‘Boodle fight’ to ‘boodle peace’: from warriors to peace builders

Counting how many battles fought, enemies killed, and firearms recovered has been among the usual indicators in an official’s military scoreboard.

But it’s got to change, military officials tell new generation officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Mindanao.

Col. Julieto Ando, of the Eastern Mindanao Command, has stressed this point to junior military officers who attended the Operation Peace Course (OPKORS), a conflict management and peace building training, now on its seventh in a series, organized by the AFP, Balay Mindanao Foundation Inc. and other partners.

“Instead, count how many enemies you have convinced back to the folds of law,” Ando said in his presentation on “The Challenge: Towards Fresher Perspectives”.

He said it involves changing perspectives from calling “boodle fights” to “boodle peace” at the least to building consensus and partnerships with other stakeholders to win peace.

The new mindset for military operations in Mindanao, he said, calls for more focus on building rather than destroying. Read on.

Inihanay sa:Economy, Food in Mindanao, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Safety, Security

MILF’s five-point declaration on the peace process

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s Central Committee has issued a five-point declaration on the resumption of talks with the Philippine government. MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim issued the statement dated December 26 but released to the media on December 27.

The points are as follows:

Before the GRP-MILF Peace Talks resume, there must be an international guarantee composed of states or association of states, which will provide guarantee that both the GRP and MILF will honor and implement agreement or agreements forged by the parties. This will give the assurance that the MOA-AD tragedy will not be repeated anymore;

“Both sides resolve the issue of the MOA-AD which the MILF viewed as ‘done deal’ in contravention to GRP’s ‘no deal’ and ‘unconstitutional’ stance;

“The International Monitoring Team (IMT) will be allowed to discharge its duties and functions, as contained in the IMT Term of Reference (TOR) including the investigation of all the violations of the ceasefire since July 1, 2008 up to the present;

“The AFP immediately cease military offensive in Mindanao against the MILF even in the guise of running after its three ‘rogue commanders,’ pursuant to and in compliance with the Security Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement on Peace on June 22, 2001 in order to put a halt to the mass evacuation of people as well as the accompanying destruction to houses, farmlands, working animals, and other properties, pursuant to the Relief, Rehabilitation, and Humanitarian Aspect of the same Agreement; and

“Malaysia will stay as facilitator of the peace talks.”

Read full report at MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Mindanao, Peace Process

Bishop Pacana: Let there be no silence in the peace process

While praying for silence in the battlefields, Bukidnon Bishop Honesto Pacana called on both government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to keep on talking and never to allow times of silence in the peace process.

Pacana said the silence of the guns is not enough unless there is continuing dialogue between the two parties.

The bishop described to MindaNews the peace process situation at the moment as “experiencing silence.” He said the ongoing hostilities are a proof of that as he appealed for a continuing peace process.

He has called for prayers among the Catholics for peace as they celebrate Christmas in his homily for the first morning mass on December 16 at the San Isidro Cathedral.

He has appealed to the faithful to include in their prayers peace in the country, especially in Mindanao.

Pacana said even if Bukidnon is not directly within conflict areas related to the GRP-MILF problem, it has its own peace issues.

Read a full report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, Indifgenous Peoples, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Mindanao's communities, Mining in Mindanao, Nature and Environment in Bukidnon, Peace Process, Philippines

Good news that draws suspicion than anticipation

That the informal peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is due to resume soon offers a reflection in our role as informal observers of the peace process that gained hold, then lost it somehow.

The MindaNews report GRP, MILF ‘informal talks’ to start ‘possibly’ by Dec. 22 didn’t quite tell there is a reason to celebrate (even if the news comes before Christmas and a fear of worsening situation on the ground).

Of course any kind of talk is always better than any form of violence. We all wish for peace, not just for Christmas but once and for all –for good.

As much as we want to get excited, we can’t just lose hold off the ground. At one point this could be a genuine press release.

But it could also be to serve the interests of some parties.

We might have a peace talks fatigue but we also cannot afford to let war just unfold.

I am nosing for enough sincerity, the one that could get them to sit in front each panel and talk, and relieve Mindanawons from the stress.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Governance, Lumads and Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines

On the appointment of new GRP panel chair

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has named Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis as chair of the new government panel that will resume peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), reports tell us.

But what I think is a striking reaction to this news is a comment from Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga, executive director of the Cotabato City-based Institute of Bangsamoro Studies. 

He said in a story carried by MindaNews.com that whoever heads the government’s negotiating panel is “secondary in importance.”

Inihanay sa:Davao, Governance, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines , GRP, MILF, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Seguis

Teodoro’s take on peace: be practical

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro wants to approach peace with a “strong dose of practicality, pragmatism and political realism” as he questioned the approach of solving the root causes of conflict” because “has any society been able to solve the root causes of conflict?”

He told the 8th Mindanao Island Conference of the Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines on Wednesday night that the first lesson he learned in approaching the problem of peace and order is to do it with “the backing of some values and some idealism and with strong dose of practicality, pragmatism, and political realism”.

Inihanay sa:ARMM, Access to Information, Blogging and Bukidnon, Blogging and Mindanao, Bukidnon, Economy, Freedom, Governance, Justice, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, People Power, Philippines, Politics , 8th PBMLP Mindanao Island Conference, Bukidnon, Malaybalay City, MILF, Mindanao, Mindanao conflict, NPA, PBMLP, Peace Process, Philippines, PRovincial Board Members, Republic of the Philippines, Sec. Guilbert Teodoro

Peace education, Mindanao context

Peace education is such a dynamic subject to teach at the university.

Chiza approached me for help to update the syllabus given to her by her superiors at Bukidnon State University over the break. One night we missed a favorite TV show just to gather and review the syllabi and lesson plans of previous lecturers of the subject.

We feel there’s got to be updating on content and context without veering away from the approved objectives of the course.

She decided on factoring in more of the Mindanao context in peace education using local exemplars, examples, experiences, stories, instructional materials, and lessons learned. (Photo by Bobby Timonera, grabbed from www.mindaNews.com)

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Governance, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines , Bukidnon, Bukidnon State University, Education, Mindanaol, Peace, Peace Education, Philippines, Teacher Education

Mindanao is “One”: with some parts scarred, ruined, healing, growing

“There is only one Mindanao”.

We don’t have a Mindanao with two faces.

But the “one face” is scarred in some parts, ruined in another, healing in most parts, and mostly growing.”

I got into this reflection over the weekend when asked in an informal forum on whether there are two Mindanaos.

I said there is only one Mindanao. I compared it to the human anatomy.

Maybe the whole body is OK. But there are some parts that are injured –and the pain shows in the face of Mindanao, as others might see as the image of Mindanao.

Yes, we have to recognize that Mindanao has 27 provinces and 33 cities. Each province and city has distinct history, culture, plans, circumstances, and challenges.

But since these provinces and cities belong to one homeland or heart land, there are dynamics that occur in each locality that affects the others. The growth or pain in one, could be felt in another.

The way to heal the ailing part is not to cut it or to conceal it or just to forget about it.

There is not just one solution. There could be many ways to approach it. But it has to be cured using direct and indirect means. There has to be a constant search to find these means.

Inihanay sa:Economy, Governance, Mindanao, News, Peace Process, Philippines

“Global disorder” at back draft of Bukidnon’s 2009 budget

(NEWS) “The future appears gloom and bleak,” Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri told the provincial board Thursday citing that the debacle of economic difficulties is real and could not be ignored.
 
Zubiri has proposed a P1.06 billion-2009 budget to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan but vowed to keep budgetary controls and prioritization of expenditures amidst the treat of a global recession.
 
He cited that the country is beset with “serious global disorder” foretelling a “downfall in the global capital market that “will not spare the Philippine economy”.
 
“There is an eroding confidence in the US financial market and growing discontent on the so-called American model of capitalistic economic enterprises,” Zubiri said in his introduction.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Financing in Mindanao, Governance, Investments in Mindanao, Life in the Plateau, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Politics, Social Security

Eagles of hope

The Philippine Eagle Foundation has announced its plan to release two new eagles into the wild of Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park in January 2009.

This is despite the death of a Philippine Eagle named “Kagsabua” (unity) in July 2007, which it released just months earlier.

“What happened to Kagsabua is not a stumbling block,” a PEF official said in this report at MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Environment, Eyeing Ahead, Freedom, Governance, Life in the Plateau, Lumads and Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines

In GenSan: Mindanao Bloggers Success Part 2 (MBS2)

Congratulations! 

The organizers of the Second Mindanao Bloggers Summit in General Santos City did it.

MBS2 was a huge success looking at parameters such as number of participants, media mileage, impact, and preparations.

Bongga ang food, presentations, and gimik, and I heard the tour was fuhhhhn, too!

OK pud ang hosting, including the choice of masters of ceremonies.

We stayed in East Asia Royale Hotel and it was also good.

Inihanay sa:Economy, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Updates

Maranaos assert their right to peace vs. war in Mindanao

Bobby Timonera based in Iligan City reports for MindaNews that Maranaos call on thge United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Conference to help end war in Mindanao.

In a rally in Marawi City on October 2,  his MindaNews report said that at the end of the month-long Ramadhan, Maranaos there staged a rally right in the heart of the city Thursday morning to call on the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Conference to intervene to stop the war in Mindanao and for
the government to honor the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD).

With placards and streamers mostly in blue and green, the 1,000 protesters then marched under the mid-morning sun towards the headquarters of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade to hold yet another
rally, ending just before noon. Read full story here.

This is a favorable show of real people power, asserting their right to peace in their homeland.

Inihanay sa:Governance, Mindanao, News, Peace Process, Philippines, Security