ARMM assembly passes resolution vs Balikatan in Lanao, Marawi

COTABATO CITY – Members of the Regional Assembly of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao passed yesterday a resolution opposing the RP-US Balikatan joint military exercises scheduled this month in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur.

The assembly, also known as the Congress of the ARMM, drafted the resolution after Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr. and Marawi City Mayor Fahad Salic expressed opposition to the military exercise during separate dialogues with local leaders.

ARMM Speaker Paisalin Tago, an ethnic Maranaw from the First District of Lanao del Sur, said the Armed Forces and the US Embassy have ignored local leaders and planned the military exercises and humanitarian projects without consulting the affected Muslim community in the area.

“There are always mixed feelings among the Maranaw people about any presence of US forces in any part of Lanao del Sur and Marawi City, where our ancestors fought a bloody jihad (holy war) against the Spaniards and the Americans,” Tago said.

Tago said the ARMM assembly is not opposed to any socio-economic project of the US government as long as the Maranaws find it acceptable and will not rekindle historical precedents that have generated anti-US sentiments among Muslims.

“But the problem is we were never even consulted. There was no prior coordination both by the US Embassy and the Armed Forces. People in the province have construed it as total disrespect for all Maranaws in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur,” Tago said.

Adiong, scion of a Maranaw clan that fought the Americans, Spanish and Japanese colonizers, told local leaders last week that he was surprised that the humanitarian projects will be conducted in Lanao del Sur starting on Feb. 18.

He said organizers should have consulted him and his leaders first before finalizing the project.

A group of Maranaws belonging to newly organized Ranao Crescent against Balikatan held an indignation rally yesterday in Marawi City to show their opposition to any RP-US military exercise in the area.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said on its website www.luwaran.com that AFP and US officials have not coordinated with rebel forces in Lanao del Sur.

Lanao del Sur is covered by the 1997 General Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities with the government, which mandates the MILF and government security forces to closely coordinate any tactical maneuvers by either side in areas covered by the low-level truce as part of the effort to preserve the cordiality of the peace talks.

The Army’s 4th Infantry Division in Cagayan de Oro City earlier said the planned RP-US military exercises in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur are purely “humanitarian in nature,” which would provide free medical and dental services to Maranaws and other civic action projects that are non-military in character.