BANGSAMORO NATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT

Last March 18, 2008, on the occasion of the 40th year of the Jabidah Massacre, members of the Bangsamoro National Solidarity Movement (BANGSA) trooped to Corregidor Island to become part of a historic event, that of the unveiling of the first ever marker commemorating Jabidah Massacre on the spot where it happened 40 years ago on Corregidor Island.

BANGSA Members at the Kindley Airfield, the very spot where the
Jabidah Massacre happened 40 Years ago.

What made this event truly historic was that, joining Rep. Mujiv Hataman in unveiling the marker was Mr. Jibin Arula, the lone survivor of the Massacre who lived to tell the world what happened on Corregidor Island that fateful day of March 18, 1968.

BANGSA mobilized members coming from its South Metro TOC (Territorial Organizing Committee) , North-Central TOC and the BANGSA MR-Secretariat. BANGSA Secretariat encouraged its members and prospects to participate in this once in a lifetime event for the purpose of consolidating its ranks. BANGSA reiterates its belief that the Jabidah Massacre became the decisive turning point in the contemporary struggle of the Bangsamoro for national self-determination and upon this cause, BANGSA is organized.

BANGSA Members at the Kindley Airfield, the very spot where the
Jabidah Massacre happened 40 Years ago.

The Corregidor trip was one consolidating experience for all BANGSA members and its new recruits. BANGSA is now looking for the possibility of making an annual journey to Corregidor as part of its organizational undertaking.

Looking back, the late Dictator Marcos wanted to reclaim Sabah, being historically part of the Bangsamoro territory, but failed, but at the expense of the lives of more than a dozen of Moro youth massacred on Corregidor. 40 years after, BANGSA and the Moro youth now reclaim Corregidor - to remind the world that the Bangsamoro’s struggle for Justice and Peace continues.

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Everybody knows Corregidor Island as a historic spot. Everybody knows that in this island hundreds of our gallant heroes stood their ground and died defending our country from the invading forces of Japan during World War II. Because of this historical circumstance, Corregidor Island is now a Tourist spot - a place for people to go on a memorial pilgrimage in honor of those who died heroically for our country.

But how many of us remember that on this same island, forty years ago, about two dozen Moro Youth were summarily executed by forces of the Philippine Government? This incident is now known to history as the infamous “Jabidah Massacre.”

In Brief, the Jabidah Massacre was a result of a bungled covert operation. In 1968, then President Marcos made a covert plan, codenamed OPERATION MERDEKA (Freedom), aimed at infiltrating Sabah, Malaysia to sow chaos and organize the locals of the island for an eventual invasion of Philippine forces to reclaim Sabah from Malaysia. Sabah was historically part of the Sultanate of Sulu.

A select unit of AFP officers gathered a number of Moro youth from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi to a secret military training in Corregidor. Without them knowing their mission, these Moro youth thought that they were trained for some other purpose. But after learning about their real mission, they protested and refused to follow the mission. They would not want to take part in destroying the lives of people many of whom are their relatives. Marcos and his butchers knew only of one solution that will keep this botched mission from leaking out. Batch after batch, the young Moro trainees were mercilessly slaughtered at Kindley Field , an abandoned airstrip in the island of Corregidor. Had it not for a lone survivor who was able to tell the world about the massacre, the incident would have remained unknown. This single incident sparked the resurgence of the Moro liberation movement in the 70’s. And the rest is history.
Continue reading ‘Historical Journey to Commemorate the 40th year of the Jabidah Massacre’

(March 5, 200 Members of Anak Mindanao Party List - NCR Chapter and BANGSA - MMR held a picket rally in front of the National Office of the Commission on Human Rights in Quezon City.

The group held the picket rally to demand the Commission on Human Rights to heed the result of the probe and recommendations forwarded by the CHR Western Mindanao Office regarding the Maimbung, Sulu Massacre. In their joint statement, AMIN-NCR and BANGSA-MMR, reiterated the demands of the CHR Western Mindanao Office calling for the immediate filing of criminal and administrative case against those involved in the massacre of eight civilians which includes a pregnant woman and two children. The group also expressed their apprehensions for a cover-up of the case as the AFP Western Mindanao Command has already cleared the soldiers involved in the massacre.

The group made a short program on the grounds of CHR while a panel coming from their ranks were invited inside to have a dialogue with the CHR. As there were no Commissioners available at that time, the AMIN-BANGSA panel was instead met by lawyers of the CHR in the person of Atty. Homer Rusiano and Atty. Atillano. The AMIN-BANGSA panel forwarded their demands to the CHR lawyers. After a discussion of the case, both panels agreed to a proposal made by the CHR lawyers that the CHR will conduct a high profile dialogue and discussion which will include the following: WESMINCOM Chief Lt.Gen.Nelson Allaga, the Massacre Survivors, CHR Western Mindanao Director, Atty. Jose Manuel Mamauag, Congressman Mujiv Hataman of Anak Mindanao (AMIN) Party list, Sulu Congressmen Yusop Jikiri and Munir Arbison , Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan, Anak Mindanao (AMIN) Party List, BANGSA and other Civil Society groups the CHR, AMIN and BANGSA would wish to invite. The picket rally dispersed peacefully after the panel meeting.

Click here for the AMIN-BANGSA Joint Statement

Click here to go to BANGSA Gallery for more Photos

So that others may know.

Here’s a primer about the ZTE-NBN Deal made and published by the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC). Download and copy this primer by clicking here or on the image below.:

BANGSA participated in the series of mobilizations calling for the ouster of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. BANGSA’s general slogan on the present political upheaval is “OUST GLORIA, Itayo ang Gubyernong tunay na magtataguyod sa mga karapatan ng Bangsamoro! (Establish a Government that will truly recognize the Rights of the Bangsamoro).”

A BANGSA contingent participated in the march rally to commemorate the first EDSA Revolution last February 25, 2008. The march started from Cubao to the EDSA Shrine. The PNP attempted but failed to stop the march in pushing head on till it reached the EDSA Shrine. On February 29, 2008, BANGSA once again mobilized and participated in the interfaith rally held in Makati City. In all these mobilizations, BANGSA joined and participated under the banner of the broad coalition, LABAN ng MASA.

BANGSA is gearing for more mobilizations to come calling for an end to the anti-Peace and anti-Moro government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

*Photos taken from the FDC Flicker site