Part 2 THE ZAMBOANGA CRISIS: SOME SEARCHING NOTES By: GRACE JIMENO – REBOLLOS* University Professor and Former President Western Mindanao State University 3. The Peace Process and Revisiting OPAPP’s Role: If there is anything that has drawn the Zamboangueño mind to the peace process, it is this crisis. But what is the peace process? Qualifying the peace process as the job of OPAPP only and the shift to Level 4 and the consequent relinquishment of responsibility to the National CMC, has….. a. Forced the OPAPP to explain what it was doing, its confusion over Misuari’s inconsistencies and mixed messages, and that the government was not remiss In its peace efforts. The constant interviews on radio and television would dish out stereotyped arguments that people have long heard, in tones that clearly showed OPAPP’s defensive attitude. b. Given the notion that the peace process is not a local – but a national – concern. Hence, in conclusion, locals need not bother with it. Even the Chair of the local CMC qualified the limits of her responsibility, and that did not include the peace process. While technically the peace process is OPAPP’s stuff, the opportunity to familiarize the local citizenry on it has been missed in favor of the call of the moment and the declaration of “calibrated military action”. Clearly, the crisis has driven a wedge between Muslim and Christian communities. Considering the Muslim-Christian divide that has deepened, turning to civil society may have helped. It was observed, though, that only a specific clique of civil society organizations were welcome to read statements at city hall. c. Led to difficult questions of whether OPAPP remains to be an effective instrument for working for the peace process, or whether it has to revisit its mandate of dealing with particular segments of Moro leadership (like the MILF, with the FAB and its annexes) through their own roadmap, or the ICC and Sema segments of the MNLF); or whether or not it pushes more assertively for a fusion of these different Moro groups, convince their leaders to move out of their comfort zones, soften their differences, and courageously rise up to the moral high ground of working for the Bangsamoro people. While this is easier said than done, many see that unless this is done, peace will never be attained. We shall need to think out of the box. 4. The Role of Media One cannot overemphasize the role of media in their call for support and “Zamboanga Hermosa” advocacy. In these days of the beleaguered homeland, it is even an obligation to do so. However, the use of media for incendiary purposes (e.g., the call to arm, “bring out your arms and defend Zamboanga”), intensifies the tension and gets people to miss the point about the violent events. There is also the need to balance mis/dis-information with the realities on the ground. Text messages flying thick and fast - about sightings in some coastal areas and bomb threats in various places of Zamboanga Peninsula and Basilan – drive people to paranoia and to various acts of desperation. 5. IPSP and Bantay Bayanihan: Where do we draw the lines of engagement for Bantay Bayanihan (BB) as it has been acknowledged to be a partner of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Internal Peace and Security Program (IPSP)? The Zamboanga Crisis was a test for its implementation. We were not remiss in calling attention to the need for “talking”. Amidst the burning of the houses, our interlocutors were in no mood to meet us, and even exhorted us to “forget Bantay Bayanihan”. The relevance of the IPSP-BB partnership is weighed against extreme encounters like this, and when push comes to shove, the military will exercise what it does best – fire the gun ostensibly under the orders of the commander-in-chief. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS: 1. Divergence rather than convergence: The use of a variety of approaches and giving place to as many actors to work on certain segments of a problem will allow more surface area for action. These days’ buzzword of “inclusiveness” must apply. 2. The peace mode: Local and external civil society’s call for humanitarian ceasefire was not met with approval because of what the local leadership and the population felt as the call for justice and accountability. Given the dilemma of life vs. the MNLF’s safe conduct pass, it would still have been the military option, no matter whether the negotiations could have possibly nipped this catastrophe in the bud. Local society was pushed to the wall on this one. The Mayor’s being pressured to come on top of the situation and enforce the law saw through her sad face. People were literally calling for the blood of the MNLF – the group that has inflicted wanton havoc on our city. Where then is the place of peace in these circumstances? Ever? 3. The call to violence: What drives a group of people to violence? A cause that is larger than life, like hulah, bangsa, agama? A need that is rumored to be answered by PhP 10,000? A friendly walk around the prime city of Western Mindanao, with one’s flag unfurled at its city hall? The values of reciprocity and equivalence where beneficence is practiced toward a kin or a friend and, conversely, pain and annihilation on an enemy? Who is the enemy? What about collateral damage? 4. Trust and confidence: With confidence at an all time low, who is there to trust? The Zamboanga crisis has tested the leadership of so many, from the national leaders, to the mayor, to barangay leaders, to intellectuals who purport to know what peace means. We take heart in leaders who have descended from their high horses to minister to the sick and wounded, who have donned the apron to cook for the hordes of evacuees, who have served as grub leaders for their displaced communities. Still we seek leaders with no doubtful agenda… leaders we can trust. 5. Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law, Rule of Law: On a massive basis, the use of human shields, holding people against their choice, the segregation of men and women in some evacuation centers, forced evacuation (except for reasons of civilian protection in anticipation of military action), deprivation of food, shelter, clothing; the prospect of being homeless and disempowered, have markedly raised the consciousness of this community to human rights, the rule of law, and the international humanitarian law. The politics of the everyday, the regular, and the ordinary do not as dramatically command this much attention. But these are now longed for, as normal activities - classes, basic services, and business and economic pursuits - are driven to a halt. It is bad enough that floods and typhoons can get masses of people displaced. It is cruel and obscene that human depravities trigger this. (more)
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 06:40:57 +0000
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