By ERIK ESPINA
ONE question that continues to maintain currency in the scheduled Jan. 21, 2019 plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) under Republic Act 11054, was an answer made by former Assemblyman Homobono Adaza in my TV interview with him. “The threat or spiraling of Mindanao declaring independence or a portion separating from the republic, is a serious concern which must be prevented and addressed not only by Mindanaoans, but the entire country”.
The BOL hopes to be the final solution to decades-old war and “historical gripes” cited by liberation fronts as the wisdom of their secession. While I hold deep reservations regarding the BOL as the “silver bullet” to gain peace, let this be the last attempt at catering to a mis-diagnosis of the real cause of hostilities. Nobody notices the elephant in the room. This was a liberation war funded by Malaysia to keep Sabah secure. A reversal of the Macapagal and Marcos attempts (diplomatic and strategic) to get back Philippine territory.
The concept of creating a “Moro-landia” is by itself synthetic accommodation unreflective of the ethnic diversities, conflicts, “Rido wars” among 18 tribes plus feudal families among them. The process of homogenizing such subsisting cleavages by a formulary of religion (Islam) as the glue maintaining the “Moro” political fabrication, is unlearning Islamic history. The deep divide since 632 between Sunni and Shia; the recent rise and fall of governments in Middle Eastern countries based on the politics of both factions is a testament e.g. Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt etc. There is the new phenomenon of extremism jockeying for failed states – al-Qaeda, Taliban, Isis in Afghanistan etc. Palestine facing a common enemy has Hamas, Fatah, six political parties. Bangsamoro Organic Law is constitutionally infirmed, based on Article X Section 19 and other provisions. The BOL favors MILF rise to power, discarding the MNLF of Misuari (recognized by Organization of Islamic Conference), the royal houses, and other Filipino lumads. Ergo, conflict in the horizon.
