Lanao del Sur voting -
who is responsible?

As I had previously mentioned in another column, I had tagged the feudal system obtaining in many Moro-held areas as the basic reason for the scandalous (from our point of view) conduct of the elections.

This is something that could have been prevented had our national leaders taken pains to probe the basic causes and devise a system whereby the hold of datus and political warlords are disentangled. But many of our national political officials seem to have thrived on their knowledge of the Mindanao "secrets" for their own ends. Garcillano was just the tip of the iceberg. He was, himself, as much a captive of the system that made sure that those elected by local leaders land in the winning column.

No amount of ideological calls for "democracy and respect for human rights" will rally people to the cause of clean elections. It is an alien thing to most of these captive populations.

Only an intensive educational program can change this mindset. Culture and customs cannot be changed overnight. A patient and plodding effort is needed to be able to effect changes in Mindanao, especially Lanao del Sur, conduct of elections. And our political leaders must be able to devise a system that will take into considerations existing realities before we can expect a change in their way of participating in the electoral exercise.

To a certain extent, the Muslim leaders themselves, have to be taught the lesson of how to respect their individual followers. Unfortunately, in most instances, they, themselves, are the ones who do the dictating to their constituents on how to conduct their elections. In short, tribalism still holds sway in most areas. Thus, the elections become a power struggle among local datus and "sultans" if one may call the latter which have proliferated in Lanao provinces.

Well, this is something that should serve as food for thought for our national leaders.

***

The increasing torrid atmosphere of the word war between the two rival camps in the RPM-P and the RPA-ABB is something that is really worrisome. The fact is that the RPA-ABB armed elements in the province, until today, remain loyal to Carapali Lualhati. Nilo de la Cruz and his group are remote leaders and hardly can count on the local armed RPA-ABB might.

The problem here is that the 3rd PA Infantry Division had entered the fray and with Maj. Gen. Juvenal Narcise, the chief, pointing out that the AFP will file charges for violations of the Comelec firearms ban and other violations by the Panay RPA-ABB.

That, more or less validated the claim by De la Cruz of alleged mercenary activities by the regional RPA-ABB command.

The CPP-NPA also claimed that the ongoing furor between the two rival groups among the splitists is over "money."

That is aimed at reinforcing the wedge between the two camps while also paving the way for the resurgence of armed conflict between the mainstream communist movement and the revisionists.

The situation has become roiled. And it certainly is troubling. That is why Edgar Cadagat, the chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Negros Chapter, had to warn local newsmen about unfair and unbalanced reporting on the situation that could drag them into the middle of the verbal war.

And the danger is that they could get caught in the middle of a shooting war should it finally erupt.

That is why it is about time that the government officials should heed the appeal for the government to help resolve the issue among the conflicting groups, one led by Nilo de la Cruz, the other by Carapali.

It cannot leave the two groups to solve their conflict of interest. It must patch up the basic causes to avoid the possible outbreak of a shooting war.

***

One must admit that Jose Lopez Jr. never found himself lionized as he was with his death. In short, the mounting number of people paying him tribute during the past few days indicated a high regard for Lopez's efforts to perpetuate the memory of Graciano Lopez Jaena, the Ilonggo national hero.

Junior, as he was known to admirers, expired Sunday morning due to a respiratory ailment. But the most significant thing about his death was that he devoted the remaining hours of his life to making sure that the pictorial exhibit for the Lopez Jaena clan reunion at the Sta. Teresita Academy in Silay City went off without a hitch and gained the applause of the clan members.

Well, goodbye, Nong Jun. What you did was something that the clan members will always remember because you gave of yourself to a worthy cause. And Lolo Ciano must be enjoying the sight of you giving up your life for the cause he had fought for his entire life.*

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