talomo police station in Davao City during the public inquiry on the extralegal killings in the city on March 31. AKP Images / Keith Bacongco