D1The Manila Times

The Moro TimesFRIDAYJuly 27, 2007

these people had no choice but to buildtheir shanties around the village,” shecontinued.

The low cost condominium housingin Maharlika is congested. A projectof the National Housing Authority, thereare seven five-storey buildings with 60units each building, constructed dur-ing the time of Pres. Fidel V. Ramos.The rental for the low-cost housing withan average 20-24 sq. ranges fromP700 to P1,400 with a five percentincrease per annum. NHA lamentedthe low collection rates. The tenantsbelieve the project was awarded tothem for free.

“They (the squatters) do not haveany immediate means of living, di alamkung paano magsimula ulit, kayahanggang ngayon mayroong illegal set-tlers dito,” adds the chairwoman.“There was no assistance from thegovernment too.” According to her,there is a memorandum of agreementbetween the Manila and Taguig socialwelfare offices but it has not been im-plemented.

Pangandaman shared with the MoroTimes a major challenge faced byMoros: difficulty in getting a job dueto discrimination. Unemployment andpoverty have forced these people toresort to illegal activities. “Walangmakain ang mga taong ito,” saysPangandaman.

But Pangandaman assured that the

peace and order situation here is better.She said that it is safe to go Maharlika.

“Kaya lang naman pangit ang tinginng mga tao sa Maharlika dahil nagingtapunan ito ng mga bangkay noon,may mga hinoholdap na dito dinadala,pero hindi na ganito ang sitwasyonngayon,” she says. “In Maharlika, al-though a home to most Muslims,Christians are welcome to mingle withus as well,” added Pangandaman, aconvert from Ilocos.

Meanwhile, in an effort to help re-gain the old glory of Maharlika, theTaguig City government is planning ahousing project in Maharlika, accord-ing to April Rashid of the Mayor’s of-fice. The city government governmentwill also operationalize the MaharlikaTrading Center, which will give jobs andbusiness opportunities to the residentshere, many of whom are traders. Thetrading center is expected to be in fulloperation by September.

The residents are also taking stepsto improve Maharlika. Maintainingpeace and order and cleanliness in thevicinity are among the programs thatthe newly installed administration ofMaharlika Condominium Unit Awar-dees Islamic Association, Inc., pro-pose to implement. Mohammad EliasAbdullah, head of the MCUAIAI,called for unity among the officialsand tenants of the seven-building con-dominium units in his acceptancespeech during the turn over ceremonyat the Maharlika Condominium CarPark on July 15, 2007. The officersplan to give residents livelihood train-ing programs such as dressmakingand cosmetology, since it’s difficultfor Muslims to get jobs due to dis-crimination. Education for the youngand adults is a priority.

“Magkaisa po tayo, para saikaaayos ng ating lugar,” saysAbdullah.

Dispel cloudsof war: pursuepeace process

Armed Forces of the Philip-pines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen-eral Hermogenes Esperon Jr.gave the order to prepare for theassault shortly before the Sun-day deadline for the Moro Is-lamic Liberation Front (MILF) toyield the persons responsible forthe July 10 attack on a Marineconvoy. Fourteen soldiers werekilled, ten of them beheaded andmutilated. The MILF, while ad-mitting to the ambush, has de-nied involvement in the behead-ing. The MILF has vowed to re-pel the military operations,warning that the military opera-tions could scuttle the peacetalks and trigger a spillover ofviolence outside Basilan.

However, according to MILFsources, “The fighting was di-rectly initiated and provoked bythe Philippine Marines. Therewas no ambush. What tookplace was a legitimate face-to-face 8-hour encounter. Marineskilled on the spot based on bodycount were not just 14 but 23.

“With the ceasefire back inplace, the MILF fighters wereordered to disengage and leavethe battle scene completely. Butbefore they left they conducteda clearing operation and theyfound and body-counted 23Marines dead and not one wasbeheaded or mutilated.”

Further, reports indicate thatthe bloody encounter could havebeen triggered by the murder ofan MILF imam, Hadji HakimHakanul, who was mutilatedallegedly by soldiers. The Mus-

lim community has demandedthat the imam’s murder be in-vestigated.

Muslim leaders condemnbeheadingMuslim leaders in solidaritywith the families of the deadMarines in Basilan, condemnedthe beheadings. Sheikh Abdul-bayan Laguialam, chairman ofthe CARAGA-based Muslim Su-preme Council for Religious Af-fairs, said, “Beheading dead en-emies is indeed gruesome andinhumane.” He quoted aHadith8(saying of the HolyProphet) which states, “Fightand do not exceed the limit andbe not unfaithful and do notmutilate dead bodies nor killchildren.”

8It will be recalled that Fr.Giancarlo Bossi, the Italian priestkidnapped last June 10 by armedmen in Payao, ZamboangaSibugay, was freed last week af-ter 40 days in captivity. The mili-tary conducted a pursuit opera-tion, after early reports identi-fied a certain “KumanderKhidi”, allegedly with theMILF, as the mastermind in Fr.Bossi’s abduction. The 14 Ma-rines who were killed were partof a team searching for thepriest in Basilan.8Fr. Bossi waslater released in Karumatan,Lanao del Norte.

Civil society calls for sobrietyand peace processesPeace advocates and civil soci-ety organizations are worried

that another “all out war” strat-egy will be implemented by theArroyo administration. ThePhilippine Council for Islam andDemocracy strongly supports asober and impartial investiga-tion of the Basilan encounter, thesuspension of military opera-tions in Basilan and other partsof Mindanao, and a return to thenegotiating table. “Allow theCCCH to do its job and preventan escalation of the armed hos-tilities”, said Amina Rasul, PCIDlead convenor.

Fr. Ramon Ma. Bernabe, OMIProvincial, prays for sobrietyand restraint. “Our concernnow is that an impartial investi-gation of the most recent vio-lence in Basilan be given achance to work, according to themechanisms of the prevailingceasefire agreement. We enjoinall parties to the conflict to exer-cise restraint and patience, whilesearching for a just resolution,not only to this specific instanceof violence, but to the larger is-sue of conflict in Mindanao. Theprimacy of the peace processshould be held paramount. Wecannot risk a bigger conflagra-tion coming from rush judg-ments and indiscriminate action.We will only be multiplying vic-tims and perpetuating the war”,reads the OMI statement.

Fr. Bernabe’s statement hasbeen reiterated by Moro groupssuch as the United Youth forPeace and Development(UNYPAD). UNYPAD calls foran immediate investigation ofthe Basilan incident, includingthe murder of Imam Hakim.UNYPAD demands for justicefor the bereaved families of thesoldiers and the imam as well asfor the affected communities.

The Consortium of Bang-

THE volatile peace situation in Muslim Mindanao hasbeen aggravated by the military offensive in Basilan

as an offshoot of the gruesome beheadings of ten Marines.Public anxiety has increased with the implementation ofthe Human Security Act (HSA) which some claim mightopen the floodgates for more human rights violations.

samoro Civil Society (CBCS), incalling for peace, appeals to thenation to “understand the BasilanCrisis and the kidnapping of Fr.Bossi. Let us not to be derailed orunduly influenced by the unnec-essary “sensationalization” ofthis issue by some parties withquestionable interests”.

In response, the CoordinatingCommittee for the Cessation ofHostilities of the GRP and theMILF jointly agreed to “observemaximum restraint while theincident is being resolved peace-fully in accordance with theGeneral Ceasefire Agreementand its implementing mecha-nisms” as well as organize aJoint Fact-Finding Committee toinvestigate the Basilan incident,pinpoint persons responsible foracts of atrocities, and recom-mend preventive measures. Theagreement was signed on July 23in Cotabato City.

A Mobile Joint Monitoringand Assistance Team (MobileJMAT) will be organized to re-spond to crisis situations inBasilan, in support of existingceasefire mechanisms.

Summit on Extra-Judicial KillingsIn the meantime, a landmarkSupreme Court-led initiative toadvocate a resolution of extra-judicial killings (EJK) may ben-efit the Mindanao peace process.

Since 2004, at least 290 anti-government personalities, politi-cal activists and human rightsadvocates have been assassi-

■ Rebels on patrol in a village break their routine for a rest under a nipa lean-to.PHOTO COURTESY AL JACINTO/LAZT

nated. UN special rapporteurPhilip Alston has accused thearmy in the Philippines of being“in a state of almost total denial”about a wave of political kill-ings.8 Many of these killingshave been “convincingly attrib-uted to them”, he said in his re-port after a ten-day visit.

The recent summit on EJK andForced Disappearances at theManila Hotel came in the wakeof the implementation of thecontroversial Human SecurityAct, turning the spotlight onstate institutions and their seem-ing inaction to redress what oneJustice describes as an “abomi-nable” situation. Workshop par-ticipants included members ofthe judiciary, military, academe,civil society, and one lone Mus-lim representative, former Hu-man Rights CommissionerNasser Marohomsalic.

8Marohomsalic has cautionedagainst rash implementation ofthe HSA in militarized MuslimMindanao, where the Philippinearmed forces are mistrusted.“We are especially fearful of theimpact of this act in terms of theprejudice and discriminationthat our Muslim brothers andsisters suffer each day. Evenwithout the law, Muslims havebeen subjected to harassmentand unreasonable searches andarrests,” stated the former Hu-man Rights Commissioner.

8“Oftentimes, human rightscases are low profile especiallywhen they affect the margina-

lized, or people whose existencesome would hardly recognize orworse, people dismissed as theinvisibles of society” said ChiefJustice Reynato Puno in hisspeech.

8Some of the justices sup-ported the dialogue, peace proc-esses, and renounced armedstruggle. “Let us respect eachother regardless of creed, andavoid labeling”, said JusticeConsuelo Ynares-Santiago.Many workshop outputs alsocalled for the reexamination ofthe concept of command respon-sibility.

Lawyer Soliman Santos fearsthe classification of legitimateliberation movements as terror-ist organizations. He explains:“As a rule, no national liberationmovement or rebel groupshould be a priori exempted orcondemned for culpability forterrorism by mere reason of itsstatus as national liberationmovement or rebel group. Eachand every act in question of theorganization must be examinedon a case to case basis whetherit qualifies as a terrorist act.”

Summit proposals includedthe ratification of internationaldocuments such as Protocol I ofthe Geneva Convention on Pro-tection of Victims of Armed Con-flict, International CriminalCourt and Convention againstTorture. These treaties, whenratified, will provide additionalprotection of human rights.

Moro Times Staff

Maharlika Village woesBY HARIJA RIZA U. KHAMAL

FEAR is mounting in Maharlika Village.Maharlika used to be home to promi-nent Moro professionals and families.It was the first Muslim settlement inMetro Manila, created in 1972 underProclamation No. 1217 by then Presi-dent Ferdinand E. Marcos to providehousing for Moros who escaped fromthe wars in the South. It was one ofthe most prosperous areas of Taguig.Time was when Muslim Ambassadorsand dignitaries would go regularly tothe Blue Mosque at the village for Fri-day prayers.

Those days are gone. According toresidents, they have suffered fromraids by the military in the war againstterror and police abuse throughtrumped-up charges. Illegal searchesare not rare.

“Five policemen went into myhouse, ransacked my house and threat-ened my family,” cried Alvin Bantuas,a Moro businessman from MaharlikaVillage in Taguig City. Maharlika Vil-lage is the first Muslim subdivision es-tablished in MetroManila.

According to Bantuas, on the nightof July 16, five policemen looking fora person named Gigi illegally enteredhis house. Bantuas was out of the

house at the time. A suitcase full ofsecond-hand cellphones and a canondigital camera, worth around P50,000,were confiscated. The personal cellu-lar phones owned by his cousin and asister in law were also taken, after thetwo attempted to call Bantuas aboutthe raid.

Zorayda Pandaag, 18, UmayrahAmembering, 17, two children aged3 and 4 years old; and his 65 yearold father, were the only people inBantuas’s residence when the inci-dent happened.

Bantuas is adamant with his claimthat policemen victimized him. Wit-nesses saw the suspects flee in a po-lice patrol. However, the Taguig CityPolice denied the allegations. In a tel-ephone interview, Major CelsoRodriguez, Investigation DepartmentChief, denied the accusation. “Hindipa confirmed na police. Hindi paidentified,” says Rodriguez. Hestressed that victims can fileany necessary action andtakes the case to theproper authority.Rodriguez says thatas long as the vic-tims will be ableto identify thesuspects, the

city police will investigate the case.Maharlika Village today is a poor

shadow of its former glory. As conflictin Mindanao worsened, migrants pouredin, straining the capacity of the villageto support an ever increasing popula-tion. According to Maharlika BarangayChairwoman Erlinda G. Pangandaman,the demolition of the Quiapo squattersettlement by Mayor Alfredo Lim in1996 worsened the situation.

At that time, the residents protestedthe use of Maharlika as a dumping sitebecause it was a private subdivision.The residents had paid for their lots.She noted that the resettlement of the

Quiapo squatters added to thedeterioration of Maharlika.

Pangandaman stated, “Of-ficially there should havebeen only 350 families from

Quiapo”. However, thedemolitions con-

tinued. “So

This Blue Mosque on a hilltop inMaharlika Vllage, Taguig City maylook idyllic against a blue sky butillegal searches by men in uniformand the ransacking ofcondominiums and privateproperties around the villagecreate fear and tension amongMuslim residents in the area.

PHOTO: COSAIN NAGA, JR.

D2The Manila Times

The Moro Times FRIDAYJuly 27, 2007

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The Manila Times

The Moro Times

Where’s theMoro money?

The JihadistAtty. Ishak Mastura

WHILE Malacanang celebratesa robust economic growth, theAutonomous Region in MuslimMindanao (ARMM) economyremains at subsistence. The sin-gle biggest challenge for aBangsa Moro economy is howto how to harness a localeconomy for productive gain.But I don’t see this happeninguntil a comprehensive politicalsettlement of the secessionistproblem in Mindanao isachieved between the Mororebel groups and the Philippinegovernment.

Three factors are crucial indevelopment success: practicalsovereignty (real decision-mak-ing power in the hands of indig-enous nations), capable govern-ing institutions (an institutionalenvironment that encouragestribal citizens and others to in-vest time, ideas, energy, andmoney in the nation’s future),and cultural match (a fit be-tween those governing institu-tions and indigenous politicalculture).

Is the Moro economy8 readyfor a Bangsamoro state? TheMoro economy is composed ofexternal sources of funding,particularly8 the internal rev-enue allotment, 8and largely -the underground retail trade.These are a sign not of strongstate control but rather of theweakness of the government inimposing the state’s instru-mentalities in the Bangsa Moroareas. The ARMM’s local econo-mies are basically agricultural,providers of raw materials,such as in mining towns.

The visible private economyin the ARMM and other areas ofweak state control is driven bythe incentive of tax loopholeswith national incentives such astax holidays if you locate in re-mote areas or those with highrates of poverty. In the ARMM,companies like La Frutera, amulti-national banana planta-tion company that exports itsproducts all over the world, arepaying no Income Taxes becausethey got these incentives fromthe Regional Board of Invest-ments. Some companies regis-tered in the ARMM, which en-joy tax holiday and other tax in-centives probably are benefitingfrom transfer pricing so that theycan actually use their registeredcompanies in the ARMM tolaunder their profits from opera-tions in other parts of the coun-try so that in the end they are notpaying any taxes at all.

Even the subsistence econo-

my that our residents have canprobably be categorized as fall-ing under the informal econ-omy because the governmentdoes not require those belowthe threshold of poverty rate toregister their business or payany income taxes or any taxesfor that matter. Informal econo-mies are driven usually by sin-gle proprietorships or partner-ships or private joint ventureswithout any formal registrationof its existence.

8With these realities, can weproceed to work for the right toself-determination?8 Contraryto popular imagination thateconomic development comesbefore a political solution to theBangsa Moro Question, theBangsa Moro economy can onlytake-off once there is a justpeace agreement that will re-spect and enshrine the right to

self-determination of theBangsa Moro.

What to do in the meantime?We should have one country,

two systems similar to the HongKong formula. Hong Kong de-spite its Communist masters inChina is consistently rated asone of the world’s freest if notthe freest economy in the worldtoday. I have consistently advo-cated for the establishment of theARMM as a Special EconomicZone similar to the wide-areaSpecial Economic Zones ofChina in Shenzen and Shanghai.

I have laid the foundationsfor such a fact on the groundeven before any political settle-ment through the current peaceprocess with the Moro IslamicLiberation Front by having theRegional Economic Zone Lawor the ARMM Special EconomicZone Act of 2003 (MuslimMindanao Autonomy Act No.154) passed by the ARMM Re-gional Assembly way back2003. The irony is that this lawwas mandated by the 1996GRP-MNLF Peace Agreementand the ARMM Organic Act(R.A. No. 9054). The ARMMconstituents thru their repre-sentatives the Assemblymendid their part by passing the lawbut it is the commitment of thegovernment that is lacking. Upto now, it has not funded theimplementation of the law.

(Atty. Mastura is Secretary ofthe Department of Trade and In-dustry-ARMM)

O MUSLIMS! Fear Allah, theExalted, and obey Him

and you will earn success andhappiness in this life and theHereafter. Know, may Allahgrant you His Mercy, that thegreatest requirement and dutyon the followers of Islam is toacquire knowledge of his Lord,religion and the ProphetMuhammad.

Believers in Allah, there arenumerous explanations madeby Muslim scholars concern-ing preservation and protec-tion of human life with a wis-dom of Qisas. For this topic,Islam emphasizes worth invaluing one another.

Allah says in the HolyQur’an: “On that account: Weordained for the children of Israelthat if any one slew a person, un-less it be for murder or for spread-ing mischief in the land, it wouldbe as if he slew the whole human-kind: and if any one saved a life,it would be as if he saved the lifeof the entire humanity. Then al-though there came to them ourMessengers with clear signs, yet,even after that, many of themcontinued to commit excesses inthe land.” (5:32)

The above verse explainedthat man is obliged to preserveand protect the human life andbeing protector of one another.Allah forbids murder andspreading of mischief in theland. Islam prefers that thepeople should restrain them-selves from bad deeds, such asmurder, mischief, such as kid-napping sowing of fear or ter-ror; rumor-mongering andstirring conflicts in the society.

Whoever causes the develop-ment and economic security ofthe society, it would be as if hesaved the lives of the entirepeople. This refers to justice,equality, cooperation: like thesupports of the rich to the poorsector of the society.

There are many other pas-sages in the Holy Qur’an con-cerning doing mischief,spreading chaos, robberies, etc.wherein Allah declares gravepenalty upon the perpetrators.

Allah said: “ “The punish-ment of those who wage waragainst Allah and His Messenger,and strive with might and mainfor mischief through the land isexecution, or crucifixion, or thecutting off of hands and feet fromopposite sides, or exile from theland: That is their disgrace in thisWorld, and a grievous punish-ment is theirs in the Hereafter.”(5:33)

It is very clear that grievouspunishments are forewarnedof those who are doing mis-chief. Moreover murderers,robbers, adulterers and thelike are the people who dareto wage war against Allah andHis Messenger. They are thepeople, who, while still alive,are forewarned of execution,or crucifixion, or of cutting offof hands and feet from oppo-site sides, or exile to isolatedplaces; and that, if they did notchange, hellfire is their perma-nent abode on resurrection af-

ter death.The preservation and pro-

tection of human life is thewisdom of qisas. In qisas thelife of each individual is sanc-tified and is inviolable. If onekills another person, he mustpay by giving his life as a sen-tence for his wrong doing, ex-cept when the close kin of thevictim, pardoned him.

Allah stated in the HolyQur’an: “We ordained therein forthem: Life for life, eye for eye, nosefor nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth,and wounds equal for equal. Butif any one remits the retaliation byway of diat (blood money), it is anact of atonement for himself. Andif any fail to judge by what Allahhath Revealed, they are wrong-do-ers.” (5:45)

We can deduce from theabove verses that there is inqisas the realm for preserva-tion and protection of humanlife by the stern warning of.life-for-life, an-eye for-an-eye… These may greatly determan from committing crimesfor fear of harsh consequenceson them. This is only possiblein an environment in whichthe Shari’ah is in place as thelaw of the land.

Allah ordained us to estab-lish the law of equality(Qisas)—the concept of free-for-the-free, the slave-for-the-slave, and the-woman-for the-woman. A law which nonemay question the principleupon which equality isfounded.

Allah (SWT) in the Qur’anprovides: “O ye who believe!The law of equality is prescribed

to you in cases of murder:The free for the free; the slave

for the slave; the woman for thewoman. But if any remission ismade by the brother of the slain,then grant any reasonable de-mand, and compensate him withhandsome gratitude. This is aconsideration and a Mercy fromyour Lord. After this, whoeverexceeds the limits shall be dealtwith in grave chastisement.”(2:178)

Dear Brothers and sisters infaith: Islam is a religion ofequality; no one is above theother on the basis of color, raceand wealth. The only basiswhere one is better than theother, is piety or taqwa. If youare indeed a Muslim, youmust always treat your broth-ers and sisters equally underthe principle of qisas andabove all, you must followwhat Allah said in the HolyQur’an.

Allah said in the Qur’an: “Inthe law of equality there is (sav-ing of) life to you. O ye men ofunderstanding; That ye may re-strain yourselves.” (2:179)

In conclusion, in qisas thereis indeed preservation andprotection of human life. Qisasis a deterrent.

May Allah direct me and youto the blessings of the GloriousQur’an and benefit me and youin whatever is in it of the Ayatand Wise Dhikr. I say this andask Allah the Great and theMost Honored for forgivenessfor me, you and all Muslims forevery sin. Invoke Him for for-giveness, for He is Oft-Forgiv-ing, the Most Merciful.

Khutba

Preservation and protection of humanlife and the wisdom of Qisas

in her store. I met Nana at the store. A dis-

tant relative of my aunt’s husbandwith no family of her own, she toowas on a ‘placement’, just like me.This arrangement was usual withfamilies who had been pulak-kanat , disenfranchised and ‘dis-membered’ by the conflict. Ourmain duties were to tend to thestore, although on some occa-sions we were also cooks, laun-dry-women and errand-girls.During school days, I attendedelementary school, walking sometwo kilometers each day. Onweekends I would spend an hourin the morning sitting-in at the lo-cal Masjid (mosque) where amadrasa (Islamic instruction)had just started. But of course thestore was to be my priority suchthat my attendance at themadrasa had to be regulated,much to my dismay.

There were times, especially atdusk, when I would watch for-lornly from the store, and envychildren of my age who couldfreely play siyatung (stick-relay),magbalatin (patintero) or tapuk-tapuk (hide-and-seek); and onRamadhan nights, proudly ac-company their elders to Tarawee

prayers. I did not have such privi-leges. On some nights, Nana, see-ing my predicament would giveme a pat at the back and com-mand me to run off and play aturn each of tapuk-tapuk ormagbalatin before maghrib(evening prayer). I felt likeCinderella, but those were someof the best treats I got.

Come weekends, there wereperpetual debates whether Icould go to madrasa or not. Myaunt’s advice would almost al-ways prevail: the store was to bemy priority. But whenever shecould have her way, Nana wouldhelp me out. As soon as she hadfinished her morning ritual ofwashing her hair with coconutmilk, she would breeze into thestore and shoo me away toquickly grab my turong andspeed off to the madrasa, whichgave me much delight as I loveto learn new songs in Arabic. Oneparticular piece still lingers in myhead to this day, it was to wel-come the Hijrah new year, calledMauludin Jadid, that we heartilysang to the tune of PresidentMarcos’s “Ang Bagong Lipunan”hymn. Because those opportuni-ties were rare, I relished my les-

sons. In only one sitting, I memo-rized the song of praise for theNabi Muhammad - God’s peaceand blessings on him - in Arabicand Tausug, that we had sang onthe occasion of the Ascension ofthe Prophet to Heaven, Isra walMihraj. My enthusiasm im-pressed my lady mentor, somuch so that, in a month, I wasgiven the most coveted task ofwriting the Bismillahi rahman irrahim (In the Name of God,Most Beneficent, Most Merciful),in my cursive Arabic. How Iwent home beaming with prideon the day I was finally able torecite the Al fatihah and a du’a(grace) before meals.

I suspect kind-hearted Nanahad her own personal motives forsending me off to madrasa. Sheknew the basic obligatory proce-dures or rukun of Islamic shalat(prayer), but she was not veryconfident with her Arabic incan-tations. Each night, before we re-tired to bed, she would ask me towrite the dua’ sambahayang inJawi. I would first read the prayerin its English transliteration froma battered prayer book. Muster-ing my newly acquired writingskill from my sporadic training,I would then translate it as bestas I could, roughly writing theprayers as pronounced andsyllabicated, in Arabic-letteredJawi. Its thick chalky curlsseemed to pop-out and float in

contrast to the dark mahoganygrain of the back of an oldwooden chest that separated oursleeping quarter to that of themain store area.

Each summer break, I wenthome to my family who hadevacuated and ‘temporarily set-tled’ in Christian-populatedZamboanga City, and so I missedmuch of the madrasa classes. Ispent two more years with myaunt in Jolo, graduating from el-ementary school. Sadly, I did notget to finish my 1st grade in themadrasa. When time came toleave Jolo, Nana and my madrasa,I was already skilled in writing theJawi and could read passagesfrom the Qur’an, slowly, bymerely looking at familiar wordsand symbols, as though lookingat visuals and images rather thanat letters or syllables. This ena-bled me to remember the ayahsby heart. For her part, I knewNana had prospered from that lit-tle literacy class at the back of myaunt’s aparador. She memorizedsome of the lengthy but importantverses and prayers: theTashahuuds, Ishtigfaar, Qunutand Ayatul Qursi. More thanthree decades had passed, and,today, I am still practicing myjawi, for my unlettered friends. Iwrite of their longings anddreams to their loved ones over-seas—to Saudi, the UAE, Malay-sia—as I did, for Nana.

LUMAH MA DILAUTAlungay bissala, alanyap nabangsa (Lost language, banishedpeople)

NANA must have been in hermid or late-sixties then. She wasunschooled, was not home-edu-cated on the Qur’an but sheknew how to read the Jawi, indig-enous script of Sulu, an Arabicscript derivative. I was nine andjust about to finish fourth gradein a barangay school when thewar broke out in Jolo on Febru-ary 7, 1974. That horrible occasionbrought us, murid and guru—stu-dent and teacher—together.

After Jolo burned to the ground,my father had his hands full witheight children, the eldest barely 20and the youngest only 2 years old.His lowly teacher’s salary of twohundred pesos per month couldnot possibly provide us with de-cent meals and clothes, much lessensure our schooling. Being girlsand the middle children, I and myelder sister, Nur, were “loaned-out” to relatives, so we could con-tinue with our studies in Jolo. Sis-ter was taken in by my cousin tobe yaya to her toddler son, whileI was to stay with an aunt to help

S t o r i e s f r o m t h e I s l a n d s

Nana was my first murid

Some companies registered in the ARMM,which enjoy tax holiday and other tax

incentives probably are benefiting fromtransfer pricing so that they can actually usetheir registered companies in the ARMM to

launder their profits from operations inother parts of the country so that in the end

they are not paying any taxes at all.

D3The Manila Times

FRIDAYJuly 27, 2007 The Moro Times

RFM Corp. congratulates

Moro Times on their

first year of

enlightening the people,

breaking the cultural

divide between our

Muslim and

Christian brothers.

portunities, arts and culture, religion, and history ofthe Muslims of the Philippines and of Mindanao. Itserves as the voice of Muslims, those living inMindanao and the more than 1 million Filipinos ofIslamic faith residing in Luzon and the Visayas. Aselect group of Muslim writers and leaders here andabroad have shared their views on issues of the day,from terrorism to women’s rights, from cartoons toPope Benedict’s controversial speech. The monthlysupplement aims to create greater national aware-ness of Filipinos of all faiths living in Mindanao—their political, social, and business concerns, theirrole in the national life, and their vision of the future.

Quoted by some international publications, TheMoro Times is slowly making a dent and creating aniche in the market of ideas.

Moro and national leaders have congratulated theManila Times and PCID for this historic publication.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos, in congratulat-ing The Moro Times, stressed that “it is important toeliminate the prejudice of non-Muslims towards Fili-pino Muslims and all others who are law-abiding citi-zens. It is in this very important sector where theMoro Times has made significant advances. In pro-jecting the views of our Muslim brothers and sistersinto civil public discourse, the Moro Times has donemuch to bridge the gaps between Muslims and non-Muslims.”

Senator Loren Legarda said, “I commend the per-sons behind the publication, Amina Rasul Bernardoand Samira Gutoc for pioneering a paper that willfeature news, views, and features on Muslim busi-ness ventures, trading opportunities, arts and cul-ture, religion, and history.”

Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ G. Escudero said, “TheMoro Times plays a vital role in lives of not only ourMuslim brethrens, but in all of us in general, for itdelivers relevant news and information that directlyconcerns the Muslim community and it also givesthem the means to express their views and concernsso that the rest of us can better understand and ap-preciate them, as we all strive to live harmoniouslywith one another as one people under one flag andone country.”

Senator Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas II added that “Bybringing news and updates on the situation in Mus-lim Mindanao, including the moving forward of thepeace process, the Moro Times shows that we canachieve unity in our diversity.”

According to MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari, “It isindeed a milestone to have a newspaper supplementspecifically catered to showcase the Moro way of life.”

Congressman Yusop Jikiri of Sulu said: “We areproud that intra-Filipino, intra-Moro and internationalsolidarity is finally being led by a few communica-

tors who value the Islamic saying that ‘The ink of ascholar is mightier than the blood of a martyr.’”

The Chairman of the Bangsamoro DevelopmentAgency, Dr. Abas Candao, wished “the MORO TIMEScontinue to be an effective advocate of truth, peaceand goodwill and may the MORO TIMES significantlycontribute to the reading public`s understanding ofthe historical struggle for self-determination.”

Fr. Eliseo Mercado, OMI, Lead Convenor of the Na-tional Peace Council, echoed Misuari’s sentiment:“The Moro Times, in many ways, does the bridgingnot only between the South and the National CapitalRegion but also between and among the diverse peo-ples and communities that compose the Philippines.I believe that you are shaping a niche for the Moropeople in the mainstream media.”

Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Durezacommended Moro Times: “As a monthly newspapersupplement focusing on Mindanao, the Moro Timesplays an important role in communicating informa-tion that is grounded on the real context of rich Mus-lim culture and notable aspirations. … I therefore trustthat Moro Times will be able to fulfill its goals of help-ing build an enlightened and empowered Mindanaoconstituency.”

Sultan Yahya ‘Jerry’ Tomawis, Executive Director/Undersecretary, Office on Muslim Affairs, said that“the publication has become an effective tool to fur-ther enhance dissemination of information and broadenunderstanding of events and developments obtainingin our midst which affect the Muslim ummah (com-munity). More than ever, the Muslims deserve moreinvolvement in the media to enable them to articulatetheir sentiments and provide them opportunity topresent events, circumstances and developments,based on Muslim perspective and appreciation.”

Dr. Mahar Mangahas of the SWS pointed out, “Dra-wing national awareness to the Muslim community’ssentiments, problems and general state of well-beingis a fine, democratic means of social advocacy”.

Media colleagues also sent in their well wishes. Ms.Cheche Lazaro, award winning journalist, said “Know-ing how difficult it is to run a media concern, one yearis indeed a landmark and you merit well-deserved con-gratulations for that feat!”

From New York, Shamil Edriss, the Executive Di-rector of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations(AOC) wrote: “The Moro Times’ commitment to playthese roles professionally and consistently provides amodel for media everywhere.”

US Ambassador Christie Kenney commended thecontribution Moro Times has made to interfaith dia-logue. She said, “I personally enjoy reading it, andfind it a valuable source of information and insight onthe Muslim community of the Philippines.”

Moro Times is 1 year old today■ TODAY From page D4

Republic of the PhilippinesAutonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

Office of the Regional GovernorCotabato City

Mabruk! Congratulations on the first year anniversary

of very own THE MORO TIMES!

The ARMM Regional Government is one with you in

the quest for development, prosperity and peace in

Mindanao and the country. We, in striving to uplift the

plight of marginalized Moro aim to promote a positive

image of the region so that investments may come in.

We need the information sector to help us tell the world

of many productive initiatives happening in the region

such as industry-formation, social rehabilitation, conflict

prevention and grassroots participation.

The ARMM is also grateful to the international

community for its unwavering support in infusing funds

for agriculture, environment, infrastructure and local

governance support. This is despite the many

challenges to peace and even to the security of their

nationals. We salute you for extending your aid at a

critical juncture in our nation-building, at a time of post-

conflict reconstruction in the South.

In building a more informed and vigilant citizenry, we are

optimistic that our dream for genuine peace and

development in ARMM may bear fruition in our lifetime.

DATU ZALDI UY AMPATUANRegional Governor

Republic of the Philippines

S E N A T EManny Villar

Senate President

MESSAGE

Let me extend my warmest greetings and sincerest congratulations tothe editorial management and staff of the Moro Times on the occasion ofits First Anniversary.

It is truly inspiring and heartening to know that there is a publicationdedicated to the issues and concerns of our Muslim brothers. The MoroTimes exemplifies the potential and capability to put into properperspective the hopes and aspirations of the Filipino Muslims and theirrole in national development.

As a medium of public information and communication, the Moro Times certainly reinforcesthe positive perceptions about our Muslim brothers and creates a deeper understanding oftheir culture and their religion. It ardently promotes Mindanao as a linchpin to further attainprogress for our country.

With “Liberation” as its anniversary theme, I firmly believe that the Moro Times will be agreat contributing factor to the peace and sustainable development in Mindanao as itsignificantly highlights the stories about the works of local and national leaders in furthersolidifying the fragile peace and the flourishing economy now thriving there.

Thus, I fervently encourage the Moro Times to continue to be the medium of constructiveand valuable information by providing in-depth news and feature stories which will ably helppolicymakers, entrepreneurs, businessmen and even foreigners to gain more insight aboutMindanao and its people. I am certain that this will be amply realized since The ManilaTimes carries the Moro Times as its monthly special section.

On this note, let me then also congratulate The Times’ publisher and editorial staff for thededicated pursuit of its vision and commitment to an informed and learned Filipino. I amtherefore truly honored to be part of this special first anniversary issue of the Moro Times.

Rest assured that the Senate, under my leadership through “sipag and tiyaga”, will alwaysbe supportive of your noble vision and undertakings. Happy first Anniversary and more power!

MANNY VILLAR

6/F SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES, GSIS BUILDING, FINANCIAL CENTER, PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINESTEL. NOS. 552-6715 / 552-6601 TO 80 LOC. 6507-6509 / 6511 * TELEFAX: 552-6734

D4The Manila Times

The Moro Times FRIDAYJuly 27, 2007

Khalid Q. Dimaporo: Breaking the cycle?BY AMINA RASUL and NASSER SHARIEF

AT 27, Mohamad Khalid Q. Dimaporo may be the youngest governor in the Philippines today. Belonging to Muslim and Chris-

tian political families in Lanao del Norte, Khalid has no memories ofthe nightmarish 70s when Christian Ilagas allegedly cropped Moroears and used them for necklaces while Moro marauders flauntedIlaga heads on bamboo poles along the roads. While their elders playpower politics, will the new generation of leaders change the paradigm?

The young governor agreed to meetwith The Moro Times for an exclusive in-terview inside Starbucks at the TheaterMall in Greenhills, on his way to Fridayprayers. The handsome young man wasapologetic for wearing slippers sayinghe had to perform his ablutions. As pen-ance, he himself queued at the counterto get us brewed coffee.

Governor, you’re very young. Whatprompted you to run?

Actually my parents had been court-ing me the last 3 years or so to run forpublic office. I was studying in the US. Iwas onto a doctoral program in Agricul-tural Economics at the Texas A&M Uni-versity, the finest there is in that conti-nent. I’m not the type who goes to townfiestas, trying to wow the locality, see.My forte is business. I’m a numbercruncher. My core strength is in finance,multivariate data analysis, research, eco-nomic modeling and more on the agri-cultural side given my background.

In the province, we have lots of thingsgoing on—ranches for cattle, carabaos,herds of goats, fruit trees. I was naïvethough. The things I took for granted asgiven were not there in the interior ofLanao del Norte. When it’s rainy season,sira ang mga daan, problema sa tubig,koryente wala. It’s okay with the coastaltowns. More or less they have the ba-sic necessities. But since I have to workon the farms in the interior, I got a bitfrustrated.

I realized that to bring about theneeded improvements in the interiormunicipalities, I have to run for office.When my father finally tapped me onthe shoulder and asked me if I’vechanged my mind, I said I was readyto run.

You didn’t apprentice first as mayorin one of your towns. Was this sheer con-fidence?

Oh yes, actually my original intentionwas to run as congressman for the 2ndDistrict. Medyo mahina pa ako salingguahing Maranao at Bisaya, so I wasthinking that starting out in congress willnudge me into a gentle take off. But mydad’s style is one of baptism by fire.

We’re into the final years of the Arroyoadministration and my dad felt that withhis working relationship with the Presi-dent he could be of better service to ourpeople there in congress.

I’ve already been through a lot of chal-lenges. I have been chairman of theGSIS/Family Bank. When I was giventhe job, the company was expecting aloss of 56 million pesos in 2005, but wedelivered a net income of almost 11 mil-lion. And in 2006 we projected a profitof 31 million, but we doubled it to 68million. We restructured the accountsand revamped the bank’s image andnow we are expecting a capital infusionof 2 billion pesos, and that’s no small feat.

How would you sell the province tothe world to get the necessary funding,aid and draw in investments?

Essentially, we’re packaging the prov-ince to make it attractive for foreign in-vestment. But we have to do a lot of roadworks first. The Balabagan-Tukuranroad is Saudi funded. It’s now faster toget to Cotabato from Cagayan de Orothrough this new road than throughLanao del Sur via the Ramos Highway.Another key road that will open the in-terior towns and Lanao Sur is theGanassi-Tubd road which is also Saudifunded. These new roads will open upthe lake to a lot of possibilities and in im-proving the peace in the area. We’re alsointo constructing a lot roads cuttingthrough the coastal towns. These projectshave all been started in the term of(former Governor) Angging Dimaporo.

Do you have a blueprint for your de-velopment program?

I have Vision 2020 for Lanao delNorte: “A globally competitive agri-in-dustrial community of God-loving,ecology conscious, culturally diversepeople working together in peace andharmony to achieve equity and prosper-ity.” Vision 2020 is based on a tripodagenda: social programs, rural liveli-hood, and infrastructure.

The social program is catchall formaintaining the peace, the youth,women, and the old and the disabled.

Although social endeavors are very hardto quantify, this is most important be-cause it touches on cultural awareness,interfaith dialogues, a physically andmentally sound youth, and health careservices for the aged, and protectingwomen and orphans.

The rural livelihood agenda is basedon livestock, crops, fruit trees, timber andnon-timber, and handicrafts. This in-cludes dairies, cattle upgrading and live-stock dispersals, tractor service, farm- to-market transport, watershed agri-economy and many others.

The infrastructure programs consist ofwater, electrification, and farm-to-mar-ket roads. In addition we will have thecoastal-interior highways. We are con-necting all municipalities. We have thePanguil bridge which will connectTanggub City and Tubod. And with theTubod-Ganassi road in the works, wewill truly open up the Panguil Bay foreveryone. We are also constructing theBacolod Mini Hydro Electric powerplant. With these projects, our tourist hotspot development projects will gain mo-mentum also.

Your mother came from a Christianfamily and your father is a Muslim. Howwere you raised?

(Laughs) I spent my childhood inManila. From what I heard, when myDad and Mom first got married, thetensions between the Visayan and theMaranao were high. If I was raised asa Visayan speaker, I would be seen asleaning towards my Christian family.If I was raised solely as a Maranao, Iwould be seen as a hardcore Muslim.My parents found Manila to be neu-tral enough for my environment. Sothey sent me to study in Brent Interna-tional School. Incidentally, this ar-rangement made me independentearly in life, even in childhood becauseI see my parents less often. It’s a bitlonely though. And when later I wastransferred to Brent in Baguio, I reallyhad to figure things on my own.

How do you apply what you learnedabroad now that you will be running aprovince in the Philippines?

The management style that I was ex-posed to is thoroughly American with-out doubt and it is quite difficult to ap-ply here. But at least I had beenforewarned of the pitfalls. Thekey is meeting situations half-way by adapting to the localways. You would only bestressed to impose things text-book-fashion. You have to be

flexible. One thing should be clearthough: we have to jumpstart our tech-nology especially the net. Internet isvery important. My forte is in statisti-cal packages.

The Dimaporos and the Quibranzashave a long traditional in politics. Youare a third generation Dimaporo. Howwould it be different this time?

The future is bright. My generationdoesn’t have any memory of the wars.We didn’t grow up during the rebellion.With this, Muslim and Christian youthcan truly start fresh. I don’t have memoryof the Barracudas (Moro private army inthe 70s—editor). Many Maranaw youthare moving into urban areas takinghigh-tech courses. Our genera-tion—Muslims and Chris-tians—are more educatedand understanding,thanks to informationtechnology. I workedwith Romina RasulBernardo as part of aProbe Team in 2003under the auspices ofthe US Institute forPeace and what wediscovered was thatthe reason chil-dren join rebel-lions is becauseyun ang kani-lang kinagis-nan ratherthan beliefsand ideals.We are brea-king the cy-cle.

A self-c o n -f e s s e dworka-holic likehis fa-t h e r ,Khalid re-laxes likemost youngmen of his genera-tion: with video games. While he con-fesses to addiction to his Playstation, healso goes scuba diving. “When I learnedthat I won the election, one of the firstdecisions I made was to ship my toys—

CALLING it a “crazy venture”, Senator Aquilino“Nene” Pimentel and Mindanews Editor CarolArguillas praised the Manila Times and the Phil-ippine Council for Islam and Democracy forinvesting in The Moro Times, a monthly sup-plement about the Muslims and Mindanao. Ina celebration held at Club Filipino, SenatorsLoren Legarda and Mar Roxas joined Pimentel,diplomats, government officials and leadersof business and civil society to celebrate thefirst year anniversary of the groundbreakingMoro Times.

Pimentel said the world needs its “crazyfools” to show the truth no one can or wantsto see.

According to Senator Legarda, “Filipinoshave much to learn from the firm resolve ofMuslims to preserve their culture and heritageand practice their beliefs and customs despitethe complexities of modern times” and remindsmedia that “as long as we have individuals,organizations and media who never cease intheir efforts to highlight the true teachings ofIslam and therefore achieve a better under-standing of Muslim Filipinos in the Philippines,the road to national healing and peaceful so-lution to the conflict affecting the Muslim com-munities of Mindanao is no longer be a dream,but a reality that is just waiting to happen.”

Senator Roxas commended the pioneersbehind Moro Times, stating “Publications like

these bring greater awareness and recognitionof Muslim Filipinos’ achievements and culture.Moro Times also highlights our combined her-itage full of richness and fascination. By bring-ing news and updates on the situation in Mus-lim Mindanao, including the moving forward ofthe peace process, the Moro Times shows thatwe can achieve unity in our diversity.”

Australian Ambassador Tony Hely, calling TheMoro Times a “pioneering trailblazing” initia-tive,” cited Australia’s full support for the fledg-ling publication.

Launched on July 28, 2006, the MoroTimes showcases stories that celebrate Morocontribution to national life. For the first timein the history of Philippine journalism, a na-tional newspaper has devoted space for 7 mil-lion Muslims in the country.

Moro Times Editor Ms. Amina Rasul, PCIDLead Convenor and former Presidential Adviseron Youth Affairs, said, “One of the major prob-lems we have identified in our advocacy workhas been ignorance and our lack of a vehicle toaccess the majority. We have dreamed of hav-ing our own paper. Thanks to Manila Times,we are on our way.”

Why Moro Times? The word Moro, originallya derogatory term used by the Spanishcolonizers, has become the political identity ofthe Muslims of Mindanao. Increasingly, mem-bers of Mindanao’s indigenous peoples have

adopted the term.Managed by the PCID, The

Moro Times features news,views, and special reports onbusiness ventures, trading op-

Moro Times is 1 year old today

■ Moro Times Anniversary: Amina Rasul, Santanina Rasul, Ambassador John Hely, Senator LorenLegarda, Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., Klaus Presche, Max Jundam and Dante ‘Klink” Ang II.

■ Senators Loren Legarda,Nene Pimentel and formersenator Santanina Rasulview the editorial cartoonsof the Moro Times duringthe anniversary exhibit onJuly 25 at the Club Filipinoin Greenhills, San Juan.

See TODAY D3

my two jet skis. I love the coastline andLanao del Norte runs along a very longcoastline.”

Lanao del Norte, welcome to the 21st cen-tury! Governor Khalid will be your guide.