People's Draft: Magkaiba man tayo ng kabihasnan, iisa ang ating pinagmulan. Magkaisa tayo para sa Inang Bayan.

 

The Journey to Sabah, Part 4

 

Preservation of Sulu Sultanate History and Rights by DD Krishna D. Kiram
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035615757316

The journey to Sabah of Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram and his 235 followers, Part 4

 

Honoring the Legacy, Sacrifices and Patriotic Acts of Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, Guro Bata Abdulhan Saradi, Guro Bata's Wife, his Son and the other 232 Followers during the 2013 Sabah Stand Off at Tanduo, Lahad Datu, Sabah.

 

That day served as a recollection in History of the Bangsa Suluk/Sug People and the Sultanate of Sulu, despite the magnificent odds faced by them and the difficulty to be able to escape from the mighty Malaysian Thirteen BN Military Forces during the February-March 2013 Sabah Stand-Off.

 

In the early morning of Day 6, March 6, 2013, Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram and his surviving and remaining followers reached the unguarded beach, a kilometer away from the intense Malaysian military operations throughout the Battle Zone in Tanduo Village. They used the darkness of nights to make a breakthrough and the thickly forested as shelter to cover their presence and kept them un-noticed by the huge number of Malaysian Mitary Forces combing the Tanduo village during the day.

 

Feeling a little space of freedom of movement, Raja Muda emerged himself from the thickly forest along the beach shoreline. He was immediately identified and recognized by the two followers, who from that day commenced their trip was uncertain of their mission to get through and get the Datu Raja Muda except merely was dependent on Devine blessings.

 

Acting on the dictate of their conscience, the two followers drifted their banca in the guise of fishermen about 100 meters away from the shoreline. As the Datu Raja Muda recognized them while paddling fastly the banca towards him, he commanded the followers hiding themselves to come out.

 

The banca can only carry a maximum of five persons. The given circumstance manifested again the followers' sense of patriotism and in upholding more importantly their voluntary services to the Sulu Sultanate and the Datu Raja Muda. Without further delay as time was of the essence, the followers reached the collective consensus. Once again, their dedications dictated them to forcibly carry the Datu Raja Muda into the banca to leave with his two sons.

 

Raja Muda's journey back to Tawi-Tawi occurred in broad daylight. Even prior to the outbreak of the 2013 Sabah Stand Off into a violent conflict on March 1, 2013, the Malaysian Royal Navy Boats were already stationed in the Lahad Datu Sea vicinity to monitor and stop food supplies and possible rapid deployment of reinforcing forces to the Datu Raja Muda. In the same process, Malacanang also sent the Philippine Navy Boat assigned to bring back to Tawi-Tawi the Datu Raja Muda and his followers. While crossing the Sabah and Sulu Sea, they pretended and acted as marginalized fishermen. They stopped and made themselves looked like fishermen whenever they saw Malaysian Royal Navy ship patrolled and crossed with their path in the territorial sea of Sabah. The Datu Raja Muda landed in an island in Tawi-Tawi nearest to the sea border of Sabah (North Borneo). The Sulu Sultanate’s supporters in the island kept the Raja Muda and his son’s presence unnoticeable from the other residence.

 

Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin's natural tendency to withdraw safely all the surviving followers still remained in seclusion in the thickly forested beach, a kilometer away from the battle zone, was his primodial consideration. His thoughts for them became his mental and physical exhaustion and greater than during the inhumane bombardment of the three Malaysian jet fighter planes, the day and night massive shelling and combing of the area by the thirteen Battalions of Malaysian Military and Police in the battle zone and against the pounding of massive shelling of their helpless situation in Tanduo village.

 

The Datu Raja Muda was bewildered as to whether or not to keep and maintain the secrecy of his presence and security in the island or to exercise his fresh freedom of mobility to openly and quickly secure means of transportations to withdraw the surviving followers.

 

On Day 7 of March 7, 2013, a day after he was withdrawn, he ordered three batches of non-powered engine bancas to sail in the night. The bancas were paddled by volunteering residence of the island at the direction of two same persons that withdrew the Raja Muda. They passed through un-noticeably by the Malaysian or Philippine Navy boat guarding and monitoring closely the expected possible exit passage of the Datu Raja Muda.

 

As the Datu Raja Muda was not present to make the decisions and to direct dispositions of remarkable tolerance as the three bancas cannot transport them all, the followers showed once more their sense of volunteerism. The degree of executing the withdrawal was very fast without time consumed in respect to the question of who will join first.

 

The three un-motorized bancas left the beach before mid-night of March 7, 2013, with still twenty-three surviving followers remained in the thick-forested beach. They utilized traditional compass liked the stars and sparkling lights of underlying islands to determine the directions of their path to freedom. Amidst the darkness and stillness of the night that almost made them deaf coupled with the strong sea current between Sabah and Tawi-Tawi, they have to re-route their courses upon seeing lights appeared from a suspected boats and horizons. The situations surrounding them brought the three bancas apart from each other. For nearly five hours, they sailed and paddled their bancas through the Sabah Sea without having been detected by the Malaysian Royal Navy.

 

One of the bancas carrying 37 surviving followers realized upon daybreak that they paddled their bancas' course towards the Philippine Navy. They were intercepted and treated as humanely as possible and as Filipino citizens by Officers and Men and Women in Uniform in the Philippine Navy boat. They were brought to its Base in Bata-Bata, Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi, for interrogation. The litigation of the case of the thirty-seven followers, where three of them already succumbed to natural death, is not yet resolved despite of no witnesses against them since 2013.

 

Un-perturbed by faith of the 37 followers, another three un-motorized banca, a little bit smaller than the first three bancas, left from the island in the evening of Day 8 of March 8, 2013. The mission was to get through and bring back the last 23 remaining followers still in the beach of Sabah.

 

At this stage, the evacuation and survival of the 23 were done despite the absolute subjectivity of their physical strength during the more than 10 hours paddling the bancas in a round trip. Just liked the blowing of the winds to preserve the freshness of the sea from the foulness as a result of a prolonged calm, urged them, as volunteers, to save the 23 lives in accordance with the fundamental and absolute ideality and destiny of the Sulu Sultanate’s hope for the survival of its ancestral rights and patrimony. That subjectivity in the recent time was fought against the Thirteen (13) Battalions Malaysian Forces that led the 2013 Sabah Stand Off watered by blood and soul of the 235 followers.

 

To be continued.

 

Abraham J. Ibarani-Idnirani

Chairman

Center for Studies of History of

Sulu Archipelago

 

March 13, 2021

 

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=268559338172043&id=114362470258398

Image by Wikimedia Commons, Cccefalon

The Journey to Sabah, Part 3

 

Preservation of Sulu Sultanate History and Rights by DD Krishna D. Kiram
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035615757316

The journey to Sabah of Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram and his 235 followers, Part 3

 

Honoring the Legacy, Sacrifices and Patriotic Acts of Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, Guro Bata Abdulhan Saradi, Guro Bata, his son, and the other 232 followers of the Sultanate of Sulu during the 2013 Sabah Stand Off from March 1-15, 2013.

 

As a result of growing tension in Tanduo, Lahad Datu, Sabah, WORD WAR ERUPTED between spokespersons of Malacanang and the Royal Sulu Sultanate Media Center. The Spokesperson of PNoy Aquino Administration IMPULSIVELY RE-ECHOED the MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT’S ACCUSATION against the Datu Raja Muda and his 235 followers AS INTRUDERS and INFRINGING the TERRITORIAL RIGHTS of MALAYSIA over SABAH (NORTH BORNEO). The PNoy Aquino Administration DEFENDED Malaysia’s consigned and relegated rights, powers, and authority invested on Malaysia by Great Britain in 1963. They also Treated Datu Raja Muda and his followers NO LONGER CITIZENS of the Philippines while being under SIEGE by the Malaysian military forces.

 

The PNoy Administration's Policy towards the Datu Raja Muda FIRMLY STRENGTHENED MALAYSIA’S TREATMENT of PRESENCE of the Datu Raja Muda and his 235 followers NO LONGER A POLICE MATTER but ENEMY of MALAYSIA.

 

The Administration of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III had transformed itself into a VOICE of the Malaysian Government. His Presidency ABANDONED the constitutional protection and guarantee bestowed on the Sultan of Sulu as an Ordinary Citizen by the Philippine Government since 1935 and by his Administration, who, in 2010 assumed also the constitutional duty and responsibility to uphold and honor the Sabah Claim as a national Contract entered and signed between the Republic of the Philippines and the Sultanate of Sulu in 1962.

 

The Malaysian Government's wrongdoings infringed absolutely the modes of pacific settlement of disputes as provided for under the United Nations Charter Resolution. Malaysia violated also the principles and agreements and the Joint-Communique embodied in the 1963 Manila Accord mutually signed by the Three Heads of States, Prime Minister Tungku Abdul Rahman of Malaysia, President Sukarno of Indonesia and President Diosdado Macapagal of the Philippines.

 

Unliked other Presidents that were elected before him in the likes of President Diosdado Macapagal and President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who sworn to protect the National Contract for the peaceful settlement of Sabah Claim against Malaysia, the PNoy Administration, instead, ADMONISHED Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and his Royal Clan that full force of the law will be applied against them in view of the action taken by Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram and his 235 followers.

 

President PNoy Aquino's stern warning had lost sight on the legal importance of the fact of the matter. That by virtue of the Sultan of Sulu's Act, the Philippine national territory expanded after the latter agreed to issue the Republic of the Philippines "The 1962 Conditional Transfer of Sovereignty Rights Over North Borneo (Sabah)".

 

The Sultanate of Sulu ALSO TOOK MANY FORMS OF LEGAL HARASSMENT from the AQUINO ADMINISTRATION. The harassment encouraged the Malaysian Government in Kuala Lumpur to send its AGENTS to Manila TO ASSASINATE SULTAN JAMALUL KIRAM III and ALL HIS SENIOR FOLLOWERS. HIS ADMINISTRATION threatened also Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and his siblings as conveyed by HIS Duly DESIGNATED NEGOTIATORS to IMPRISON or REPATRIATE Them to Malaysia if Raja Muda and his followers WOULD NOT GIVE IN To the MALAYSIAN DEMAND TO RETURN to the PHILIPPINES.

 

PNoy Aquino's threatening words IMPELLED 33rd Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to ESCUSE HIMSELF and ABSTAIN from the dialogue regarding the stand off between him and the Malacanang duly designated and authorized representatives. LOSING SIGHT OF HIS STATUS as A SPIRITUAL and POLITICAL LEADER, the 33rd Sultan of Sulu left the table and decreed Abraham J. Idjirani, to continue the dialogue with the MALACANANG DULY DESIGNATED NEGOTIATOR in that crucial night. In the morning, Sultan Jamalul Kiram III CHALLENGED MALACANANG before the local and foreign media TO WIDEN THE PHILIPPINE PRISON CELL as many of his relatives and the Bangsa Suluk/Sug supporters would follow him.

 

The growing tension and Malaysia’s MASSIVE MILITARY OPERATIONS were no doubt owed to Malaysia's FEELING MIGHTY against the OBSOLETE FEW HAND-GUN and NATIVE SHARPENED BARONG and KRIS of Raja Muda's followers brought by the followers TO PROTECT HIM on their JOURNEY BACK HOME TO SABAH against lawless elements and pirates plying the Sitangkai Strait.

 

As already mentioned, the URGENT SITUATION compelled Sultan Jamalul Kiram III accompanied by his wife and a sister, Dayang Dayang Sitti Krishna Kiram (Idjirani), a brother, Datu Abdilnasser D. Kiram, Pastor “Boy” Saycon and Abraham J. Idjirani to seek the assistance AT MIDNIGHT of VICE PRESIDENT JEJOMAR BINAY in his Vice Presidential Residence in Makati. The APPEAL was acted on advice of MR. PASTOR “BOY” SAYCON, the Sulu Sultanate Adviser on Foreign Affairs. The APPEAL sought on the Vice President was to FACILITATE an EARLY MORNING MEETING of March 1, 2013, between the Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines and the Sultanate of Sulu’s representatives, the Secretary-General and Spokesperson, Abraham J. Idjirani, and the Sultan and Datu Raja Muda’s brother, Datu Abdilnasser D. Kiram, concurrent present Datu Maharadja Lailah and 3rd in line to the throne of Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo.

 

The requested meeting was to discuss the parameter of PREVENTING the IMMINENT OUTBREAK of an ARMED CONFLICT between the highly trained and well-equipped Malaysian soldiers, commando and police and the Datu Raja Muda with his 235 armless followers.

 

Out of humanitarian service and in his power and capacity as Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines, Vice President Jejomar Binay intervened and conveyed by telephone call in that night of February 28, 2013 Sultan Jamalul Kiram III’s request to the Malaysian Ambassador. The Malaysian Ambassador agreed and granted the request.

 

At 8:00 O'clock a.m. of March 1, 2013, while the Sulu Sultanate’s designated representatives was on its way, the FIRST SHOT of the MALAYSIAN FORCES WAS FIRED TOWARDS DATU RAJA MUDA AGBIMUDDIN KIRAM but missed him. On that day, Friday, March 1, 2013, the first day of battle at Tanduo Village, Lahad Datu, Sabah, begun.

To be continued.

 

Abraham J. Ibarani-Idjirani

Chairman

Center for Studies of History of

Sulu Archipelago

 

March 4, 2021

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=627204181810101&id=100035615757316

Image by Wikimedia Commons, Cccefalon

The Journey to Sabah, Part 2

 

Preservation of Sulu Sultanate History and Rights by DD Krishna D. Kiram
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035615757316

The journey to Sabah of Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram and his 235 followers, Part 2

The memory of 2013 Journey of Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram and the 235 followers to Sabah in order to seek greener pasture to improve the well-beings of families they left behind in the Sulu Archipelago.

They intended and looked forward to work in farms, factories, restaurants and coffee shops and as bus drivers, etc. as 70 percent of them have been in Sabah as GRP-MNLF Conflict refugee and who can speak the Bahasa Malay fluently.

But Malaysia transformed and declared their journey as encroachment of its illegally administered Sulu Sultanate's ancestral land, Sabah. That is despite the clear mutual agreement embodied in the 1963 Manila Accord signed by Malaysia Prime Minister Tungku Abdul Rahman, President Sukarno of Indonesia, and President Diosdado Macapagal of the Philippines, which provide, quote: That the inclusion of Sabah into the Federation of Malaysia will not prejudice the interest of the parties concerned until finally resolve by the United Nations, unquote.

On February 16 at 1:35 in the morning, Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram and the 235 followers arrived in Tandou Village, Lahad Datu Sabah.

Their journey fulfilled the hopes and dreams to establish peaceful life, harmonious relations with the millions of Sabahan of Bangsa Suluk origin, who already established permanent abode in Sabah before 1963, since Sabah's incorporation into the Malaysian Federation in 1963 and after the GRP-MNLF Conflict erupted in 1972 of which in 1974 Malaysia opened and declared the territory of Sabah as safe-haven for those victims of the conflict which cause immeasurable loss of lives and destruction of properties, and All the ethnic groups.

Trusting in the PNoy Aquino Government to follow suit his predecessors' recognition of the proprietary rights of the Sulu Sultanate as a separate issue and the GRP's recognition as the heirs' sole rights and authority over the same, including Malaysia's adherence following the British legal obligation transferred to its government since 1963 to continue rendering the annual rental lease payment paid annually to the Sultan of Sulu, the Datu Raja Muda wanted their Journey to be published in newspapers in the Philippines.

The main purpose was his hope for the Philippine Government to render diplomatic assistance if Malaysia would react unfavourably and also for Malaysia to understand their 2013 Journey was in line with Malaysia's recognition of the Sulu Sultanate's proprietary ownership and authority.

Believing that PNoy Administration would offer a blind eye on Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram and the 235 followers, Malaysian prime Minister Najib reckoned their acts as intrusion and them as intruders.

 

To be continued.

 

Abraham J. Idjirani

February 17, 2021

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=253108233050487&id=114362470258398

Image by Wikimedia Commons, Cccefalon

The Journey to Sabah, Part 1

 

Preservation of Sulu Sultanate History and Rights by DD Krishna D. Kiram
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035615757316

The journey to Sabah of Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram and his 235 followers, Part 1

This is reposted in memory of DATU RAJA MUDA AGBIMUDDIN KIRAM and the 235 FOLLOWERS, who showed their patriotic act during the 2013 Lahad Datu Stand-Off, Sabah.

 

1st Series

Malaysia Mobilized Its Mighty Thirteen BN Military Forces during the February-March 2013 Sabah Stand-Off

 

Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram and his 235 followers’ journey from Simunul back home to Sabah (North Borneo) on February 11, 2013 was a POVERTY DRIVEN JOURNEY and the HOPE TO LIVE IN PEACE with the populace therein. It was delayed for a couple of weeks in one of the islands in Tawi-Tawi as they still looked for boats to transport them.

 

Their journey was established on FIVE SIMPLE BASIC FACTS which Malaysia could have consider them as humane as possible. Firstly, Malaysia would give consideration and accommodation to their presence in respect to the 1939 British High Court’s Recognition on the Sulu Sultanate’s proprietary rights. Secondly, it complied the Mandates of the 1963 Manila Accord signed by Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Thirdly, Sabah (North Borneo) is an ancestral patrimony of the Sultanate of Sulu and the Bangsa Suluk/Sug transferred to Malaysia by Great Britain in 1963. Fourthly, the resolution to Malaysia’s claim of sovereign ownership over Sabah (North Borneo) is still pending in the United nations. And fifth, Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram hoped Malaysia continues to recognize the bond of ancestral relations between the two peoples of North Borneo (Sabah) and the Sulu Archipelago since time immemorial.

 

Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram’s 235 followers had an average age of 45 years. They arrived at Tanduo, Lahad Datu, Eastern part of Sabah (North Borneo), at 1:30 in the morning of February 26, 2013. He conveyed immediately their safe arrival to the Sulu Sultanate Secretary-General, Abraham J. Idjirani. The journey’s story was initially published by Ms. Arlyn Dela Cruz in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. 

 

Their journey rekindled the trip of some Datus from Sulu and their 1,500 followers in 1900., who hoped to establish residencies in Sandakan. Despite FOLLOWING the RULE OF LAW of the British Colonial Authority in Sandakan by serving a notice to the British Colonial Authority of their intention and desire to peacefully co-exist with the inhabitants of North Borneo (Sabah), THEY WERE REFUSED and ORDERED to return to Sulu. 

 

History of 1900 repeat itself as Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin and his 235 followers’ presence in the disputed territory WAS ALSO JUDGED by the Malaysian law. Malaysia’s arguments WERE NOT BALANCED with the PROS and CONS and STATUS of ITS CLAIM to title of sovereignty over Sabah (North Borneo). Its arguments were INADMISSIBLE and CONTINUED TO DEFY the 1947 UN Charter Resolution, the 1950 UN Resolution, the 1939 British High Court’s Recognition, and the intent and spirit of the joint-communique embodied in the 1963 Manila Accord mutually signed and issued by Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

 

Their journey was the IMPACT of ACUTE PROBLEM of ABJECT POVERTY affecting Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi. In the journey, Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram secretly brought with him the copy of the 1939 Letters of Administration issued to late 32nd Sultan Punjungan Kiram as Administrator of the Estate Territory of North Borneo (Sabah) by C.F.C. Macaskie of the British Sessions Court of North Borneo in Sandakan. The 1939 Letters of Administration EMBODIED the INVIOLABLE and INHERENT RIGHTS and the BRITISH RECOGNITION of the PROPRIETARY RIGHTS, POWERS, AUTHORITY and OWNERSHIP of the Sultan of Sulu and his heirs over NORTH BORNEO (SABAH).

 

It was entrusted to him by their late father, late 32nd Sultan Punjungan Kiram, as verbally decreed and conveyed by his father’s 3rd wife, Hadja Hatidja Dawili Kiram, for him to act as Administrator, safekeeper and guardian of the Estate Territory of North Borneo (Sabah) in behalf of interests of the Bangsa Suluk/Sug and Filipino people in general and  all his other twelve (12) siblings in particular.

 

The British High Court recognition LEGALLY STIPULATED and RECOGNIZED the estate and proprietary ownership over North Borneo (Sabah) of the Sulu Sultan and his co-heirs already existed before Malaysia was established as a nation in 1963.

 

By being an heir to the British Interests? Malaysia inherited the COURT'S RECOGNITION and DECISION and IS LEGALLY BOUND and OBLIGED AS SUCCESSOR to the BRITISH LEASE INTEREST to CONTINUE RENDERING the ANNUAL LEASE RENTAL PAYMENT to the HEIRS. The said payment which the BRITISH and MALAYSIA  called it as CESSION MONEY TO BE PAID IN PERPETUITY WAS STOPPED in 2013 until now.

 

There was a HIGH RISK HEAVIER THAN RAJA MUDA’S OWN FLESH and BLOOD to bring the Only Original Copy of that 1939 Letters of Administration. However, his HUMANE CONCERN for the WELL-BEINGS and SAFETY of the 235 followers PREVAILED and in case question and misunderstanding of their presence may arise, Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram had a document to show and endorse it to the Malaysian Authority.

 

But the Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak, treated HIS PRESENCE and the 235 followers as INTRUDERS on Malaysia’s ALLEGED CLAIM TO TERRITORIAL SOVEREIGNTY. President Benigno “PNoy” Simeon Aquino III’s administration indirectly endorsed Malaysia’s accusation thru an announcement issued from Malacanang. President Aquino III also called them spoiler of peace as the 2013 Sabah Stand-Off occurred coincidentally with the on-going peace talks between his administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). He also questioned, quote: how can the Kiram acquired such a vast track of territory? unquote. 

 

The Sulu Sultanate Spokesperson, Abraham J. Idjirani, reminded Malacanang thru a press briefing covered by local and foreign media by citing late Senator Arturo M. Tolentino’s declaration during the 18th Session of the UN General Assembly in 1968, quote: the Federation of Malaysia acquired claims to sovereign rights t o Sabah (North Borneo) thru the 1878 Lease Agreement, rights which were not those of a sovereign but those of a lease transferred by Great Britain to Malaysia in 1963.

 

To be continued.

 

ON BEHALF OF

DATI RAJA MUDA AGBIMUDDIN KIRAM

and THE 235 FOLLOWERS

as well as the Bangsa Suluk/Sug People

 

Abraham J. Idjirani

February 16, 2021

 

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=25207764982021fr2&id=114362470258398

Image from Wikimedia Commons, Cccefalon

Veritas numquam perit (The truth does not expire)

 

By (Ret.) Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr.

March 4, 2022

The Manila Times

TRUTH does not expire. And the truth shall set us free, so the homily went last Sunday after the nation celebrated the People Power Revolution. As expected, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), through a long pastoral letter signed by Bishop David of Caloocan, talked profusely of martial law and how violence destroyed our Christian way of life.

The Church wanted us to "respect truth by respecting history," rather than subjecting it to revisionism with lies and propaganda. That conviction for truth led to the nonviolent overthrow of the dictator on Feb. 25, 1986. At least, that was what we were told.

I partially agree with the Church. And in order to fully agree with them we have to endeavor to complete that part which was kept from us by the Cory Aquino government, after she ordered then National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) chief Rodolfo Canieso to have all literature and reports incriminating Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. and his role in the CPP-NPA creation and the secessionist violence, be collected and burned.

We've had 32 years of biased history on martial law from 1986 to 2016. During the 30th People Power anniversary in 2016, PNoy even directed the AFP to host the martial law "experiential museum" in its own hallowed grounds. The commander in chief directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines to shame itself by telling the nation how it brutalized its people in the service of its master, the dictator.

Wonderful experience. But guess what? That historical rendition must start in that infamous year, 1972.

How will truth set us free when the truth is incomplete? The more relevant question is: How did martial law of 1972 come about?

As the Church reminded us during the homily, let's go back to official records and historical documents, to events leading up to the declaration in September 1972. Let's not rely on school manuals printed by the victors of 1986 because they are obviously tainted to serve the purpose of the Aquino regime.

My only wish is for these millennials and Gen Z to be more open-minded and be objectively critical of the circumstances then, as they happened, which led to martial law and the eventual downfall of the strongman in 1986.

Confluence of local, international events

I have written in previous columns about the developments in Asia, as the Soviet-led Marxist-Leninist communists were successfully tearing down democratic governments in Indonesia, Malaysia, South Vietnam, Kampuchea, Singapore, Korea, Thailand and Burma from 1954 to 1969, and even earlier. It was a cause for concern for the US, especially in the Philippines where its biggest air force and naval fleet were based. It would be interesting to know what their historical documents are saying about our political situation and the communist insurgents then.

Document 238 — Airgram from the embassy in the Philippines to the Department of State, Foreign Relations of the US, 1969-1976, Vol XX, Southeast Asia, 1969-1972 (https://history.state.gov>historicaldocuments>d238), dated Aug. 20, 1971, clearly indicates that Senator Aquino, the LP secretary-general, is seriously worried that the Liberal Party is in danger of extinction. President Marcos, according to him, has changed the rules of the game in the political scene, that clearly he has no chance of winning in the November 1971 elections.

He tells political counselor Maestrone that he considers the option of "going to the hills" to fight a revolution that could happen between September 1971 to 1974 or 1975. In the Comment portion of the document, it clearly said that Senator Aquino is in active contact with Kabataan Makabayan (KM) leaders in Manila and outside.

Senator Aquino declared further that "there will be a shift to urban terrorism rather than terroristic activities in the provinces" which he felt were not having the desired impact. Ninoy also disclosed that the number of students who have received two to three months guerrilla training in the hills and who have returned to the cities were growing.

"In the future, there will be fewer direct confrontation with the police and PC, but there will be more sniping, arson, bombing and other forms of selective terrorism," Senator Ninoy declared.

If you take note of the date of the reported meeting of Maestrone with Ninoy, it was a day before the Plaza Miranda bombing by the CPP-NPA on Aug. 21, 1971, which almost wiped out Ninoy's very own Liberal Party.

Clearly, this "icon of democracy" was very much involved in the planning and preparation for all the violence created by the CPP-NPA months and even years before the declaration of martial law.

Coincidence?

Doc 238 clearly and correctly stated that Aquino "has no political ideology beyond his own personal ambitions." Because his "political [page 510] clique cannot alternate in power with the Marcoses by democratic means, then it will become necessary to resort to violent revolution as the means of gaining power."

Let's remember that we are speaking here of pre-martial law, where none of the abuses and torture by the AFP happened. The reports illustrate Senator Aquino's actions and his collusion with the CPP-NPA, who wanted to create chaos and violence and force Marcos to declare martial law.

Disputable?

Let's see other historical documents.

Document 257. On Sept. 12, 1971, Senator Aquino revealed that with the rapidly worsening law and order and communist dissident problems adding to the economic woes, he believes that "Marcos must take strong actions in the future and that these will include martial law" and that Ninoy would support Marcos.

However, Ninoy knew that it would backfire on Marcos. And since "the possibilities of his becoming a head of government by legitimate means are quickly diminishing...he is keeping open an option to lead an anti-Marcos revolution in alliance with the communists," the document says.

Federico Pascual of the Philippine Star can confirm these martial law innuendos of Marcos. He wrote about this interview with Senator Aquino ("Postscript."Dec.10, 2015), where Ninoy confirmed to the columnist that given the chance to be president, the only way he could close the economic gap was for him to assume dictatorial powers.

And in order "to solve big-time smuggling sapping the vitality of the economy...smugglers will be summoned to Malacañang...and if the economic sabotage continued...bodies of these notorious smugglers would be floating in the Pasig River...and if the scare tactic still failed...the corpses of more smuggling lords would be spotted among the water lilies in the Pasig." Remember, these are Senator Aquino's words.

Should this be what President Duterte is doing? Except that he is not Ninoy, whom the Church loves and promotes so much?

Anyway, more on the excerpts from US historical documents. In October 1968, Aquino and Sison met and discussed "how big a problem Marcos was," and Yap, Aquino and Rodolfo Salas (who would succeed Dante as NPA head) arranged a meeting between Sison and Dante. The meeting took place in late January 1969 in Dante's hometown of Talimundoc, Capas. Aquino's money "from the coffers of his wife and Lopez family" funded the CPP's front organizations, including their huge 1970 rallies romanticized as the "First Quarter Storm."

If you want to know more about Senator Ninoy's connections with the communists and how they formed a broad united front, you can read Airgram A-245, Sept. 21, 1972.

Hidden historical materials, information

Still, if you don't like the US official accounts, you can check some of these political manifestos and ephemera of the late 1960s and 1970s in two steel cabinets at the UP Library in Diliman. Fortunately, it survived two Aquino administrations, thanks to the patriotism and heroism of these unnamed librarians.

The academic dissertation of Dr. Joseph Paul Scalice entitled "Crisis of Revolutionary Leadership: Martial Law and the Communist Parties of the Philippines, 1957-1974," is an eye-opener for all of us. Well researched, it is a treasure trove of information about the underground.

You can also visit the library of the University of California in Berkeley, the US Army Command and General Staff College Library in Ft. Leavenworth, KS, the US Naval Postgraduate School Library in Monterey, or the Australian Defense College Library in Canberra.

The books and references in these libraries abroad escaped the "purging" of historical accounts of events prior to the declaration of martial law. These are the historical materials hidden from us by the Liberals, in order for them to freely write their warped version and perspective of our history.

From 1968 until the last weeks before martial law ended his political career, Senator Aquino was plotting with the CPP to seize power for himself, long before martial law was declared. Not only did Ninoy collude with Jose Ma Sison and the CPP-NPA, but he also led the Liberal stalwarts in founding the secessionist movement in Mindanao.

The violence that ensued from 1969 up to 1972 was all part of a deliberate plan of Senator Aquino in order to create an opening for his political ambition. It's a shame many of us have been duped by this "boy wonder" and all the other Yellow traitors that followed after him.

The People Power was simply an offshoot of the martial law which any president, Ninoy included, would have resorted to under the circumstances. Simply, it was an opportunity that the Liberals hijacked from the real heroes, the putschists, who risked their lives to topple the regime.

This is the inconvenient truth that the Church wouldn't want us to see. If we do, that's called revisionism.

Yet truth never expires, even after 36 years of suppression. That's the reason why yellow is now pink.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/03/04/opinion/columns/veritas-numquam-perit/1835045

 

People's Draft: Palakasin ang mga rehiyon, upang lahat kayang maka ahon

Bakit ang mga probinsya, palaging dumudulog sa Maynila, hindi lang sa mga mahalagang programa, pati na rin sa mga sakuna, bagyo, baha, lindol, bulkan, at pandemya? Wala bang marunong at matino sa mga rehiyon, sa Maynila lang talaga merong ganoon? Diba maraming nasa Maynila, galing din naman sa probinsya? Kaya nagsisikipan nang marami duon, mga negosyante at manggagawa kaunti lang sa rehiyon. Mga malalaking programa, plano at proyekto sa rehiyon, aprubado ng mga taong ‘di pa naka punta duon. Kapag may kuro-kuro o reklamo ang mga taga-kanayunan, kinikimkim at tinitiis na lamang. Baguhin at ayusin na natin ang sistema sa mga rehiyon, nang umayos ang pamamalakad at kabuhayan duon. Bigyan sila ng sapat na kapangyarihan, nang makatulong sa kaunlaran ng bayan. Palakasin ang mga rehiyon, upang lahat ay kayang maka-ahon. #PeoplesDraft