POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE FOR PEACE:

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

FROM SULU PERSPECTIVE AND EXPERIENCE
By AbdusakurM. Tan, Vice Governor of Sulu

Assalamualaikumwarahmatullahiwabarakatu.
Islam is the religion of the Muslims was derived from one of the most
beautiful names of Allah, As-Salam. In the early days of Islam, Prophet
Mohammad, Peace be upon Him, was met with stiff opposition from the
unbelievers, ostracized and driven away from Makkah leaving behind
even his birthright. In defense of the Truth of his Message many lives
were lost. Mao Zedong once wrote: with the book on his left hand and
the sword on his right, Mohammad conquered half of the world, which
inspired Mao of his treatise on theory and practice. Despite the
numerous battles and the many wars that turned the dessert red, Islam
remained as the religion of Peace. It is not an irony but rather Gods
wisdom. Peace is not in conquest but in the quest. Peace in the context
of Islam is a perfect state, and therefore unattainable in this earthly life,
for Perfection is an attribute of God alone.
I beg your indulgence on the urge to make that narrative if only to give
another perspective to the Peace we are very much preoccupied with,
both in and out of this forum halls.
The current peace process is not something new, but only a rehash of
a play with new set of actors. It has been stated many times that the
Peace Process is a continuing process especially during the period
after the 1996 Peace Agreement or the post-Agreement phase saw
strings of projects, foreign-funded initiatives for confidence-building
efforts in support of that particular agreement. Along this promise, the
peace process as a continuing process will not end with a Peace
Agreement, but rather serves as an assuring mechanism to pick up the
pieces when something breaks.
1

Peace is not something that is objectified, that is, being searched like a
solution to a mathematical problem. Peace, in the current context,
should be a widely-acceptable outcome of all the interplay of forces that
ensures the wellbeing and security of the people. You do not run after
peace. You make it happen. It is as much as saying that we do not
give peace a chance but rather give ourselves the chance for peace.
I believe that I am speaking from the wisdom of experience having
outlived the war of the 70s between the MNLF and the government
forces, and the Peace Agreement that followed; I will even outlive the
ARMM, with the Grace and Mercy of Allah! But I can humbly claim that
I know Sulu like the palm of my hand.
THE PEACE PROCESS AND
THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF SULU
There are those who ventured in to rectifying the perceived wrong or
injustice on the Tausug and, to some extent, to the rest of the Muslim
communities in the Philippines believing that what they have tried or
trying to accomplish is on the path of righteousness. They may have
had their perception on how to set things right; yet the real burden of
rebuilding from the destruction and the tragic consequences of wars
and the mending of many shattered lives are laid heavily on the
shoulders of those who have been directly affected and who are in the
frontlinethe very people who have suffered and many more still
suffering and, we, in the local government units.
The resources spent and the efforts undertaken in implementing
reconstruction and rebuilding initiatives could have better utilized for
education and for income and employment-generating ventures. It
would be foolhardy then for anyone contemplating on taking reins of
governance of the Tausug in total disregard of the indelible marks that
history had so unkindly inflicted on the landscape and in the untold
anguish in the consciousness of Sulu and its people.
I have said on many occasions that even if we saturate the entire
province with so-called confidence-building projects and pour in foreign2

assisted development initiatives with an end in view of correcting the

neglect and making up for whatever insufficiencies perceived to have
been wrought upon the land and its people, they are not guarantees to
attain peace that remains elusive until now.
Many institutions were put in place, the latest being the ARMM, and
another one is in the offing equipped with lofty ideals and good
intentions. No doubt, that this is another opportunity we cannot afford
not to take and a challenge that requires determination, resolve and the
political will to make it succeed from all stakeholders.
Speaking of good intentions, let me put on record the deepest
appreciation of Sulu for the many organizations and foreign
governments who registered their commitment to pour in projects and
livelihood programs for the new entity in Mindanao, and Mindanao is
captioned as the land of Promise, with fertile lands and rich marine
resources.
Again, I beg your indulgence if I say we have seen and heard that
before.
The 1996 Peace Agreement, the post-agreement phase and the
creation of the ARMM are experiences that will serve well as our
reference points in our assessment of the current process.
With regards to the aforementioned, the Local Governments of Sulu are
seemingly holding back on lending their full support because of the
uncertainties of what awaits them and their constituents with the
imminent birth of a new regional entity, and understandably so. They
were not privy to the deliberations of the framers and crafters of the
documents that will define their future. But as stated in the Sulu
Governors Solidarity Message which yours truly delivered on the
Governors behalf a while ago, this should not be misconstrued as
opposition to the peace process. We cannot infuse reason to a mind
that is dense with doubts.

Thinking back, the consultations and the public hearings on the subject
at hand did not trickle down to every nook and corner of our province
and were held only at a certain level and most times held in some
venues of unreasonable distance from the very area that will be an
integral part of the new entity.
But all is not lost! At least even only at this crucial stage of the process
the Executives of the island component provinces of the ARMM are
jointly invited to speak and be heard at this forum. I take this not as a
compliments but more of a recognition on the equally important roles
Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu play in the regional equation; that other
half of the region which floats like shining jewels in the embrace of the
historic Sulu Sea! And so we are emboldened to once again make our
views be heard on this occasionnot to oppose the process, but to
make sure that the peace that we all aspire for through the Peace
Process shall be long-term and beneficial to all.
Perhaps the colonizers had a better appreciation of the realities in their
engagement with the Muslims, particularly the American regime when
it created the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, in emphasis of the
distinctiveness of Sulu. But that Sulu referred to then was the Sulu
Archipelago covering Zamboanga, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, a part of
Palawan up to Borneo, which share common traits, character and
experiences in centuries of defensive wars against the so-called foreign
invaders.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Competency resides in the National Government for they are in control
of the purse necessary to provide the infrastructures supportive of the
projects and programs earmarked for the region. We will not err if we
are on the side of practicality and common-sense.
After the signing of the 1996 Peace Agreement, billboards and signages
were plastered all over heralding the coming of glory days. The glorious
euphoria fizzled out simply because the horse was placed before the
cart.
4

Development is purposive in the sense that it is pursued on what the

people feel, of the consciousness of their being. It grows out of how the
people respond to their needs and aspirations. It comes from within
and not imposed. Development is not a transplant of what is happening
in other areas; and just like the human body, more often than not, there
is the case of rejection. It is expressive of what people think and feel
and not what they should think and feel.
In hindsight, Local Government Units of component provinces of the
ARMM would have been in a better and participative position now if they
have been allowed to use their mandates preparatory to the birth of the
new entity, as the National Governments conduits to put the necessary
infrastructures in place.
Maybe we should seriously ponder if the region is ready and competent
enough to implement projects in a proportion for example like the
creation of a Halal Economic Zone when the proposed territory is bereft
of infrastructures, technology and knowledgeable manpower. Are we
bound to experience again the likes of BIMP-EAGA economic corridor
which benefited more the non-ARMM entrepreneurs and areas simply
because no ports in the region were equipped with the necessary
facilities for such an undertaking?
Autonomy as exemplified by ARMM, is just another tier in a bureaucracy
which the Local Government units tediously have to wriggle their way
through only to find out that they have to repeat the same wriggling at
national level where the final decision lays and then the process will
again be repeated when matters from the central government will be
passed down through the tier and finally arriving at the desk of the
recipient unit, only after precious time have been wasted. The
procedure does not augur well for efficiency. Bureaucracy has yet to
find the shortest distance between two points.
I hope I can be spared the agony of again going through years of
transitory stage of putting in place the new mechanism and political
5

order so demanded by the new reality while the rest of our countrymen
are already advancing in their strides.
QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATIONS AND ENLIGHTENMENT
Much has been said already of the perceived constitutional infirmities
of the proposed BBL. We will leave that to the Congress to address.
All we want to say is the lawmakers must make sure that the proposed
law be in accordance with the fundamental law lest the High Court
strikes it down and force us to start all over again. The need for peace
in our region is urgent, we implore that the law must be crafted well and
right to avoid any more delay
Just the same, like many of us here, we have certain questions that
need to be answered and clarified. This, can we be enlightened on the
following:
1. The proposed creation of Regional Waters at the expense of
changing and slicing off of the Sulu Sea and the attached historic
reference to it;
2. The proposal to appoint a WALI as the Titular Head of the
Bangsamoro Government and the historical reference for such a
position when the fact remains that WALI was never mentioned in
the annals, at least as far as Sulu is concerned. In a Parliamentary
System, in the example of Malaysia, in a state, the Head of the State
is the Sultan and the Head Government is the Chief Minister;
3. Sulu is predominantly composed of the Tausug ethnic group. The
other Provinces of the ARMM are composed as well of other ethnic
groups, each with its own strengths and unique characteristics. The
Maranaos are predominant in Lanao del Sur, the Maguindanaos in
Maguindanao, the Samals in Tawi-Tawi and the Yakans in Basilan.
Should not the ethnic groups be adequately and fairly represented
in the Peace Process rather than focus only on the Maranaos or the
Maguindanaos? This way, other ethnic groups will not feel excluded.
6

Exclusion could only fan future dissent from the excluded groups
that could lead to recourse outside of the Peace Process.
Should not the proposed BBL envision a region that unites the multiethnic groups? There can be unity in diversity.
More importantly, because the ethnic differences are manifest in the
provincial level, should not the proposed BBL allow ethnic autonomy
in the provincial level?
4. One other cause of concern for the local government officials of the
LGUs of the region is what powers and privileges shall remain with
the constituents LGUs of the proposed Bangsamoro Government?
Because under Section 7, Article VI of the proposed BBL, the
authority to regulate the affairs of the local government units is
guaranteed only within the limits of the Basic Law. On the other
hand, the privileges that the LGUs now enjoy may be altered,
modified or reformed by the Bangsamoro Parliament. Even the
shares of the constituent LGUs in the 75% share of the Bangsamoro
Government in the taxes, fees and charges collected in their
jurisdiction by the Central Government are to be determined by the
Bangsamoro Parliament (Section 12, Article XII, BBL). The power
of the Bangsamoro Parliament to alter, modify or fix could be
exercised to unduly limit the privileges, and, thus, defeat the
principle of autonomy on the part of the constituent LGUs.
5. Another concern is how are the governors, mayors and other local
officials of the constituent LGUs be elected under the Bangsamoro
Government? Even the relationship between the Bangsamoro
Government and the constituents LGUs appears to be undefined in
the proposed BBL.
6. Is the matter of the Philippines claim to Sabah not deserving the
attention of the BBL and the negotiators?

CONCLUSION:
The Muslims are calling for fairness not equality. If at this point in time
they are judged as incapable to live up to the challenge of what
contemporary life demands, it is not as simple as saying that they are
indeed lacking in abilities to stand up in competition with the rest of the
more advanced segment of the national polity. The bottom line is that
they are late in the race on matters of education and competitive
abilities as time and again the situations of conflict weighed them down
in the process.
We in Sulu support the passage of a law that will restore our dignity as
a people, honor the struggles of our forebears and guarantees the fact
that Muslims are Filipinos, too.
Documents, like a Peace Agreement, where signatures attest to nothing
else but what the leaders from both sides have been eager to leave a
mark on history do not a peace make. It is the appeasement of
centuries of discontent which shall render more meaning to the word
Peace and perhaps bestow upon the troubled land its right to live in the
humanity of what all the people of the world deserve.
Thank you, wassalamualaikumwarahmatullahiwabarakatu.