Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Nalzaro: Chop-chop republic By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
NOT only are the Muslims seeking autonomy in Mindanao but the lumads or indigenous people in the island as well. Tribal leaders of 13 indigenous peoples' communities in Minsupala (Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan) are calling for the creation of an Autonomous Region for the Lumad in Mindanao.
Well, we cannot blame these tribes because they were left out when the 1987 Constitution was drafted and when it was passed. What was specified in the 1987 Constitution was the creation of two autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras.
The lumads did not take up arms against the government. Had they done so, they could have demand concessions like our Muslim and Ifu-gao brothers.
Fired up by the controversial Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on ancestral domain and the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE), lumads are demanding autonomy. But I doubt if this is constitutional.
Section 15, Article X (Local Government) of the 1987 Constitution states:
“There shall be created autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao and in the Cordillera consisting of the provinces, cities, municipalities, and geographical areas sharing common and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures, and other relevant characteristics within the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines.”
So why only Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras? Because these were troubled areas. The Moro National Liberation Front headed by Nur Misuari, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) then headed by Hashim Salamat, and the Cordillera People's Liberation Army headed by Fr. Condrado Balweg rose up in arms against the government demanding independence.
To establish peace in their areas and to promote national socio-economic recovery and stability, the 1987 Constitution mandated the creation of these autonomous regions. Government, starting from the administration of Cory Aquino to Fidel Ramos, met and talk with leaders of these regions to arrive at a most satisfactory working scheme that will preserve the national integrity of the country.
If the move of the lumads is legally feasible and if government will also grant their demand, I can imagine the Philippines turning into a chop-chop republic. We cannot also prevent Bol-anons from declaring their own Republic of Bohol. Sila ra bay nagpa-uso anang estorya nga “ija-ija, aho-aho.”
