RIYADH, 19 October 2007 — A Philippine legislator has questioned the sincerity of Manila in resolving the decades-long strife in the country’s southern region.
Speaking before members of the Maranao community in the Kingdom, Rep. Pangalian M. Balindong said it goes without saying that the problems in Mindanao must be resolved by its own people.
He said one cannot solve a problem unless he knows the root causes.
“In order for a doctor to cure a patient he must know all the diagnoses made,” said Balindong, who represents Lanao del Sur province’s 2nd district.
“The same application must be applied to the problem in Mindanao. But I am sad to say that the Philippine government has never been sincere,” he added.
Balindong, a member of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Lakas-CMD coalition, spoke in three successive community gatherings in Jeddah this week.
Balindong, who was one of the authors of the Tripoli Agreement on Mindanao, said the persistent attempt by Manila to minimize the Filipino Muslim population is one concrete example of the national government’s insincerity in coming up with an honest-to-goodness solution to the so-called Mindanao Conflict.
He said that in the 1970s, the official census made by the Manila government claimed that the population of Muslims in the Philippines was about three million, or 10 percent of the national count of 30 million.
He noted that until now, Manila continues to claim that there are only about three million Filipino Muslims even as the national population has almost tripled. In 2005, the National Statistics Office estimated that there were more than 87 million Filipinos.
This obvious tampering of statistics is laughable, he said.
“Where have the Muslims gone all these years?” he asked. “Muslims unlike Christians are allowed to marry four women, so where are the children of these wives?”
Consul General
During the same gatherings, Balindong also batted for the retention of Consul General Pendosina Lomondot as head of mission at the Philippine Consulate General in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia. “We are here as guest of Allah and thousands of Muslims in the Philippines come here every year so somebody of the same faith must serve his fellow Muslims while performing their religious duty in sacred places,” he said.
Lomondot is said to be returning to the Philippines before the year ends, having completed his tour of duty.
Lomondot was named consul general in Jeddah in 2004.
His rumored replacement is Ezzedine Tago, son of a former career diplomat from Lanao del Sur and who was among the first graduates of the International Philippine School in Jeddah.
Balindong was among several political leaders from the Lanao provinces who was in the Kingdom to perform Umrah.
Another key leader was newly elected Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal “Bombit” Adiong Jr., who was also present in the gathering organized by the United Malabang Islamic Foundation.
Adiong was also honored in another thanksgiving party by the Shakhba International, in collaboration with United Bangsaranao Council.
Adiong, whose late father also served as governor in Lanao del Sur, said he came to the Kingdom “to offer thanks to my supporters and above all to Almightily Allah” for his victory.
“Last year we came here as ordinary people seeking your support and now we are back to express our thanks and seek your support once again for the benefit of our people,” he said.
“The task is very big and one person cannot do it alone. I need your advice, your experience and your support in order for us to fulfill our tasks,” he said.
Among the community leaders present were veteran peace advocate and former Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Speaker Abulkhair Alonto, who was former Philippine ambassador to Nigeria; Sultan Sa Masiu and his wife and currently mayor of the municipality of Tamparan.
Retired Col. Maulana Alug was among the guest during Shakhba gathering. He represented the so-called Ranao Claims Against Power Plant (ARCAPP), authored and supported by former UBC Sheikh Albani Maongco.
