Bangsamoro Homeland: A Long Way to Go

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan released the statement below on the GRP-MILF MOA on Ancestral Domain. Yesterday, the Supreme Court stopped the government and the MILF from signing the document in Kuala Lumpur. Read the complete SC order here. Check out as well Fr. Jun Mercado’s position on the MOA. Fr. Mercado is a longtime peace advocate and has been closely monitoring the peace process. The Inquirer’s John Nery has this to say on this “Son of Esperon” while Manolo Quezon thinks that “the agreement itself is the prize.”

The positive thing about the MOA on Ancestral Domain which the GRP and MILF negotiating panels are about to sign tomorrow is that it recognizes the legitimacy of the Moro people’s claim to their ancestral domain and their right to self-determination, which is at the root of the Moro people’s armed struggle.

However, it is still a long, long way from actually establishing and “entrenching” the Bangsamoro homeland, much less securing the Moro people’s identity and posterity, protecting their property rights and resources, and enjoying self-governance over their homeland. Numerous obstacles stand in the way of achieving a just and lasting peace in Mindanao.

The Arroyo government, like its predecessors, is led by big landlords and compradors who have vast and entrenched economic and political interests in most of what the MOA defines as the Bangsmoro homeland. They connive with multinational corporations in oppressing and exploiting the peoples and natural resources in Mindanao. Even now when the terms for implementation have not even been defined, they vehemently protest the MoA. It is inconceivable that the national government as well as the local warlords and other vested interests who benefit tremendously from the present set-up would easily give up the Bangsamoro homeland to the Moro people.

Much less would foreign powers, especially the US, allow a government that would be unfriendly to their interests. The MoA however is a welcome development to them so long as it leads to a cessation of hostilities, albeit temporary, and allows them to continue with their comercial operations. An added bonus, which is also a major consideration for the US and Arroyo governments is that a reduction of hostilities in Mindanao will allow the AFP to redeploy its forces to NPA areas in accordance with Oplan Bantay Laya II, the Arroyo government’s current counter-insurgency program.