I have been working on 20 Speeches That Moved a Nation Volume II for some years now, and one of the speeches I decided to include was this one, taken from the Constitutional Convention records. It was delivered by Alaoya Alonto, the Sultan Sa Ramain, convention delegate representing Lanao. By way of putting the speech in its historical context, here is an extract from a paper by Rizal G. Buendia:
In the 1934 Constitutional Convention that framed the 1935 PhilippineConstitution (used as the fundamental law of the Commonwealth and 1946 Government of the Republic of the Philippines [GRP]), several elected Muslim Constitutional delegates, led by Alauya Alonto, called upon their fellow delegates not only to cease calling Muslims Moros but also to accept Muslims as part of the Filipino nation.
This turn of events is a classic case of shifting self-definition, attaching new value and meaning to one’s identity in the prospect of advancing its political interestsand exigencies of power within the parameters of a newfound state. This is a clear case wherein ethnic identity is simply not fixed but malleable and shaped by one’s interest in preserving power and access to resources as expounded by instrumentalists Brass and Cohen.
What deepened in almost two decades from the 1950s was the ethnic self-recognition of the masses as Filipino-Muslims (foremost as a Filipino and second, as a Muslim). The legitimacy of the Philippine state to govern the Muslim areas of thecountry was neither questioned nor challenged by any of the Muslim elite. The emergence of new intellectuals and counter-elite among the Muslims and the political events that transpired in the late 1960s until the early 1970s triggered the re-invention of Muslim identity. The massacre of about 28 Muslim military trainees (called “Jabidah commandos”) on Corregidor Island in March 1968 rekindled the quest of Muslims for independence, almost 50 years after it was first clamored for inthe 1920s.
Here is the speech:
SPEECH OF MR. ALONTO ON THE PROBLEMS OF MINDANAO
(Interpreted from Moro to English by Datu Mariaga Sa Ramain Alonto)
Constitutional Convention Record, Journal No. 18, August 21, 1934.
MR. ALONTO. Being one of the elected Delegates from the Province of Lanao, which I have the honor to represent in this Convention, I appear before you in a mood of enthusiasm to present to you the problems that confront the people of Mindanao and Sulu. You are aware of the fact that I am a Mohammedan by birth and by blood, that I am one of the Delegates representing one of the provinces in the Islands of Mindanao and Sulu. The Island of Luzon and the Visayas are predominantly inhabited by Christian Filipinos, the Islands of Mindanao and Sulu are also inhabited by Christian Filipinos. Mindanao, one of the three islands, is inhabited by Mohammedan Filipinos.
Prior to the Spanish regime in the Philippines the Mohammedan Filipinos had been living a life in an independent way. They had their own activities and civilization, the so-called Mohammedan civilization. History tells us that Spaniards failed to penetrate their civilization in that part of the Philippine Islands because the Mohammedan Filipinos refused to fly the Spanish flag in their midst. The Mohammedan Filipinos fought against the Spaniards, brandishing their bolos and kampilanes. Also it is to be regretted that the people of Luzon and the Visayas had been subjugated by Spaniards, but in the Islands of Mindanao and Sulu the people resisted until the Spanish regime in the Islands was ended. Although there has been propaganda that Mohammedans are against the independence of our country, during the Spanish regime they also demonstrated their love for liberty because some of the sons of Mindanao and Sulu died for no other cause than the immortal glory of our country. Now came the American regime. You are aware of the facts of history of the Moroland under the American and Filipino governments. Due to the diplomacy and farsightedness of the American people they adopted the policy of attraction and won the confidence of the Mohammedan Filipinos. The Americans came to our shores with a promise that as soon as we are able to maintain self-government they will grant us independence. This is manifested by the approval of the Tydings-McDuffie Law which grants our cherished dream to be free and independent.
I wish to bring to the attention of the Members of this Convention as representatives of the Filipino people that the Mohammedan Filipinos have been protesting against the name “Moro”. We do not like to be called “Moro” because when we are called “Moros” we feel that we are not considered as part of the Filipino people. You also know that the name Moro was given to us by the Spaniards because Morocco had been under the rule of Spain like Mindanao and Sulu. Therefore, I would like to tell the Members of this Convention that we prefer to be called Mohammedan Filipinos, and not “Moros” because if we are called Moros we will be considered as enemies, for the name “Moro” was given to us by the Spaniards because they failed to penetrate the Islands of Mindanao and Sulu. Another fallacious theory that I would like to invite your attention to is the impression that the Moros are warlike marauding criminals branded as “juramentados”. That is not true, my friends. In the Islands of Mindanao and Sulu there are many Christian inhabitants and they can get along all right with the Mohammedan Filipinos. It is natural that even among brothers, there is a quarrel; so, how much more among people? I would like to call your attention to the fact that we expect much from the Members of this Constitutional Convention; that the customs and traditions of the Mohammedans are granted to them by the present government should not be ignored to them by the Members of this convention. Religion does not in any way bar us from joining one another, for anybody can profess any religion he wishes to. It is true that the men assembled in this historic hall are going to draft the Constitution for the future Philippine Republic and it is true that the Constitution to be drafted is not to last for only one year but for all ages; and upon us rests the serious responsibility to give to our beloved country an enduring constitutional foundation in this period of transition. The Constitution to be drafted must not only be for the satisfaction of a tribe or of a particular group of people but must be for the satisfaction of the while Filipino people.
I also demand the permanent and final solution of the so-called “Moro problem” which has been confronting the Filipino people time and again, and if we fail to solve this problem it will be interpreted that we are incapable of managing our local affairs. We also demand that the Mohammedan Filipinos be given equal rights in the Constitution, because, as it is now, we are not given equal rights. We can count by the tip of the fingers the Mohammedan Filipinos who are thinking whether or not—now that our independence is being given—we shall be given more rights by our Christian brothers. It is a fact that in Luzon and the Visayas, you have good roads, good hospitals, good schools, etc., but in the Islands of Mindana and Sulu, my friends, there are no good roads, no good schools and hospitals. A beautiful Manila will not make a beautiful Philippines if Mindanao and Sulu are behind in improvements. To be frank with you, there was a time when not even a soul among the Mohammedan Filipinos was for the independence of our country. I was the only one who worked for the independence of our country, sacrificing everything, and I have never turned traitor to my country, because I believe that through independence the higher destinies of our people can be attained.
The Government has not been expending much money on the islands of Mindanao and Sulu, but if the Government will spend money on these islands, the returns will be great, because you are aware of the fact that the natural resources of Mindanao have not been developed; and if these natural resources are developed, they will be sufficient to support the whole Philippine Islands.
I am also, in behalf of Mindanao and Sulu, inviting our Christian brothers in Luzon and the Visayas to migrate to Mindanao and Sulu, if they have no lands of their own. In these most trying days in our history, we must advocate national unity among the Christian and the Mohammedan Filipinos, especially during the transition period, because if there is going to be trouble, that will be interpreted in America that we are not yet capable of independent existence.
However, I have faith and confidence in the Members of this Convention, because I know and I am certain that you will not ignore our rights, customs, practices and traditions. I know that you will work for the welfare not only of the Christian Filipinos, but also of the Mohammedan of Mindanao and Sulu.
I appeal to the Members of this Convention that if there is something to be incorporated in our proposed Constitution, like the customs, practices, rights and traditions of the Mohammedan Filipinos, I believe that we should be asked with respect to any changes regarding them.
Last week, my co-Delegate, Mr. Cabili, spoke about the extension of suffrage to Mindanao and Sulu. With respect to that, I think the Delegates representing Mindanao and Sulu should be asked as to whether complete suffrage should be extended to the people of Mindanao and Sulu.
You are aware of the fact that polygamy has been existing among the Mohammedan Filipinos because it has been sanctioned by our religion; that is, each man is allowed to marry four during abnormal times. I think when something is to be done with regards to the practice of polygamy among the Mohammedan Filipinos, i.e., if you are going to stop it, that needs and should be given serious deliberation by the Members of this Convention. I am also a Mohammedan like them, but allow me to tell you that I have only one wife, and if there is a way to abolish polygamy without encountering the contrary opinion of those people, I will be the first man to do it; but, my friends, we have to be patient and so we have to do it in a gradual way, step by step, because if we are going to surprise them by abolishing polygamy immediately, I am sure that there will be trouble among the Mohammedan Filipinos. Although there is nothing wrong with polygamy because, if polygamy is to be practiced as provided in the holy Koran of the Mohammedan Filipinos, it should only be permitted during abnormal conditions. Take for granted in time of war when there are so many women and so many men die, it is natural for a woman to crave for a companion. It is also a fact that although my Christian brothers do not practice polygamy, they have what they call the querida system and yet the law does not say anything about the querida system; hence, my friends, the law must not be sentimental. A Mohammedan can have four wives legally in accordance with Mohammedan rights but polygamy is only sanctioned by the Koran under certain conditions in the life of a man, as for example, a man marries a woman and she turns out to be not capable of bearing him a child. With the Mohammedans a man having a family without a child is like a man in the grave, and so it is natural for a man to marry another woman who will bear him such child.
Mr. President and Members of this Convention, I appeal to you again to reiterate once more that the final and permanent solution of the Moro problem must be made at last. More appropriations should be given to Mindanao and Sulu in order that they may have more schools to educate their children and that they may have good roads so that there will be easy transportation, and so that the Mohammedan Filipinos may go to Luzon and the Visayas and exchange ideas with their Christian brothers.
What we often forget is how relatively unpopulated the Philippines was at the time the Sultan Sa Ramain made his speech: 14 million (see historical demographical data of the whole country). tis is why he could invite Christians to settle in Mindanao and why tensions would reach crisis proportions in the 1960s, by which time the population was 31 million.
I’d like to propose that you consider the following maps.
The first is an ethnographic map, available at Virtual-Museum.com, based on the research of Ferdinand Blumentritt, the great and good friend of Rizal. It’s an ethnographic map, and note the distribution of the Moro population, marked in green (Christians are marked in pink; mixed Christian and Pagan populations, that is, areas with Christians but also the area inhabited by what we call Indigenous Peoples today, are marked in yellow.
Since the MILF agreement with the government basically establishes the end of the Spanish era and the American conquest as the timeline for defining the ancestral homeland of Filipino Muslims, it’s interesting to compare the Blumentritt map, with the proposed territorial expansion of the present ARMM.
As the Inquirer color-coded version of the official agreement map (below) shows, you must consider the maximum aims of the MILF to comprise three objectives:
First, the present ARMM (in red) as the nucleus of the BJE;
Second, the annexation, by means of plebiscite, of the areas marked in green, within 12 months or by August, 2009;
Third, the annexation, after suitable investments have been made by the national government, of the areas marked in yellow, within 25 years.
If I knew how to do overlays it would be interesting how the proposed BJE and what was mapped as Muslim territory in 1890 coincide or diverge -as well as the areas defined by the Supreme Court as IP areas.
Finally, here is a a map of ethnic groups per province, from Wikipedia, to compare to the 1890 Blumentritt map and the BJE map. You will see, immediately, why tensions have been caused by the proposed BJE.
A much-needed blast from the past, so that we may all realize na iisang bangka tayo.
Very interesting speech. And very interesting maps. I think the Blumentritt map is out-of-copyright, right? If so, I think that map can be included in Wikipedia. 🙂
Sobra naman mag-multiply yang mga Cristiano…masyado silang prolific baby-makers!
Scary.
Upon achieving independence all the princely states in India and Pakistan joined the new nations and those that did not were simply annexed by the two nations divided by religion.
It is noteworthy that Pakistan divided by geography (West and East) later broke up into Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Pakistan a complete figment construct of some Ali Jinnah and his group will probably break up between Sindh/Punjab from the tribal areas which have more in common with Afghanistan. (The Pushtus or Pathans. )
Some of them with the other ethnic groups little changed since the time of Alexander.
Tausug ang may ari nang gustong angkinin nang MILF.
‘Prof. Lingga, Executive Director of the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies, pointed out that it is important for the Bangsamoro to assert their right to self-determination “to determine their political status since their incorporation to the Philippine state was without their plebiscitary consentâ€Â.’
Since Alonto participated in the Constitutional Convention and the Filipino Muslims probably voted in the referendum that followed then Prof Lingga’s statement is not true.
Fascinating speech. Is this the same Alonto who became a senator? I remember when I was growing up we referred to Filipino-Muslims as Moros and as a kid in the 1970s, I didn’t have any conception then that it was a derogatory word. It was just how the adults in our area referred to Muslims in general. Now, you can hardly hear anyone in Iloilo use that word.
I don’t get why the MILF insist on calling themselves the Bangsamoro people. I thought Muslims feel insulted and don’t like the word “Moro” because it’s degrading?
Here’s something worth talking about: CERN scientists may create mini Big Bang and destroy earth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j50ZssEojtM
Iloilo City Boy, it’s like a black man calling another black man the N word. Muslims can but Non-Muslims can’t. My two cents.
Identity Crisis :
https://www.quezon.ph/1932/the-march-of-folly-in-mindanao/#comment-905515
OMG!
http://imagechan.com/img/images/bath%20time.jpeg
the predominant language in zamboanga del norte, zambo del sur and in lanao del norte is the same, yet it’s colored differently on the map. duh!
Observers have commented that India has the most undemocratic peoples on the planet. Yet their government is bound by the votes cast in a free broad based electoral process.
That binds the state to representative democratic government.
Compare it to the theological state that is Pakistan. One man rule backed by the military for most of its existence.
Look at the situation in Muslim Mindanao. The tribal elders have been transformed into political warlords that found themselves dependent on a corrupt system of political patronage based on the number of votes they could deliver during national elections.
Sometimes they could even deliver votes after elections are over. Just ask Zubiri….
“A much-needed blast from the past, so that we may all realize na iisang bangka tayo.” confused pundit
Wala pa nga ang bangka. Kaya may gulo…. Self realization or self awareness cannot be imposed. It comes with time for a community to realize it.
Fore that to happen the community has to be vested with the land. They all have to be a part of it and have an interest in it. Then and only then will they defend it.
The Pinoy is individually and collectively lost because he has never had control or possession of his own land. (His own country)
You will not fight for what was never yours.
The so called Christians and so called Muslims are fighting for possession and control of land.
Kaya most of the Pinoys will fight, steal, lie and perhaps die to get a green card.
hvrds,
That part of Mindanao has legitimate owners. These owners bought these lands from indigenous tribes or married into these tribes – married inheritors to get the land. All fair and square, by the book, unlike the occupants in Tarlac and Negros. I dunno why media do not give proper air time to these people. These areas the MILF are claiming are occupied by Christians – Christians are the majorty in this area, and unlike soldiers who sometimes are clueless when they go to mindanao and mis-informed (deliberately perhaps) by their commanders and therefore easily get killed by REBELS, these civilians know how to fight off invaders with minimal loss. All they need are guns and enough ammo.
to BrianB: ang ibig mong sabihin, hindi totoo iyong sabi noong peace-panel na land-titles will be respected in the BJE?
Meaningless even if true. They can enforce their own land reforms or impose heavy land taxes and demand job quotas for Muslims.
“That part of Mindanao has legitimate owners. These owners bought these lands from indigenous tribes or married into these tribes – married inheritors to get the land. All fair and square, by the book, unlike the occupants in Tarlac and Negros.” clueless punditry?????
Possession and control of land is not to be equated with ownership at any level ……
No one has an absolute right of ownership….
The state allows usufruct rights for all based on a set parameter of rules and regulations.
The absolute right to own land was an old outdated concept under Roman law.
The state today reserves its right over absolute ownership of land within its boundaries.
In China under a leasehold system the state owns all the land.
The Philippines does not have a comprehensive land use policy.
Theoretically it is the state even under the freehold system that decides who is a legitimate title holder.
Ownership is another more complicated matter altogether.
It is also the state that decides which are alienable and inalienable rights.
The resolution of both systems of laws -Roman laws and Anglo Saxon Common law is a major challenge in the Philippine setting.
If they cannot be arbitrated peacefully then by historical precedent armed struggle becomes the only legitimate means for resolution of this very basic fundamental for struggle. It is not cultural but it is based on historical materialism.
You see it is the economy stupid……..
“But in the present state of Europe, when small as well as great estates derive their security from the laws of their country, nothing can be more completely absurd. They are founded upon the most absurd of all suppositions, the supposition that every successive generation of men have not an equal right to the earth, and to all that it possesses, but that the property of the present generation should be restrained and regulated according to the fancy of those who died perhaps 500 years ago.†Adam Smith (the guy was no commie)
My personal belief in this MOA is simply this. The agreement will have to pass Congress and then a plebiscite. In the meantime the U.S. and other countries have promised aid.
Judging by past experiences there is money to be made once again.
A new set of political entrepreneurs will be created. I can almost see Dureza salivating.
The reason is plain and simple. The national government does not have viable development plans apart from Jollibee, casinos and call centers.
Mining and logging will further devastate what is left of Mindanao’s virgin areas.
This is about big money that has been committed.
hvrds: Not relevant the phrase ““But in the present state of Europe… blah-blah-blah
the issue is land ownership in Pinas, not Europe nor China. In particular, the issue is bangsamoro-kuno BJE land-grab (for which you do not seem to know any details), .
Who wants land? All want land. Give everyone his own residential lot for his home free in any place of his choice. It will go back to the government upon his demise. Anyone who wants more? Let him rent all he can develop. Fair enough. So whats the fuss if we follow this scheme. Saves us a lot of wars and squabbles on land disputes. And there will be no more religious wars, just poligamy and queridas. That sounds better, eh? Priests can be democratic on that..
An unfinished business….
The past is hunting the present, leaving only a greater question for the future to hopefully justify what will be decided today. We fooled ourselves that time will remedy itself with silence, covering the unresolved issues with a mantle hoping that after enjoying the food and the banquet, people will forget the dirt that was hidden covered below the linens. Little did we know, through time, it harbored bacteria and time will only tell when it will surface to contaminate and poison our food.
We cannot deny that our Mohammedan brothers have existed long before the great conversion took place. We cannot deny either, development of the present “argued” land are brought upon by the Christian settlers. Both sweat and blood of Christians and Muslims have settled deep into the soil of Mindanao. Mixed to a point that not even a centrifuge could separate it.
Co-existence is not impossible. It does not literally mean that the only solution is to settle and to live together. But the deeper meaning of co-existence is to understand, respect, and to give what is due.
There is unrest between muslim tribes. Who is going to lead the so called ancestral land? Maguindanaoans doesn’t want the Tausugs nor the Maranao’s to rule over them. That holds true even if you turn the triangle to either side. If we mention about ancestral domains, who should or rightfully should claim between the 3 tribes? Should we revive and trace the ancestry of the “12 Bornean Tribe”? Who is rightul to claim the land? Surely not the MILF. ARMM is not even their labor. MNLF does not qualify either for the ancestral land. If we talk of ancestry, then it is only the right prerogative to dig the tomb of the “12 Bornean Datus”.
It is disheatening to see that the Arroyo government (may I stress “not the Philippine Government”) have been encouraging indifference and chaos in Mindanao. Promoting false hope to the blinded and deceived Muslim Filipinos. The Government who is empowered by the people “should” be an arbiter and not to use its authority to promote the interest of some individuals of great power. Working these issues in secrecy only unveils the ulterior motive of the Arroyo government.
An unfinished business….
The past is hunting the present, leaving only a greater question for the future to hopefully justify what will be decided today. We fooled ourselves that time will remedy itself with silence, covering the unresolved issues with a mantle hoping that after enjoying the food and the banquet, people will forget the dirt that was hidden covered below the linens. Little did we know, through time, it harbored bacteria and time will only tell when it will surface to contaminate and poison our food.
We cannot deny that our Mohammedan brothers have existed long before the great conversion took place. We cannot deny either, development of the present “argued” land are brought upon by the Christian settlers. Both sweat and blood of Christians and Muslims have settled deep into the soil of Mindanao. Mixed to a point that not even a centrifuge could separate it.
Co-existence is not impossible. It does not literally mean that the only solution is to settle and to live together. But the deeper meaning of co-existence is to understand, respect, and to give what is due.
There is unrest between muslim tribes. Who is going to lead the so called ancestral land? Maguindanaoans doesn’t want the Tausugs nor the Maranao’s to rule over them. That holds true even if you turn the triangle to either side. If we mention about ancestral domains, who should or rightfully should claim between the 3 tribes? Should we revive and trace the ancestry of the “12 Bornean Tribe”? Who is rightul to claim the land? Surely not the MILF. ARMM is not even their labor. MNLF does not qualify either for the ancestral land. If we talk of ancestry, then it is only the right prerogative to dig the tomb of the “12 Bornean Datus”.
It is disheatening to see that the Arroyo government (may I stress “not the Philippine Government”) have been encouraging indifference and chaos in Mindanao. Promoting false hope to the blinded and deceived Muslim Filipinos. The Government who is empowered by the people “should” be an arbiter and not to use its authority to promote the interest of some individuals of great power. Working these issues in secrecy only unveils the ulterior motive of the Arroyo government.
“The absolute right to own land was an old outdated concept under Roman law.”
Point is, the Ilonggos can take arms too. If they respect the Muslims because they are willing to kill and be killed, then it only makes sense that they think about giving the quiet Ilonggos more respect. Honestly, we can take Metro Manila if we want.
If no one respects the law then what’s stopping us from taking over everything?
Yup, the Ilocano Liberation Movement, Illonggo Liberation Movement, Cebuano Liberation Movment, and the Tagalog Liberation Movment should all organize immediately.
That way you could gain beligerency status and gain recognition for the purpose of gaining aid.
But to get ther attention of the rich countries you have to crash your banka’s versus their warships. or somehow get their attention by declaring a holy war versus the English, French and German speaking peoples of the world.
Also you have to organize your own shaheeds.(martyrs)
Dialects or languages are the perfect thread to organize a people by. The term Al Qaeda literally means “the base.” Maybe the term “El Barrio” or its counterpart in the many dialects could serve as brand.
Just think of the support of all the Pinoys in the U.S. who speak or come from the provinces who are already organized abroad along the same lines.
Proof that we are a combination of nations already.
There is no ethnic identity of a Fil Am or Fil Euro. Abroad we are Ilocano, Illonggo, Cebuano etc.
Even the MILF and the MNLF are separate tribes. So separate nations.
Hint for the organizers. You could already set up your customs zones. May kita diyan.
If needed I could give you a list of private bankers (very discreet) where you could deposit your earnings.
No, think about warfare with everything to gain. The entire archipelago. We’re too many anyway.
There has to be an end to all of this, a light t the end of this crazy, irrational tunnel. Even if it means the worst, we’ll have to get there.
Copied this one from the other blogs with minor edtition..
Sa totoo lang wala pa tayong masabing territory. Our territorial limits is not yet recognized by the United Nations. We are even in a quandary where to find our own land. It could be that what the MILF ancestral land claim is very valid. It may not be a part yet of the Philippines undecided territory. What was sold for $20,000,000 were Spanish undisputed occupied territories that did not include Mindanao and Sabah.
Just the utter stupidity of this MOA for the Bangsamoro. When does it fucking stop. From broken promises, lying directly to our faces, cheating (caught in the act, with tape) to the ZTE to this massively fucking piece of disrespect. I understand that the politicians and powerful businessmen do not have relatives in that part of Mindanao, that is why they feel nothing but apathy about the development. But what about our government as an entity? Jesus Fucking H Christ. It’s i-fucking-logical, know what I mean. What if me and a thousand other folks take up arms and demand something from you, say the entire Forbes Park and a couple of decent-size malls. Say, we are an unstoppable force, killable but unsnuffable… just like these clueless rats that call themselves Bangsamoro? Would you fucking give in? Now people have to pack up and leave the area. What if I threw some of you out of your apartments and houses? I can do that. Just email me your address and I’ll drive by ASAP and show you what respect means. This is all fucked up.
hvrds,
If what you’re saying is true: Our leaders hate us. They despise this country.
kutkut, katangahan. Hindi UN ang gumagawa nang territorial boundaries. At kung di sa Pinas yan eh walang karapatan ibigay nang gubyerno sa mga MILF. Diba?
Another illogical tripe, this time from the Inquirer:
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/editorial/view/20080809-153677/Last-bulwark
The writer thinks the SC is a scale weighing in Foreign expectations and the constitutionality of the deal. Utter rubbish. SC is not a thinking body but an interpretive body. It has no choice but to uphold the constitution.
“In a word: since no one, including the nations of the world, cares for our Constitution, then it remains for our Supreme Court to decide the matter with true integrity and the utmost fidelity to constitutional precepts. As Jose P. Laurel famously declared, “No one can love the Filipinos better than the Filipinos themselves.â€Â
OPINIONs like this make my hair stand on end. You’re again putting the entire burden on the SC. What if, for some freaky reason, the SC decides to be unconstitutional, what then?
Salman Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses” read it and laugh…
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/anglophone/satanic_verses/svnotes.pdf
BrianB,
The SC will never decide to be unconstitutional, as lawyers are taught, they will find a law, a loophole, a provision, if not make one, to justify as “legal” whatever their puppet master tells them to do.
What we have is legalized dictatorship, something new perhaps, but nevertheless very real. KILL ALL LAWYERS!!!
push-propel: Had you read the Constitution, you would have known that
If the current members of the Supreme Court do some thing illegal or, shudder…. unconstitutional, then, by the Constitution, one or all of them can be impeached.
The point is that the Inquirer states it that way, that it’s actually a hold-your-breath scenario, which isn’t.
‘Section 5. Before they enter on the execution of their office, the President, the Vice-President, or the Acting President shall take the following oath or affirmation:
“I do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my duties as President [or Vice-President or Acting President] of the Philippines, preserve and defend its Constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man, and consecrate myself to the service of the Nation. So help me God.” [In case of affirmation, last sentence will be omitted]. ‘
It’s still GMA’s head on the chopping block whichever way the Supreme Court decides.
During the run-up to the plebiscite (if it evern were to happen), someone should run an ad as a reminder:
“I prefer a country run like hell by Filipinos Tausugs to a country run like heaven by Americans Luzon Christians. Because, however bad a Filipino B-J-E government might be, we can always change it.”
“I prefer a country run like hell by
FilipinosTausugs to a country run like heaven byAmericansLuzon Christians. Because, however bad aFilipinoB-J-E government might be, we can always change it.”UPn (at 11:11am), the difference is that Tausugs and their counterparts in Luzon are both Filipinos. When MLQ made that infamous remark, he was directing it at the Americans who are a separate Nation.
In a recent episode of CSI New York; a wedding was disrupted by a fight among wedding guests which later revealed a murdered groom.
The detective investigating remarked about it being a Hatfield-Mccoy incident.
Though there were very few casualties involved, the Hatfield Mccoy feud was extremely notable in that it went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Interestingly enough, each family was located on different adjacent states (Kentucky and West Virginia).
One of the bones of contention in that feud turned out to be ownership of a half wild pig (this is however not the case that went before the U.S. S.C.).
The situation of the feud went so bad as far as their state officials were concerned that governors of each state got involved.
One went so far as to sanction “raiding parties” on the other state so they can get “justice” for their own citizens as obviuosly it felt the other state wasn’t doing enough to police their own.
U.S. Supreme Court got involved due to unlawful arrests and illegal extraditions between the two states, and/or as the governors of Kentucky and West
Virginia themselves engaged in some saber-rattling, threatening to invade the other’s territory to
put a stop to the violence.
I think after about a hundred years the descendants formally declared a formal truce and declared the fued over.
One could wonder what could happen if one cow or even one chicken went from one side of the fence to the other in our case.
Friends, I think each of us now needs to think about what he or she will do in the event martial law is declared. I am very concerned that the following sequence of events is all too likely:
1. The MOA will be defeated either by an SC decision or by inability to change the constitution due to widespread opposition.
2. Violence erupts: bombs detonate in the capital and key cities in Mindanao; key critics of the deal (e.g., Mar Roxas, Chiz Escudero) are assassinated. All of these are attributed to the MILF. This could well be accompanied by skirmishes between armed civilians and the MILF in Mindanao.
3. The Palace declares martial law and nabs all opponents, ostensibly to “protect” them from liquidation. It then proceeds to formulate a new constitution which is widely “ratified” while under martial rule. The new constitution is, of course, parliamentary, with no term limits for officials.
If you think this is far-fetched, please remember: it’s happened before.
Mike, i may be getting too cynical, but i think after step 3 above, someone in the Middle Class will write an open letter that will say “Let’s Move On” or “Let’s Wait for 2020”.
One could wonder what could happen if one cow or even one chicken went from one side of the fence to the other in our case.
well, it should have been anticipated before among everything else that every individual should should have the Right to Mobility within the Union and that may have to be extended to the cows and chickens too..don’t you think so?
MILF: Build on trust, not on mistrust and hatred
“PiÅ„ol urged the government never to agree to sign a peace agreement, saying if the MILF is in power it would buy planes, tanks, and ships and use them to secede from the Republic of the Philippines.”
“These are childish statements and should not be heeded seriously by the national leadership,†Ameen said.”
Let’s keep them honest: To buy planes, tanks and ships
will be coming from either 3 sources: Alqueda , USAID /Philippine government or the Moderate Muslim org. in the world.
I agree with Ameen… Pinol is childish and insecure.
Leytenian,
Truth to tell, I can’t determne if you actually agree with Ameen or just trying to be sarcastic.
Anyway you might find the Tamil tigers interesting.
Piñol is also a vigilante group leader in North Cotabato.
I made this conclusion after I watched in a GMA public affairs show some years back which featured him as N. Cotabato governor. In a succeeding segment, the show featured a vigilante leader whose face they blurred with a mirage and whose real voice was masked by synthesizing; the “minor” detail they didn’t notice was that both persons wore the same stunning Rolex Oyster and the same wedding band.
The point then was, Piñol and the “mystery” vigilante leader were capable of providing security to N. Cotabato folks when military and police seem to have neglected them. With their armed followers, they managed to keep criminals, including the Moro rebels, at bay.
I’d rather have a “childish and insecure” Piñol who has the balls big enough to lead and protect his people the way he does.
“There is no single cause of the rise of religious extremism in the Muslim world. It reflects, first of all, the FAILURE of secular governments to promote GOOD GOVERNANCE and ECONOMIC advancement in most Muslim countries.
“Law and order approaches” to the problem of extremism generally are INEFFECTUAL because they offer NO POSITIVE alternatives to the disaffected young who swell the ranks of extremist groups.”
http://www.usip.org/peacewatch/2002/6/extremism.html
“The point then was, Piñol and the “mystery†vigilante leader were capable of providing security to N. Cotabato folks when military and police seem to have neglected them. With their armed followers, they managed to keep criminals, including the Moro rebels, at bay.”
Pinol is brave and protective but he doesn’t need to make a big statement out of it. That is his job to keep peace and order. That’s his big responsibility for the people of North Cotabato- peace between region. What is he trying to advocate? that he is against the peace process? he must be out of his mind. I will confiscate his rolex.
What is really the real solution of all this fuss?
mlq3,
Its good that you posted this speech.
However, an important declaration might have been overlooked: the Dansalan Declaration. The Moro population of Mindanao are still invoking this.
http://www.bangsamoro.info/
On March 18, 1935, one hundred twenty Bangsamoro datus of Lanao came up with the historical document popularly known as the “Dansalan Declarationâ€Â. This statement expressed to the U.S. colonial government their desire to be excluded from the proposed “independence†to be granted to the Filipinos in the North of the archipelago. This declaration is perhaps unmatched in its clarity.
“Should the US government grant the Philippines independence, the islands of Mindanao and Sulu should not be included. Our public lands must not be given to other people. The practices, laws and decisions of our Moro leaders should be respected similar to what the Americans have extended to us. Our religion should not be curtailed in any way. All our practices that are incidental to our religion Islam should be respected because these things are what a Muslim desires to live for. Once our religion is no more our lives are no more.