MILF Peace Panel Meets Mamalu and Tabunaway Kinship Council to Discuss Hard Issues

June 23, 2012 (Cotabato City)..Mohagher Iqbal, Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace panel chairman meet members of Mamalu and Tabunaway Kinship Council for a dialogue. At the opening of the dialogue, the leaders of the council expressed their support to the ongoing GPH-MILF peace talks.

The Tabunaway-Mamalu Kinship Council composed of different tribes from the descendants of Mamalu and Tabunaway the forebears of the present-day Maguindanaon,  Iranun, Tiduray, Lambangian, Manobo, and other ethnic tribes in Mindanao, based in Upi Maguindanao.

Mamalu and Tabunaway were the traditional chieftains in the present-day Maguindanao or more rightly Cotabato City at the coming of Islam towards the closing years of the 15th century.

Tabunaway, the younger brother, accepted Islam, while Mamalu, the older brother, decided to retain his traditional belief, but before they bid goodbye from each other, they made a vow to help each other in plenty or in grief. Tabunaway remained in the lowland, while Mamalu went upstream the Mindanao River (Pulangi) and then to upland areas.

The Kadtuntaya Foundation Inc (KFI) facilitated the dialogue.    

There were four IP leaders present, representing the T’duray, Lambangian, Dulangan Manobo, and Maguindanao tribesmen in North Upi and South Upi, both in Maguindanao province. Prominent among the leaders was former South Upi mayor Jovito Martin, who provided much of the salvoes in the two-hour frank and honest exchanges of views.

Also present was Melanio Ulama, a T’duray chieftain carrying the traditional title of “Timuay”. He is also a member of the MILF peace panel board of consultants, representing the IPs in Mindanao.

At the opening of dialogue  Iqbal  explain, “When we are talking about ‘Moro’, we are referring to the Islamized natives,  and  when we are talking about ‘Bangsamoro’ it’s a historical identity; it’s a political term, an identity of people wherein the composition is the Islamized and non-Islamized natives in Mindanao.”

“We all know, since time immemorial that we are one people.  The first Moro-Spanish war in Mindanao. During the American period,  they created the Moro province. This Moro province was composed of   undivided Davao; undivided Cotabato; undivided Lanao; undivided Zamboanga peninsula; and Sulu. This Moro province was composed of 90% Moro and IP populated areas. This means, we were the majority here in the Moro province. If you would look at the Moro province now, however, only around 30% is remaining. 70% of our original territory has already been lost. That’s the problem of both the Moros and the IPs.”

The  Moros and IPs are marginalized, oppressed, persecuted. But if you try to compare the situation of the Moros (Islamized natives) and the IPs (non-Islamized natives), your experience was more tragic. We had a tragic experience but yours were more tragic. So it’s only logical that we help each other. Let’s help each other because we are of one origin, one destiny and one future.

The relationship between the Bangsamoro and indigenous peoples is historical in nature and dates back to the traditional peace pacts between their common ancestors named Apu Mamalu and Apu Tabunaway.  Under the traditional peace pacts, Moros and IP’s consider themselves as brothers and sisters and are bound to protect and defend each other from common adversaries.  There is a call to reaffirm these traditional agreements in promoting the much needed unity and solidarity between and among the descendants of Mamalu and Tabunaway.

Under this principle of kinship, the MILF is duty bound to protect the rights of the indigenous and also recognize their rights over their ancestral domain, customary laws and Timuay justice and governance.

In the proposed sub-state, the indigenous people are entitled to reserved seats in the Bangsamoro Assembly to ensure that their interests and concerns are protected. (Alih Anso)

Note: ang article na ito ay na-ipost na sa blog na DXUP.MULTIPLY.COM (dated Hunyo 23, 2012) at dahil nagsara na ang Multiply, ay minabuti naming ipost muli sa bago nating  blog: DXUP Teleradyo..(from admin: Alih Anso)