is bangsa moro republic is a state??????? the answer is no, thats why the 1514 resolution does not apply to them…

so, the only solution must be a tausugs citizen not moro and filipino citizen.

Well, doesn’t that go back to the old debate about whether or not we should’ve been granted independence in the first place?

Remember that famous one-liner by our esteemed First Commonwealth President? ;)

anyway, that said, this thing will blow over in a few days or couple of weeks or after the next news cycle.

We’re due to have a news cycle on textbooks and school buildings.

I don’t think the Powers that be are serious about solving the crisis in Mindanao once and for all.

If Mindanao was ever successful in ceding from the Republic that would certainly rock the country. Might even be beneficial to getting people to wake up.

- for anti-government groups to re-ignite their respective full-scale armed rebellions in the hinterlands,
- for a foreign country to invade the Philippines (though for what reason or what asset remains a head-scratcher).
- for fundamentalist evangelists both local and foreign to swoop in and increase their (revenue-generating) flock.
- for migration consultants to set up shop (skills shortages abound in the First World!).

There’s always opporunity in aversity, just like an equities market crash presents opportunities for those who begged to differ back when “analysts” wantonly dished out buy recommendations when times were good.

Then again, none of the above may happen. It’s just not worth it. There is no gold in the Philippines for the Indiana Jones’s to go after, no longer any timberland worth besieging, no great technologies to sieze, no majestic palaces to plunder, no cashed-up people to fill “donation” boxes.

The only reason for any foreign power to intervene in the Philippines is because it poses a LIABILITY to the region.

Nothing more than that.

one element is the hawks in the cabinet who some months back wanted a war-like situation as it expanded the political options of the president (as well as the money to be made from emergency military appropriations). it may be that that plan is unraveling at a very inconvenient time for them.

Malaysia’s interest is in question too. Remember, Malaysia helped brew this rebellion right after Jabidah. Surely, it would be in the Malaysians’ interest if the Mindanao rebellion would continue, simply because it would distract Manila’s attention away from Sabah.

Personally, while it appears that peace talks is the way to go, I believe they won’t effect ong-term stability. Intelligence reports have always pointed to MILF’s connections with the bandit Abu Sayaff. The MILF could not even control its ranks, what with the horrible beheadings of our Marines last year. We have seen how the MILF used the talks as a pretense to acquire more arms, then declare hostilities, then call for talks again when they run out of ammunitions. It has become a vicious cycle.

I know this is harsh, and there would be a lot of collateral damage, but I think the government should first gain the upper hand, i.e. restore Philippine sovereignties in all MILF camps and neutralize the MILF through serious military offensive, before there should be any talks. And the talks should not, in any way, be an avenue for them to infringe more on our sovereignty. Legitimate grievances for the Bangsamoro people is one thing. Seccessionism is another. The latter should not be tolerated.

This should be done, of course, with an aggressive diplomatic offensive in the Middle East to explain our stand with our Arab friends.

But the question is, would the government and the AFP be willing to neutralize the muslim rebels? That remains to be seen. War is profitable.