Dark Justice in the Philippines

According to press report carried out by the Manila Bulletin dated June 9, 2010, the Philippines Department of Justice has ordered the arrest of officers of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Jolo, Sulu for allegedly planting improvised explosives that caused the killing of two US servicemen and a Filipino soldier on September 29, 2009. (See MB report below)

The incident happened a day after the Armed Forces of the Philippines shelled and bombed adjacent barrios on the Feast Eid Il Fitr Day, forcing Muslims to skip the special prayers and celebrations due to intense bombardments, killing innocent civilians and work animals. A battalion of AFP soldiers tried to ambush the MNLF contingent in the area by taking positions at a nearby mosque before dawn prayer. The alibi was, as usual, allegedly the presence of “Abu Sayaf Group†(ASG) in the area. Unfortunately, they were spotted by a civilian who arrived at the mosque ahead of others, who in turn alerted the MNLF forces. Being masters of the local terrain, the MNLF forces managed to encircle and inflict severe damage to the attacking government forces in the ensuing encounter after the break of dawn.

The US servicemen, accordingly, were advisors to AFP troops that were poise to take over the MNLF Camp in the vicinity, without prior notice or arrangements. They thought the MNLF forces had left after a heavy barrage of artillery and heavy bombs dropped in the campsite. But to think that those American servicemen were only a private and a sergeant, it is unlikely they could provide any better advice to high ranking AFP officers some of whom were trained in West Point, USA, unless they were planning to install sophisticated missiles or military equipment in the area.

The exact number of AFP casualties was not readily available but knowledgeable sources claimed there was almost a shortage of ‘plastic bags’ for the corpses, and helicopter sorties were quite frequent in transporting the dead and wounded troopers from Jolo to Zamboanga City.

By right the government should not have faulted the MNLF for the death of Americans and Filipino servicemen in that instance. They had breached the peace earlier and the people in that area had the right to deter enemy forces from entering their place of abode. They had been subjected to a heavy military operation earlier, and then a barrage of air and artillery bombardments, without any valid reason while the ceasefire is supposedly still holding after the signing of the Final Peace Accord (FPA) in 1996.

Event is 2004

In 2004, a composite group of Philippine Army-Marine and other units of the AFP staged a dawn massacre of civilians in Ipil, Maimbung, Sulu that included three minors and a pregnant woman. Although the incident was documented by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights as an outright massacre of civilians, the military investigation quashed the UNCHR report and declared the killings as justified. A number of American military ‘advisers’ were also seen aboard the boat that raided the seaside community after midnight although did not participate in the shooting. The pattern then seemed to be to exposed American servicemen to danger so that when they sustain casualties, they will make good in their participation to declare war against the Moro rebels. Fortunately, it did not happen as the Americans seem to have another ulterior motive in establishing foothold in the Sultanate of Sulu. So far, there had been no attempt to declare war on the American contingent since they just confine themselves to their barrack.

The problem with the AFP is that they don’t seem to respect any Peace Agreement between their government (GRP) and the MNLF.

Impartial observers are of the view that the GRP has been plotting for the total involvement of the US Army in their fight against Moro freedom fighters. Unfortunately, the Americans refused to be drawn into the Moro liberation war.

It started with the beheading of G. Sobrero, an American serviceman on “holiday†in Mindanao who was reportedly snatched by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) from Basilan. There was no reason to behead Sobrero, but ASG sources say the AFP’s Deep Penetrating Agents (DPA) that had infiltrated the ASG were the ones demanding for it, allegedly to create fear amongst relatives and solicitors of kidnapped victims.

This was followed by the roadside bomb blast that killed another American serviceman in Zamboanga City in 2002, and then a series of bombings throughout Mindanao that killed more than 90 civilians and wounding hundreds of others. Unfortunately, the last bomb blasted the suspected bomb-maker in a hotel room in Davao City, crippling Terrence Michael Meiring who was suspiciously airlifted out of Davao Specialists Hospital even without the usual immigration and other normal clearances, through the facilities of the US Embassy in Manila. This episode created the impression that Meiring was the suspected bomber, closely monitored by the FBI/CIA and the US Embassy in Manila in cahoots with the AFP/GRP.

The Sipadan Episode

The plotters of the Sipadan hostage drama was also careful not to include Americans among the hostage taken from the island off Sabah East Coast and brought to the initially uninvolved Abu Sayyaf Group in Jolo.

The Misuari Saga

Misuari was so far a very good and honest leader. In the beginning, he was a very simple unassuming Maas (elder) of everyone. He was the only leader I know who can afford to travel without money in his pocket. But after an accidental journey which separated him from his assistant who had the money, now he won’t go out unless he has more than enough in his credit cards. But that was long ago. Now, he is a really transformed man, a leader who cannot take other’s opinion as opposed to his own. As a consequence, those that he did not purge from the MNLF leadership have deserted him too. Now the people around him are classified as minnows, never been known or seen anytime before in the company of the Mujahideen Moro. For that matter, he can hardly win any fair election apart from the one where he first ran for governor of ARMM. President FVR virtually rigged that election to make him win so that he could surrender more of the Moro people’s ancestral rights, the people proud of their ancient heritage, sovereign in their own right and never been conquered. Today he seems virtually isolated, shunned by the majority of the MNLF old guards, his leadership repudiated although still holding a slight respect by the OIC for being signatory to several Agreements and important documents. Otherwise, majority of the MNLF leaders and Moro masses have already resolved to find a new leader, even unheard of before, who speaks the truth and stand by his word. Misuari may decide to migrate to other countries rather than to stay in an independent Sulu Sultanate ruled by the officers ha had earlier purged from the MNLF

The prime movers of the ‘de-colonization’ of the Sultanate of Sulu are however thankful of Misuari because his leadership blunders have made it easier for the new movement to prosper and achieve peoples’ support and acceptance beyond expectation. Many of the disgruntled MNLF officers and members have jumped ship to join the Sulu Sultanate’s bandwagon. Therefore, it is only a matter of time that the proponents of the new movement will eventually declare the assertion of the Sultanate’s sovereignty and independence from the Republic of the Philippines.

As Misuari, together with a few aspiring sultans allied to him and the neo-MNLF personnel have no part in the re-institution of the Sulu Sultanate, it is feared they may be tapped by the GRP to distract and subvert the peaceful transition of the monarchy to independence. Hopefully, however, he will not stoop so low as to swallow enemy atrocious maneuvers to destroy the fabric of Moro society within the Sultanate of Sulu that he was supposed to lead, but which he had chosen to ditch, hook-line-sinker.

Following is the text of the news item from the Manila Bulletin:

Stay calm, Misuari orders MNLF men

June 9, 2010, 6:44pm

The United States fully supports the arrest of a top Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) commander and over 30 of his men in Sulu who are accused of planting the improvised explosive device (IED) that killed on September 29, 2009 two American servicemen and a Filipino soldier in Indanan municipality.

US Embassy Press Attaché Rebecca Brown Thompson relayed this message to the Manila Bulletin when asked for a comment regarding Criminal Case No. 1118-4 for multiple murder filed on May 11 last month at the Parang, Sulu, Regional Trial Court, Branch 4, under Judge Bensaudi Arabani, Sr. by the Department of Justice (DoJ) in Western Mindanao.

The DoJ charged for the deaths allegedly of US Army Staff Sgt. Jack Martin, Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Shaw and Private First Class Jerwin Jose Estrada, a Filipino, MNLF Sulu State Revolutionary Committee chairman Commander Khaid Ajibon; Commanders Ahadon Adak, Tahil Sali, Abraham Joel, Jun Ajibon, Kira Adain; and several others with only their aliases mentioned, and undetermined number of "John Does." (Edd K. Usman)

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