Babe's Eye View article

The gruesome murders that took place in Maguindanao continues to be the center of attention in the Philippines and all over the world, bringing to the fore the problems this country faces especially in Mindanao which has become a hotbed of conflict and terror. For centuries, so many attempts have been made to end the trouble in the South. The Spanish tried to conquer Mindanao but failed, giving birth to the famous line, “Hay Moros en la costa!” As a warning that danger is coming! During the time of the Americans, General John Pershing had to develop the .45 caliber pistol especially for the Moros who seemed unstoppable with ordinary guns.

But the seriousness of the problem only began to manifest during the ’60s when the Moros started a rebellion, claiming Mindanao as their ancestral home. The problem has continued to get worse especially after government tried to pull a fast one last year with the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain, something totally unacceptable to both Christians and Muslims and declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Over the years, so many policies and agreements have been drafted in an attempt to end the decades-long insurgency in Mindanao. There was the Tripoli Agreement in 1976, the 1996 Final Peace Accord and so on. But to this day, it continues to be a hotbed of conflict and lawlessness, displacing the lives of Muslims and Christians alike. According to the Geneva-based International Displacement Monitoring Center, the number of Mindanao refugees is estimated at 600,000—the biggest in the world.

Mindanao may be the richest in terms of its vast natural resources, but it also has the highest poverty incidence rate in the country at 38 percent, with Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Basilan topping the list of provinces with “the worst quality of life.” Mindanao also has the highest population growth rate at 5.46 percent, more than double the national average of 2.04 percent and one of the highest in the world.

As noted by the most recent Philippine Human Development Index Report, the quality of life in the poorest provinces in Mindanao is comparable to poverty-stricken African countries like Nigeria and Senegal, and strife-torn nations like Myanmar and Pakistan. Everyone also knows that democracy is practically non-existent in many places in the South and that election cheating is the rule rather than the exception so much so that politicians are forced to strike deals with the political warlords in the region.

In fact, Maguindanao has become notoriously famous for delivering zero votes to Fernando Poe Jr. and Loren Legarda during the 2004 presidential elections, and again in 2007 when senatorial results showed a 12-0 shut-out in favor of administration candidates. Such blatant cheating is no longer surprising for Filipinos, but shocking to foreigners who could not believe that such a massive election fraud could happen.

To this day, armed conflicts continue to ravage many parts of Mindanao, fueled by the presence of al-Qaeda linked terrorist groups like the Abu Sayyaf who have made kidnappings and beheadings a gruesome reality for the populace. Former US charge d’ affaires Joe Mussomeli warned that the situation in Mindanao could become similar to Afghanistan’s, and that he’s worried that government is “not worried enough” that certain portions have become “so lawless” and the borders so porous. Had people not been so outraged at the perceived insult at the time, giving a typical knee-jerk reaction, they would have had time to reflect that Mussomeli was right all these years.

Ironically, the lawlessness is compounded by the presence of so-called civilian volunteer organizations that are supposed to help government fight rebels and terrorist groups, but in reality have been turned into private armies by local politicians, reinforcing the culture of warlordism inherent in Mindanao. In fact, a foreign analyst is dissuading the United States from pushing through with a plan to co-opt anti-Taliban militias to help them in Afghanistan, pointing out that “the violence… in the Philippines illustrates the danger of such a strategy.”

The atrocity of the Maguindanao massacre and the methodical, cold-blooded manner by which it was conducted is making people conclude that mass executions must have been going on for a long time, with local warlords getting bolder each time because they literally get away with murder.

It’s an open secret that in Mindanao, the ruling family controls everything in their respective fiefdoms. Maguindanao has become reminiscent of the killing fields in Cambodia, a dumping ground for anyone who happens to get on the bad side of the ruling political clans.

It’s rather painful to say so but in a way, 9-11 has been a blessing in disguise in the sense that it made the US take a more special interest in Mindanao, helping government to keep it from becoming a breeding ground for terrorists. While militant groups continue to protest the Visiting Forces Agreement, there is no denying the fact that the training exercises, plus the exchange of information and other assistance have in large part contributed in combating rebels and extremists operating in the South.

While corruption continues to be a major issue, one of the biggest problems facing the next president is Mindanao—a complicated dilemma because of warlordism plus the presence of insurgent groups that contribute to the volatile situation, exacerbated by rising poverty levels with a fast-growing population.

Obviously, there’s no magic wand to make the problems instantly disappear. What is needed is a leader who is decisive and focused, with a strong political will. Make no mistake about it—the next president will inherit this country’s problems that will only get worse before they get any better.