ICC Dispatch - Sunday, November 9, 2008

One of the reasons of high drop outs is MILF recruitment – Police Chief Supt Khu

ICC Kidapawan City (9 November) – As of now, there are a total of 551 school drop outs since August 10 but we are not saying they actually died in the encounters. They might have transferred residence but surely one of the reasons is they were actually recruited by MILF rogue commander Umbra Kato.

This is was the statement of Police Chief Supt. Felicismo Khu, deputy director for administration, PRO 12 and commander of Task Force PALMA-P (Pigkawayan, Alamada, Libungan, Midsayap, Aleosan and Pikit municipalities in North Cotabato affected by the armed conflict) on the question of school drop outs. Khu, 602nd brigade commander Alejandro Estomo, PNP Cotabato Director/PSSupt Lester Camba, TF PALMA-P PNP Tactical Batallion Commander PSupt. Jose Chiquito Malayo and PRO 12 Investigation Division Chief PSupt. Marcelo Pintac were guests in the press conference of the Kidapwan City information command center and the Philippine Information Agency held at the Jayag Pension House, Kidapawan City.

Kato, according to the PRO 12 deputy director for administration, promised the parents of the youth he recruited parcel of land once the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) is signed.

Actually, I directed the chiefs of police of PALMA-P including Banisilan and Carmen, also towns of Cotabato province to coordinate with the principals of high school and elementary schools to come up with statistics how many students have been missing or dropped out from schools since the the armed conflict broke out. He revealed that in Banisilan, a total of 103 students were no longer reporting to their classes. He further revealed that in one school alone in the Carmen area, there are 36 students who cannot be found anymore.

We are not saying that these students were casualties but we were just trying to connect our information and data. We are also to prove that the MILF is using minors – 14,15, 16,17 years old and we are trying to gather this information for so many things as well as for future reference.

As of now, the gathered data of school drops from Libungan, Alamada, Banisilan, Matalam, Midsayap and Pikit are 551 with high school drop outs of 448 and elementary school drop outs of 103, the PALMA- P Task Force commander divulged.

In the same press conference, 602nd brigade commander Col Alejandro Estomo said the peace and order situation in the area of responsibility of the brigade (North Cotabato, Pagalungan Montawal and Upper Kabuntalan towns in Maguindanao) is unpredictable because, he said, it is the MILF who are the attackers. “We are at the mercy of the MILF but we are doing our best to secure civilians. Umbra Kato is a resident of the area. That is why it is not easy to get him,” he added.


DDR as peace building strategy

ICC Cotabato City (09 November) – Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration DDR) is useful in the peace building, peace making and immediate post conflict stage. If you want a long term sustainability of your peace, then DDR has to do it – well planned, coordinated and adequately funded. The presence of the third party in the peace process has an added value in the implementation of the DDR.

This was the pronouncement of Diosita Andot, programme manager, Act for Peace Programme who was the resource person on “Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment on Regions 9, 12, and ARMM/Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) as a United Nations (UN) Peace Building Strategy.” Andot discussed this topic before PNP and military officers during a seminar on the “Operationalization of PNP Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (IPO) for Western Mindanao” held in General Santos City early this week.

Ms Andot’s inputs, as she emphasized, are largely based on the statements and pronouncements of studies made by the UN Security Council when it adopted DDR as a major peace strategy in 1999. This is in recognition that sustainable peace has been difficult to establish especially in countries which are in internal or civil strifes because of many reasons but one of the biggest lessons there is the high level of armaments which constitutes a major cause of instability even after a peace is negotiated, she stated.

“Alam natin kung ano ang nangyari even if there was an agreement with the MNLF, peace was still something to be desired because hindi nagkaroon ng disarmament initiative ang GRP-MNLF panel,” the Act for Peace Programme manager pointed out.

She continued to say that reducing the level of arms in the country has become a crucial precondition for the consolidation of peace and stability; however, she said, disarmament alone has no long term benefits if not accompanied by demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants into civil society. She further said that DDR is really a part and parcel of the whole peace process.

When disarmament terminates, demobilization begins and when demobilization ends, reintegration should commence, Andot stressed. It is actually a step by step process but there are activities wherein this particular aspect would overlap the other, she said.

Andot clarified that disarmament refers to the collection, control and disposal of arms, ammunitions, light and heavy weapons of combatants and also civilian population. Demobilization, on the other hand, she said, is the process by which the armed elements either downsized or completely disband after a peace agreement is signed as part of the broad transformation from war to peace.

Reintegration, according to Ms Andot, is a process of providing assistance/measures to former combatants that would increase their potentials and their families for reintegration into the mainstream of civil society. Ito ang mas mahabang proseso that would even start at the initial stages of the peace process, she added.

The final plan of implementing it will be a part of the peace agreement. The success of the DDR will rest on the willingness and commitment of both parties, Hindi kasi puedeng unilateral ang disisiyon dito. DDR is not effective if only one party is being involved, Ms Andot said.

In the peace process in Mindanao, UN comes only after the peace agreement is decided. The facilitation is done by the OIC in the case of the MNLF and Malaysia in the case of the MILF, she averred.

She cited two (2) vital key issues to consider in DDR namely: 1) the type of body or group that will negotiate and plan the DDR and 2) adequate public inputs from the onset of the planning process.

The lessons learned, she said, “Hindi masyado natin naintindihan ang nangyari sa GRP-MILF peace negotiations and panel agreement.” Dito inemphasize ng UN Security Council na there must be a great participation of the public and a good information dissemination, Ms Andot said.

Ms Andot emphasized that according to the UN Security Council, the UN commits to the principle of political independence and sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. UN will not come in unless there is consent by the Philippine Government and the other party. “We have also the responsibility of ensuring our integrity as a nation”, she concluded. (PIA12)


Historian cites labeling problem in conflict situation in Mindanao

ICC Cotabato City (9 November) – A Mindanao historian disclosed labeling has become a problem in the current conflict situation in the island contributing to the confusion and misunderstanding among the people in the area.

Professor Rudy Rodil, a historian who specialized on studies about Mindanao explained to the police and military officers during a seminar on “Operationalization of PNP Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (IPO) for Western Mindanao” held early this week in General Santos City by citing a TV broadcaster reporting about a news on a Kolambugan incident and shifting to a label which has now turned to be a Mindanao conflict. “Yong problema ay ang labels natin, hindi nagmamatch sa geography,” Rodil commented.

Rodil revealed that when he was a member of the GRP-MNLF panel, he was cautioned on using Moro but consequently Moro problem was also used during discussions. “Ang sagot ng Moro, hindi kami problema, gobiyerno and may problema kasi pinoproblema nila kami na hindi naman kami problema. That is another perception,” he said.

Rodil further said that not all of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan is involved in the conflict area which basically, according to him, covers 151 municipalities. He pointed out that the population of the indigenous people is small so with the Moro population of 18% only.

Based on my thesis, “Kasaysayan ng Pamayanan sa Mindanao” from 1565-1898 o sa loob ng tatlong centuries na yon, hindi nagkaroon ng large scale movement ng population from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao so itong pagpasok ng mga settlers sa Mindanao is a 20th century phenomenon. May kasaysayan din yan, Rodil narrated.

Mr Rodil further narrated that in 1903 census, the population was labeled as Christians (civililzed) and non Christians (Moro and wild tribes). (PIA 12)


Cotabato Province boosts coconut industry development

ICC Kidapawan City (09 November) – The provincial government of Cotabato has allocated P1 million for the expansion of its coconut industry development program in the upland areas to improve the economic condition of the farmers.

This coconut industry development program will support the expansion of 530 hectares of coconut plantations in the province with 60,000 seed nuts and 3,000 seedlings in addition to the 53,000 seedlings in the provincial nurseries which are ready for release to farmers.

The program has also capability building components with two (2) sets of specialized training for coconut extension workers and 50 sets of technology trainings for some 2,000 farmers aimed at teaching them practice sustainable agriculture through new farming system approaches.

Coconut farmers will be able to avail of the seedlings through the plant now pay later scheme. Seed nuts will be purchased and germinated at the provincial nursery before distribution.

Cotabato province has a vast agricultural land area suitable to the expansion of the coconut industry development program considered as one of the leading dollar earners of the Philippine economy. (PIA 12)


NEDA approves DepEd extension of BEAM project until November 2009

ICC Cotabato City (09 November) – The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) agreed to extend the AusAID grant validity for the Basic Education for Mindanao project until November 2009 with an additional AUD $11.3 million grant.

With this, BEAM has become a 7.9 year contract with the total value of the Government of Australia’s grant being AUD $50,551,183 or approximately 2 billion pesos.

Basically, the project is geared towards the improvement of the quality of education and making education accessible to the youth, BEAM acting Australian director Ramon Bobier explained. He said the low rate garnered in the results of the National Achievement Test in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao fostered a challenge to the BEAM project in the area.

BEAM has been supporting the Accelerated Teacher Education Program, Early Education classes; Alternative Learning Systems – Accreditation and Equivalency classes; and Basic Literacy and/or Functional Literacy for parents of ECE with livelihood enterprise and is into construction of community learning centers. BEAM is also responsible in helping in the institutionalization of Arabic Language and Islamic Values (ALIVE) program in the public schools.

Running through the whole 15-month extension (September 2008 to November 2009) is continued support to DepEd ARMM in order to extend and expand the access and quality improvement programs currently underway. This support will also include finalization of the draft DepEd ARMM”Regional Basic Education Development Plan” (RBEDP) by updating it, rechecking its priorities and obtaining ownership of Plan by the ARMM stakeholders. (BEAM/PIA 12)