Moro Groups Renew Call for Independent Probe of Batasan Blast

PRESS CON STATEMENT by Association of Muslim Advocates Law
Assalam Bangsamoro People’s Association
Bangsamoro Lawyers Network
Muslim Legal Assistance Foundation
Young Moro Professional Network at Greenhouse, Quezon City, Dec. 7, 2007 , 10am

JUSTICE FOR HOUSE BLAST VICTIMS

We condemn the Batasan Blast in the strongest possible terms. Justice for the victims and Cong. Wahab Akbar is not attained by putting Moro leaders in jail. In his words, Akbar called for peace to ensure the welfare of our children.

We are aghast at the attack on public institutions where the laws of this country are passed. If politicians are not safe in the pillars of governance, are we safe as civilians in the communities?

We condole with the death of Akbar but we demand that justice must prevail.

We are suspicious of the immediate pinning of the blast on Anak Mindanao Rep. Mujiv Hataman, a clear case of being made a scapegoat to easily close any possibilities of finding the true people with criminal intent. It would perhaps be proper to say that the harassment against him by the PNP, particularly by the CIDG, is mainly due to his staunch advocacy in defending the rights of the Moro in general. The CIDG has an axe to grind against him because he had exposed their irregularities during the 2005 IIC issue. That is the obvious reason that witnesses are retracting their affidavits on reason that they were executed under duress. If the PNP can use a Congressman, elected officials in government, as fall guy, imagine what they can do to ordinary Moro.

We know Hataman to be a human rights worker, community advocate, youth leader for the past decade. He practices non-violence and alternative forms of politics by being one with the marginalized. Ever since he have been relentlessly raising Moro issues to the streets not to the jungle. To the Halls of Congress not to the mountains of Mindanao.
We call for an independent probe of the blast, where foreign blast experts are invited to provide apolitical, objective findings and recommendations and prevent future terrorist attacks.

We feel this blast may be manipulated to serve certain political interests. Pinagsasabong ang mga Moro leaders. We call on the families of Akbar, all our Muslim leaders in Basilan to unite, despite their clashing rivalries, to find the guilty persons.

As an aftermath, the Moro people are being pushed to the cliff of chaos and political turmoil. Congressman Wahab Akbar has been silenced by a bomb, and now Cong. Mujiv Hataman, a critic of repression by authorities, is to be stifled by the cold bars of jail.

And yet Basilan, as well as the Moro people will continue to face extreme poverty, armed conflict, structural injustice. The Moro has been denied since time immemorial the right to live with human dignity. This inhumanity has not been changed and now aggravated by the new policy of political extermination, a systematic exclusion of Basilan leaders by means of death or jail.

We do not accuse the government in the death of Cong Akbar and other victims but with the conclusion of United Nations in the political and extra judicial killings in the Philippines, we are not absolutely sure about it.

When the Moros are beginning to have hope in the political framework, the present policy sought to exclude them from further participation.

The political cleansing is intended to shut off any Moro leaders who dare to speak for the Moro issues. It seeks to deprive Basilan of representation in the case of Akbar and the Moro and Lumads in the case of Cong. Hataman. Voice on vital issues of governance affecting the lives of thousands of marginalized people whose hope lies in a genuine representation of a leader whose credibility and integrity remains untarnished to this day. The government must not shut its ears but must heed the outcry and appeal of the people of Basilan and the Moro to jail their leaders who has relentlessly and selflessly served their best interest and welfare.
We call on the people and leaders in Basilan to make this occasion as an opportunity to unite to be one against these injustices. To deviate from political leanings and to work together to brought the true perpetrators to the court of justice.

We the Moro Civil Society will not be silenced. We will stand-by our leaders whom we have known to advocate Moro issues, who are unafraid to speak and to do the right thing for the betterment of our society.

• We demand for an independent body to investigate Batasan Blast.
• We affirm the innocence of Anak Mindanao Cong Mujiv Hataman.
• We seek justice for Batasan Blast victims, Cong. Wahab Akbar, Julasiri Hayudini and others
• We appeal to unity for the people and leaders Basilan.
• We demand justice for all the victims of Batasan Blast.
• We demand justice for the Moro victims of summary execution
Signed:

MORO UNITY AGAINST INJUSTICES AND VIOLENCE
December 07, 2007
Members:
SHAHANI ABDULWAHID, President, UP Student COUNCIL
Association of Muslim Advocates Law
Assalam Bangsamoro People’s Association
Bangsamoro Lawyers Network
Muslim Legal Assistance Foundation
Young Moro Professional Network

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