For you UN Secretary General Ban: A letter from us

#Yolanda, Arroyo, Ban Ki Moon, Bautista-Horne, cold shoulder, defense, DND, Forest Ranger, government, intelligence, Margareta Wahlstrom, satellite, shame, Tacloban, UN Philippines, United Nations

Open Letter to the United Nations


November 21, 2013

HIS EXCELLENCY
BAN KI MOON
Secretary General
The United Nations
UN Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
USA


Dearest Secretary General Ban:


Our warmest greetings!

Kindly please understand, I had seriously debated on whether to send this communication to you or not. I decided on going through with it since I believe that the result would turn out for the better. Nothing that transpired in the past has diminished nor degraded my respect and love for the UN. I have no intention in demeaning anyone's position or creating anything negative between myself, my group and the UN even if that can't be helped, but this has to be done, and I shall humbly embrace the consequences of my act.

After tropical cyclone Haiyan aka Yolanda, not a surprising lot of relief organizations are now helping in Tacloban, in the towns of Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Bohol, Capiz, Aklan, even parts of Mindanao. Entire states committed volumes of resources to come to the aid of the Philippines. As published in the media, the Philippine Government stated that the affected areas include nine (9) Regions in the entire archipelago that consists of seventeen (17) Regions, with three (3) Regions being small and newly created divisions that were fairly recently separated by Special Law (CAR, ARMM and Caraga). It is presumed that all of these relief organizations and representatives of their own countries are operating out of the goodness of heart and the desire to be of sincere help to the people of Tacloban City, the municipalities of Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Bohol, Capiz, Aklan, portions of Mindanao. Although some are at a loss to convince others of their intentions: "just wait... in due time we are convince you of our legitimaty."

Some of these relief organizations are part and parcel of the United Nations organization. Be that as it may, most or all of these organizations anyway, under the principle that all states are municipalities embraced by the founding charter of League of Nations that is now the United Nations, are governed under the auspices of the august body that you head. The people of Tacloban City and the rest of the areas affected by the tropical cyclone Haiyan aka Yolanda, are grateful for all of the help of the UN, the honorable member states under it and the public sector as well as private relief groups that are now helping. More > >

The Rehabilitation of Zamboanga City

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Zamboanga Rehabilitation

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC     )
OF THE PHILIPPINES                                             )
_________ Regular Session                                        )

SENATE

S.B. No. __________

_____________________________________________________________________

by Senator Grace L. Poe

_____________________________________________________________________


NOTE

The country's recent experiences when twin calamities hit Zamboanga City – the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) 20-day Siege of Zamboanga City and the flash floods that hit the City after the hostage-taking and burning of villages were dire experiences that merit national attention. On September 9, 2013 armed elements staged an attack, on Zamboanga City notwithstanding the presence of the AFP Western Mindanao Command at Barangays Baliwasan, Calarian and the Philippine National Police’ Directorate for Integrated Police Operation-Western Mindanao and the Police Regional Office Region IX, PNP Maritime Group headquarters at Barangay Sta. Barbara.

The MNLF armed band has ties to both the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Abu Sayyaf. Severely affected were Barangays Sta. Catalina, Sta. Barbara, Kasanyangan, Mariki and Rio Hondo. This was precluded by the arrest a day earlier, on September 8, 2013 of six (6) Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) by Zamboanga City Public Safety Company at Brgy. Rio-Hondo yielding two cal .45 pistols, ammunition and six sets of camouflage uniforms, The attack was perpetrated by heavily armed men of MNLF Misuari Faction in military fatigue uniform that landed in Zamboanga City led by Commanders Habier Malik, Ustadz Esmael Dasta, Hadjirin Handji Amin, Bas Arki, Asamin Hussini.

Their primary intention was to actualize their call for jihad vs. the infidel government, capture the City Hall of Zamboanga City and raise the MNLF Flag to highlight the demand of a Bangsamoro homeland. More rebels later landed in Brgy. Mampang and proceeded to Bgy. Sta. Barbara. The MNLF was blocked by security forces resulting in intense gun battle with MNLF taking civilian hostages as human shields. At gunpoint, hostages’ hands were tied and were made to line up at the frontline while the gun battle was raging. The hostages were used to make government forces stop firing. Armed MNLF rebels held fort in different places in aforementioned Barangays of the City. The MNLF relentlessly engaged government forces in gun battle resulting in several casualties from the sides of both government and rebels as well as among the civilian population and volunteers from outside of Zamboanga. MNLF burned residential houses and commercial buildings, causing damage to infrastructures, loss of valuable property and livelihood. The attack paralyzed, and caused widespread fear and panic among the residents of the, City.

Resulting from the Siege, are as follows:

1.  More than 120,000 persons displaced and evacuated.

2.  More than seventy nine (79) designated evacuation centers in the City were filled to the brim with displaced persons.

3.  Loss and damage to property estimated at more or less in the range of billions of pesos (further compounded by the recent coming of flash floods following the 20-day siege)

4.  Killed on MNLF side: 183

5.  Captured on MNLF side: 292

6.  Killed on the government side: 25

7.  Wounded on the government side: 184

8.  Civilians Killed: 12

9.  Civilians Wounded: 70

10.  Untold losses to Zamboanga-based and other agencies and private sector business establishments

Local Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines Update

European Pressphoto Agency

Students evacuate from a compound near where members of the Moro National Liberation Front occupied villages in Zamboanga City, southern Philippines on Monday. (Wall Street Journal)

Investigators of the local Philippine National Police through constant monitoring of the movements and strength of the MNLF armed group inside Zamboanga City declared that there are over one hundred elements of the Bangsa Moro secessionist movement inside the City.

Since the City of Zamboanga has been a haven for both Christians and Muslims alike, it is not totally impossible that some members of the Islamic community will simply change their attire and join or sign up with the MNLF at the siege area.

This dovetails with the report from the Armed Forces of the Philippines that there has been no significant reduction in the force strength of the MNLF in Zamboanga City owing to the fact that the members of the armed band that were captured are not from the siege area in Zamboanga. These MNLF fighters were fresh arrivals from Cotabato.

However, on the safe side, the military spokesman and the media consistently states that there are merely about fifty MNLF fighters remaining in Zamboanga City.

The reinforcements for the beleaguered MNLF fighters inside the City will continue to pour into the vicinity of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga City. This means that if no settlement will be arrived at in the soonest possible time, the deaths and other casualties will mount to hundreds, then to thousands and could possibly reach the death toll during the protracted Muslim rebellion in the South of over one hundred thousand.

Old memories die hard and with the potential for high profile shaking up of the incumbent regime, the conflict in the Zamboanga Peninsula could possibly drag on for another few weeks. If it succeeds in doing so, the trouble could last another few months; if unresolved, it will become protracted and press on during the next few years. In the process, the neighboring states of Malaysia and Indonesia could be affected, whether because of their close ties and record of collaboration and cooperation with the local Islamic community or just because of their simple proximity to the Philippine archipelago.

Should the scenario actually happen, one of the disadvantaged will be the United States of America because of its long and deep involvement in the peace process between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. 

The worst disadvantaged will be Zamboanga City.

Photo Gallery: Zamboanga When Will There Be Peace?

Related Posts:

Fox News: Government to charge MNLF leader

Philippine Star: President Aquino's hardline stance

Confusion at the battle front

Feed from Rebus 21

Despite the danger of escalating tensions towards full-scale war, certain shady individuals are goading both parties enmeshed in the hostilities and appear to be the ones who organized the hostage-taking as well as the burning of entire villages in Zamboanga.

Captured persons alleged to be members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) confessed to interrogators that they were not ordered to participate in a war.

Before jumping off from Basilan into Zamboanga-bound bancas (small sea vessels commonly used by fishermen), they were told to support the prayer rally - educational assembly or teach-in against the pork barrel at the EDSA Shrine in Ortigas by holding a similar rally in Zamboanga City. Read more from here.

There is hope that the people of Zamboanga themselves and the entire MNLF will do something about this, or else they are going to be the sore losers that many individuals now are painting them to be.

Fouth Generation (4G) Warfare Mindanao

Feed from Rebus 21:

Events in Western Mindanao at the present time all point towards escalating fourth generation war.

4G warfare is defined as early as in 1989 as amorphous (without shape and specific definition), stateless, borderless, non-conventional war. It is also timeless. For demonstration, the overly protracted conflict between Israel and selected Middle East neighbors have overblown into 4G warfare. However, its worst feature is that 4G warfare crosses all lines of demarcation: it does not distinguish between soldier-combatants and civilians. This form of warfare shows its antagonists engage in all sorts of unimaginable acts and does not follow the Geneva Conventions on agreed upon humanitarian considerations during wartime.

Although some military historians and analysts refuse to accept the 4G warfare (as well as the much-propounded 5th Generation warfare - 5G) doctrine, arguing that both the 4G and 5G concepts of warfare are weak in that they are governed by their own aspects of conventionality it is still in order to recognize the burgeoning threat to life and property, to the economic well-being of a social enclave or a country of minor conflict rapidly escalating into bigger war. Read more here.

Related articles:

Business Mirror: Increasing number of Zamboanga casualties

Bloomberg.com on spreading violence in Zamboanga

Xinhua.net warning about threat escalating

ANC: Analyst says government must listen to Misuari

Sunstar: Cebu raises alert level

Philippine Star: Government force augmentation - 500 Scout Rangers sent to Zamboanga

CNN early news on hostage taking in Zamboanga

Recognition: Open Letter to the ICRC Geneva

Open Letter to the

International Committee

of the Red Cross

Both government non-government groups have acknowledged the efforts of individuals and groups that pushed doggedly onwards with efforts to build a more peaceful Mindanao.

Endless is the list of these courageous individuals and associations that have contributed their own share towards making Mindanao more prosperous and more dynamic by fostering peace and order, stability and security in that part of the Philippines.

Although we bring our hats down to those individuals who have succeeded to some small measure, in proverbially increasing safe spaces in Sulu Province and other terrorist hotbeds by reducing the numbers of the terrorists in these parts apart from accomplishing other dauntless feats.

Such feat accomplished for instance by a retired former operator in Sulu, PNP Gen. Bienvenido Garcia Latag, as well as posthumous praises for PNP Gen. Julasirim Kasim, active duty officers PNP Gen. Sonny Yanga David, PNP Major Emir Aviola Saddaramil, PNP Chief Inspector Eduardo Borromeo, PNP Superintendent Elmedio Bonaoy Tagra, PNP Director Felizardo Serapio, PNP General Roland Purruganan, the fearless Governor Abdusakur Tan of Sulu who chaired the ICRC Crisis Management Committee together with a large number of others working under them, including 'imported' units from other regions, the Special Action Forces, civilian fighters from among the Sulu population, that may have been forgotten by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for placing their own lives in great danger during the rescue of the three ICRC staff who were kidnapped and held hostage by civilians inspired and backed by their political patrons in Sulu Province and turned over to the Abu Sayyaf.

(Shown in the picture above is the happy face of released Swiss hostage Mr. Andreas Notter of the International Committee of the Red Cross receiving his well-loved wooden staff back.  Earlier released was Ms. Mary Lacaba -- also of ICRC to be followed much, much later by the release of Engineer Eugenio Vagni. Mr. Notter fell in love with and became attached to the wooden staff he carried along with him during his long period of captivity.)

We also doff our hats to the US armed forces engaged in Joint Training Exercises in Sulu during this time and in the succeeding periods, for bravely facing the threats and dangers of confronting the terrorist groups and their political patrons in Sulu. Those that suffered casualties -- both Filipino and American who risked their lives in fighting for the peace in those troubled areas in Mindanao.

The community safety project group salutes all these individuals and bestow them The Highest Distinction for Service in Pursuit of Peace Golden Olive Branch Award.

To us in the community safety project, there can not be any higher reward.

We invite and most humbly appeal to the right senses of the leadership of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to recognize the brave people of not only the Philippines but also of other countries who helped in the rescue of their staff Mary Lacaba, Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter and brought them back to the Red Cross alive and breathing whereas other tragic fates may have befallen them.

Any other act in the name of simply forgetting or diverting the recognition to people that do not even deserve an iota of praise cannot be acceptable.

We urge the Red Cross to give even a small sense of satisfaction to these individuals and the groups that participated in the most daring war vs. Southern Philippine terrorists that brought about huge casualties on the side of the enemy, yet success in the recovery of the abducted victims.

As a postcript, we do not wish the Red Cross to recall their commendations and other means of recognitions and citations to those who did nothing in the ICRC Crisis. Let the awards and commendations remain in the hands of their recipients. At least it will be a small memento to bring with them into their advanced, senior age and something to be proud about regardless that the icons and citations may be undeserved.

Please do kindly share our belief, that when we give due recognition to those that genuinely work for peace, they will exert doubled effort in the remainder of their years in this life.

More power to you ICRC!

Yours truly,

The Community Safety Summit Project

Modernization

Peace efforts and modernization will go well together. Peace and development are compatible with each other. All outmoded approaches, scientific knowledge and technology are a bane to peace. All corruption without regard to growth and progress are harmful to peace. But all of these also apply vice versa. The choice is all ours to make.

Mindanao peace overtures

Ms. Corazon Soliman (erstwhile of the Philippine social development sector now of DSWD), Atty. Hector Soliman , Mr. Rolando Modina, Mr. Boy Ridao, Sol Botictic among a few others, started in depth discussions and initial community-based social action on the concept of community based resolution of conflict and keeping the peace in the grassroots. The beneficient fund groups from Switzerland supported the activity.

Centre di Humanes et Societas, Inc. took over from where Ms. Soliman and co. left this noble undertaking at. Credit is due to Ms. Soliman and company for envisaging such a valuable insight into how hostilities at the very grassroots level can be resolved.

Certainly, the real tasks are a very tall order and it involves extensive and intense social engineering: empowerment of the masses, strengthening their determination and resolve to be able to literally dictate their own welfare and future. A future that must be peaceful, orderly, stable, secure and thereby prosperous. The experience of PNP General Edgardo Ingking in Region VI when he was a local commander as told by him personally, touches largely upon grassroots led peace initiatives. These kinds of experiments can be replicated with more and more positive features being added along, constant shifting of paradigms and parameters for introducing and sustaining peace into and within the grassroots communities.

Hopefully, new overtures will be made in Southern Philippines in the next coming days. It is hoped that such actions will lead to a lasting peace in that part of the Philippine Islands.

To the unsung heroes that will launch and sustain these undertakings in Mindanao, we say, hurray and more power to all of you!  May your actions be blessed with success and may your tribe increase thousandfolds!!!