Saturday, July 16, 2005
Communist affiliated Moro group unknown to Moro rebels
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) refused to comment on the existence of a new Moro revolutionary group affiliated with the National Democratic Front (NDF).
In a telephone interview Friday, MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said they could not give any reaction regarding the creation of a Moro Resistance Liberation Organization (MRLO) by the NDF.
He said they just heard about the MRLO a few days ago and are still determining the objective and mission of this new Moro group.
Kabalu admitted they have a tactical alliance with the CPP-NPA for some time now but added that they were neither informed nor consulted about the creation of the MRLO.
He assured the public though that the MRLO creation would have no effect at all on the MILF's peace negotiations with the government.
According to the website of the Independent Media Center (http://qc.indymedia.org/news/2005/07/4030.php), the NDF earlier announced the re-establishment of the Moro revolutionary group that would banner the struggle and aspirations of the Bangsamoro people thru the MRLO, the group is the 16th allied organization of the NDF.
The NDF claimed that the timing of its founding congress was historic in the light of the current raging struggle against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
MRLO's precursor, the Moro Revolutionary Organization, was established in the 1980s at the height of the broad anti-Marcos dictatorship movement.
Some 25 delegates representing the 13 ethno-linguistic groups that form the Bangsamoro were represented in the weeklong congress held in June somewhere in Central Mindanao. These ethno-linguistic groups are the Tausug, Maguindanao, Maranao, Yakan, Iranun, Kalagan, Sangil, Samal, Pullun/Jama Mapun, Kalibugan, Badjao, Molbuganon, and Palawani.
The underground MRLO vowed, "to continue waging the armed struggle against the oppressive system." Its establishment would bolster the secessionist-armed struggle for the Bangsamoro's right to self-determination being waged by MILF and the breakaway faction of the Moro National Liberation Front.
"We declare our unity under the flag of the Moro Resistance and Liberation Organization," MRLO congress delegates said in a manifesto. "We are united in continuing our struggle for our basic rights to self-determination and to fight for the democratic rights of our people, rights that are continually being abused by the reactionary Philippine state and its master, the imperialist United States."
Hassan Al-Banna, a Maguindanaon who was chosen MRLO chairperson, said the formation of the MRLO was a milestone, saying that their aim is to ensure that the peasant masses have lands to own and till, genuine nationalist industrialization, and freedom from bureaucrat capitalism.
MRLO, according to Al-Banna, would aim to unite the broadest number of the Moro people for the national democratic revolution through alliances with progressive organizations and other Moro revolutionary groups.
Kabalu, however, said the Al-Banna they knew who was the founder of an Islamic Brotherhood group had long been dead.
In its manifesto, MRLO, bewailed the continuing injustice being committed against the Bangsamoro.
"Colonizers and the local reactionary government have betrayed and abused the Bangsamoro. Some of our Bangsamoro brothers also betrayed us as they protected their selfish or clan interests," the manifesto said.
The MRLO organizers bewailed such deceptive and exploitative treaties like the Kiram-Bates Treaty during the American occupation and the GRP-MNLF Tripoli Agreement that the state imposed on the Bangsamoro.
They also recalled the countless atrocities committed against the Bangsamoro, such as the massacre at Bud Dahu in Jolo during the US occupation, the Jabidah and the Buldon massacres during the Marcos regime, and the burning and destruction by the fascist US-Estrada regime of Moro communities and mosques.
The MRLO leaders note that the discrimination and the atrocities against the Bangsamoro are pervasive. "The present all-out war launched by the US-Arroyo regime against the Bangsamoro only shows how atrociously we are being treated by the country's ruling elite," the manifesto said.
The US-Arroyo regime, it said, does not respect the culture and tradition of Filipino Muslims, who have also been labeled as terrorists and have been victimized by state-sponsored terrorism.
Now is the time, they said, that the Bangsamoro people are united in the struggle for self-determination. "We will fight to defend our rights against discrimination, chauvinism, tyranny and oppression," they said.
They added that they would use legal and extra-legal means to advance the struggle of the Bangsamoro, open or underground activities, and diplomatic or undiplomatic initiatives in order to achieve their noble objectives.
(July 16, 2005 issue)
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