FEW GOOD MEN

By Sunny Rasheed Lucman Pacasum (10-June-2006)

(This is derived from http://www.maranao.com)

Throughout history, the world has been through many experiences during which the word and the sword were used. History never forgets those who stood by people to realise their dream of peaceful co-existence, freedom and equality. In turn it will not forget those who suppressed minorities and abused their political,social and economic rights. History books carried the names of many leaders who played major roles in their peoples' lives.

However, today most of us Moros lament the fact that there are no congressmen and senators representing us who stand out in the congressional debates on major current events. It was so different during the time of Sen. Alauya Alonto, Sen. Domocao Alonto, Sen. Salipada Pendatun and Cong. Rashid Lucman.They were stuff of legend, spoken about with awe, men who were fearless in ways that added a whole new dimension to the word. They opposed every program that smelled of marcos dictatorship. The only display of brilliance we could pick out from the present crop of legislators was during the war against terror of Cong. Jun Macarambon, the shut up incident of Cong. Digs Dilangalen and the impeachment vote of Congressman Mujiv Hattaman. I can only hope neither of them abandon the capacity for idealism that goes with their obvious gift of articulation. But nothing noteworthy to mention followed afterwards.

If there is one institution in this country today that best shows the extent of degeneration of our political system, it’s the house of Representatives. It’s the one institution that manifests how so entrenched political patronage and elitist politics in this country are. For so long an institution dominated by self serving political leaders, it does everything right or wrong to ensure that their political and economic survival is assured. It only shows that in this country the only thing more volatile than weather is principle.

If you analyze the function of the Bangsamoro who is positioned in government, he is never enabled to really take a firm stand. He would open his mouth only to the degree that the political atmosphere will allow him to do so. In my opinion a mature political action is the type of action that enables the Bangsamoro to see the fruits that they should be receiving from the politicians and thereby determine whether or not the politicians are really fulfilling his function. And if he is not, then we should set up the mechanism to remove him from the position by whatever means necessary. There’s only one way to put a politician out in conventionally - and that is to vote him out.

How could this happen to us? I can go on and bitterly blame the government, but that would be a futile exercise. Instead I would like to enjoin Muslim officials and policy makers and everyone on the Bangsamoro payroll to please, please take a look around you. It wouldn’t hurt to have some concern for your constituents and their living conditions. So to our Moro leaders and to all the honorable Muslims of the land, you who are our legitimate representatives, who were voted into office by the Bangsamoro people. Though few in numbers, you remain our only protectors against an oppressive government. As others have been corrupted with bribes and promises of bribes, may you stand as firm and as defiant as our Mujahideen brothers. The challenge before you is not showing the numbers, it is righting wrongs. The challenge before you is not closing ranks, it is opening eyes. It is better to lose fighting the good fight than to win peddling the bad cause.

I always have the faith in the securities of our tomorrow’s hope that the days of our children will be better than our own. But the Bangsamoro is losing that faith; now majority of our people believe that the next 3 years will be worse than the past 3 years. I believe the time to act is now. These are the times that shape the character of a person.

Today we have the opportunities to create future leaders. Positive change must be permanent not cosmetic.

Our situation cannot be changed overnight. It needs an over-all change not only in our political structures but more importantly in our ways of thinking—that is our sense of awareness. If you will look at it clearly, the greatest enemy of the Bangsamoro is not our leaders although they have much to answer for where we are situated now, but in all honesty, our greatest enemy is ourselves. The truth is, no one is clean and no one is with out responsibility. Not me, not you and not our politicians. Each and everyone of us should do his part.

We keep on blaming our political leaders for the mess we are in. We keep on demanding good governance from them but we have not demanded anything from ourselves so Muslim Mindanao wouldn’t remain impoverished. Let us try to change our traditional way of thinking and our negative attitudes toward life.

My point is before we start looking for heroes let us look for our personal responsibility from within ourselves. Before we criticize our fellow Moros and politicians, we should look at ourselves; because even if we are able to completely change all the people in the government—from the President down to the Barangay level, without our involvement to change their consciousness, we will still go back to the same predicament in no time. The solution to this problem is to impart to every bangsamoro religious education so that they do not yield to any malignant influence.

It is the failure of the government's school system that is greatly distressing. We must attempt to educate them in their own atmosphere and in the scene of their own activities, because in such surroundings the best efforts on the part of the teacher are in vain. As soon as our youth leave school they will mingle with company of their own sort which nullified the school influence altogether. The only solution to this problem is separating them from their social environment, only for a period of time, And gathered together in mosques or religious institutions away from bad spheres of influence. Thus detached from their wordly and material atmosphere, they would be imparted education by counsel and guidance in the company of religious people.Voting wisely is merely standing your ground. Whatever happens to the elections, you win by the very act of following your conscience.

I honestly don’t know what the future will really bring us. But I am hoping that if we continue dreaming for a brighter tomorrow for Muslim Mindanao and if we keep on believing that there is still hope for the Bangsamoro, then someday Inshallah we might just see that dreams really do come true...WASSALAM!