A picture has emerged of Moro Islamic Liberation Front spokesman Mohagher Iqbal (a fake name he uses for his public appearances and representation with the Philippine government) and Bangsamoro peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer in a forum with Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadets in Baguio City. In a photo published on Minda News the man currently known as “Iqbal” and Coronel-Ferrer are shown handing over “some books on the Bangsamoro and the Bangsamoro peace process” to PMA officials.
The irony in the very likely possibility that these cadets may one day face terrorist elements such as those that form the Moro Islamic Liberation Front hangs over this quaint affair. As if to deliver a veiled threat to future officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the man known as “Iqbal” and his sidekick Coronel-Ferrer presume to speak with authority about the horrors of war that could engulf Mindanao and imply that this will remain an on-going threat if their pet Bangsamoro Basic Law proposal fails to pass into law. Back in mid-2015 “Iqbal” warned of “dire consequences for Mindanao and the Philippines if Congress fails to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL)”…
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“First, we will miss the opportunity, and it’s been said that opportunity knocks only once. That opportunity will sometimes not come up again. Second, frustration will rise above normal levels. Uncertainty will give way to lawlessness in Mindanao,” he said.
Frustration over Congress’ failure to pass the proposed BBL, Iqbal warned, might worsen the peace problem in the South.
However, there are also the realities surrounding the question of whether or not “Iqbal” and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front really represent the broad-based interests of Mindanao’s Muslim community. Furthermore, there are big sums of money and vast potential resources at stake (or, more appropriately, up for grabs) in this venture. Get Real Post writer Ilda pointed out in her February 2015 article BBL: An agreement with just one Muslim rebel group will not bring peace to Mindanao…
One doesn’t have to be a genius to realize that spending time crafting and deliberating the proposed law that caters only to one rebel group is a waste of time and resources. The MILF will even get billions of pesos from the government to assist them in creating their sub state. Aside from that, all their previous atrocities will be “pardoned” after the bill is passed. This could include the massacre of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troops in Mamasapono. No wonder the number of rebel groups seems to be growing. They not only enjoy killing our troops, they also get rewarded for it.
Furthermore…
How can the MILF speak on behalf of all Muslims in Mindanao when they can’t even convince the other rebel groups to join their cause? Is the MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal even talking to any of his counterparts in the BIFF, MNLF and Abu Sayyaf? It doesn’t look like it. How will they iron out their differences if the BBL is passed? It seems whatever Iqbal said in front of the recent Senate hearing and to the media — that the MILF is for peace — is totally different from what the MILF foot soldiers do in reality. Iqbal saying that MILF didn’t want what happened is not going to convince most Filipinos that the shooting of the wounded 29 SAF troopers, execution-style was an act of self-defence especially when the act was caught on video.
It is astounding that the Philippine government would actually bring the leader of a state enemy into the inner sanctum of its premiere military academy to meet with the future of its armed forces’ leadership. What is even more outrageous is the manner with which this man currently known as “Mohagher Iqbal” continues to use that fake name to represent himself and the interests of his group.
In light, too, of how the Philippines is also facing mounting external threats, this possibly presents an unacceptable risk to national security. Many attempts being made by the administration of Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III to prove that the man currently known as “Iqbal” is not an agent of the Malaysian government have only raised more questions.
The the government of Malaysia through its prime minister Najib Razak played a major role in the effort to broker this “peace” deal. It is interesting because the Philippines has a long-standing claim to the resource-rich Malaysian state of Sabah. So one might wonder why the Philippine government would choose to involve a foreign government with which it has a standing dispute over territory so geographically (and also culturally and historically) close to western Mindanao (where much of the proposed Bangsamoro autonomous region would be carved out) as a partner in such a sensitive undertaking.
Iqbal has since denied that he and Moro Islamic Liberation Front chair Murad Ebrahim are Malaysian passport holders and even presented what looked like a scanned digital image of his passport to “social news network” Rappler.com. However, the image had key pieces of information blotted out including Iqbal’s “real name”, his date of birth, and passport number. Ebrahim, for his part, has so far remained silent on the issue.
Though all of this information may, at first, seem to stand up as “evidence” that Ebrahim and Iqbal are neither Malaysian nationals nor Malaysian passport holders, there remains big enough gaps in the “evidence” so far emerging to give enough reason for Filipinos to doubt the veracity of all these claims. In fact, they only raise even more questions.
For one, why were Ebrahim and Iqbal unable to provide their real names to the Philippine public? The fact that they were treated as equal partners in a “peace process” in which the Philippine and Malaysian governments are parties to, makes them public figures. This means Filipinos were entitled to be privy to information of sufficient quality to fully authenticate their identities. A scanned image of a passport and Iqbal’s word that Ebrahim is “not a Malaysian passport holder” should never have been considered acceptable proof of identity.
President BS Aquino, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, and Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Murad Ebrahim in happier times
Does the BI’s arm need to be twisted before they cough up that information and clear the matter once and for all?
Finally, it is really not surprising that Filipinos would be quick to believe that Ebrahim and Iqbal are not Filipinos and would remain skeptical about all this purported “proof” to the contrary so far being circulated across the Net. For one thing, it is common knowledge that the Philippines remains a claimant to the Malaysian state of Sabah and has so far not made an official categorical withdrawal to this claim. The Malaysian Connection was also reinforced by the “mysterious” submission of a report on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s own investigation into the Mamasapano Massacre to the Malaysian government instead of to the Philippine government.
Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr said this report is crucial for Senate hearings investigating the incident to continue…
“But to proceed on that hearing, I really need to see the MILF report which they mysteriously sent to Malaysia instead of the Philippines. There is no point on my having a hearing, walang silbi yun na hindi natin alam kung ano ang nangyari sa MILF side,” he said.
Rather than assuage Filipinos’ doubts that they have been had by a bunch of terrorists, the Malaysian government and their own government under the leadership of President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III, every new piece of information surrounding the BBL seems to merely contribute to convincing Filipinos that there indeed exists a vast conspiracy to insult their already dwindling intelligence. When will it all end with satisfying closure?
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Getting buddy-buddy with them so that they won’t engage him and his minions out there in Mindanao when they run the place for themselves?
Donald Trump winning the US Presidency would be good for the Philippines. ????
Once President Trumps plan to throw out and ban muslims from the USA comes into effect, other civilized countries will follow suit, especially Australia who has already started the ball rolling and is sending them to emote islands away from the Australian mainland to be processed.
The secessionist problem in Mindanao was created by Malaysia to assure them of keeping Sabah at all costs that they would even encourage a civil war or religious war in Mindanao.
Malaysian and pinoy politicians will manipulate sincere believers of their faiths just to get power.
Open society ducation as a subject in schools that promotes and protect the Secular State should be the objective of every education providers in the country to prevent religious fundamentalism that is the most potent ammunition of demagogues and terrorists like Ferrer and Iqbal.
I would understand if Iqbal is very much in the game of deception. (1) He considers the Philippines as their enemy. (2) Taquiyya is very much Muslim; to lie to an enemy is a highly regarded virtue as far as they are concerned. But, if he wants peace with us, could he at least try as best as he could to show even a modicum of sincerity. He already knows his audience in us are already wary to begin with, because we know they lie, but he does not even try. I think we all want peace, and we could give them the benefit of doubt if we see an effort. But no, they strut around proud of their Taquiyya, and so it is so frustrating because we could never fathom this.
But if the enemy uses lie as a weapon, we should not. We can’t and should not be like them. In our side, it is truth that should be our weapon. But lo and behold, what do we see, a government of ours so adept also at deception.
PNoy knows the Sereno Court will hand over a decision re Grace Poe, which would be unpalatable to many. So what do they do, they got a broadsheet that morning the announcement would be made to scream a headline: Justices being bribed 50 million each to DQ Poe. What cockamamie, ha, even if it insults the Justices. Of course, it is disinformation. It is deception.
PNoy was about to announce the appointment of his classmate since elementary, Jose Rene Almendras, as SDFA. Of course, as in any appointment done by PNoy, Almendras is the most unqualified. So what do they do, they float first the idea that it would be the fumbling Presidential Spokeperson, Edwin Lacierda, who will be appointed. Of course, there was a howl of protest from the public because everybody knows Lacierda only got his position because he put up a blog just prior to 2010 praising PNoy. It was of course a disinformation to soften the public so Almendras could be accepted as a better alternative to Lacierda. What deception.
Same thing happened prior to the appointment of Maria Lourdes Sereno as CJ of SC. In the first place, she should not even be in the list of JBC because she failed her psychiatric and psychological tests. But no, PNoy wanted her in the list because she had this decision that Cojuangcos could hang on to Hacienda Luisita, and the hell with the farmers. So what do they do, they first float that it would be the abrasive Leila de Lima, who does not even respect the SC as an institution, who would be CJ. Of course, the public protested. What disinformation. What deception.
The same vile playbook prior to the appointments to Justices of Marvic Leonen, who claims to be an academic, but is more of a crackpot if you’ve read the BBL he crafted, and of Alfredo Caguioa, another classmate of PNoy. They first present the most unpalatable to pave the way for the less unpalatable, but still so unqualified for the position in question. Thing is, they have used that playbook from the beginning, that they have already forgotten more and more to even hide, or mask, their deception.
So how could we even trust Coronel-Ferrer, who is in the company of people whose blood do not even have red and white cells, but cells of deception. Her famous lawyer father must be turning in his grave for allowing herself to be in such company. Doesn’t she realize that public now see her as public enemy number one for her treason. Bitch, wake up.
Peace is last in the minds of Iqbal, Ferrer and PNoy. Even the last 100 days when we still have to put up with these traitors seem like a century.
Thank you, SAF44, for opening the eyes of the nation. You will always be in our hearts.
We pay a person the compliment of acknowledging his superiority whenever we lie to them.
“This Is A Total DISGRACE… To The AFP, To The Sovereignty Of State… And To Her People And To The Brave Who Were Massacred”
You Can Read More On The Unlawful, Unconstitutional BBL Either On FB or At The Aguila Freedom Blogspot.
Imagine Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi visiting West Point to speak with US cadets. This ridiculous scenario is playing in the Philippines instead.
If someone would come to buy your house; or lease your property. Would you deal with a person of Assumed name? Or a man using an Alias?
It is known in those countries, with problems of ISIS/Al Queda terrorism. That these ISIS/Al Queda terrorists, do not use their Real Names. They use Aliases or Assumed Names.
Malaysia is interested to grab Mindanao. They have taken , Sabah (North Borneo), already. They want more of the Philippine territories.
With the Chinese grabbing , piece by piece, of Philippine territories. And, Malaysia, with their Surrogate Fighters doing insurrections in Mindanao.
Aquino, Mar Roxas and their minions, collaborating with these enemies. They are trying to sell us to our enemies…the enemies are not even paying us in the deal. We are paying the enemies, to buy us…
One day, we will find ourselves, like the Kurds. Part of their country was taken by Iraq. Part was taken by Syria. Part was taken by Turkey. And, the remaining part was taken by Iran. There was no more : Kurdistan. It was swallowed by neighboring countries.
I doubt very much that Ms Coronel-Ferrer and her friend (aka)Mohaguer Iqbal proceeded to the PMA without clearance from Malacanang or, at the very least, from Camp Aguinaldo. They would not have been allowed in otherwise. If this were the case, it could only mean that; a) the BBL is a done deal, or, b) This President and his Military Brass have nothing but hot air between the ears. The ‘Academy’ has always been hallowed ground to her graduates and has always been treated as a secure military installation.. no less secure and important than even ‘Aguinaldo’. For ‘an Iqbal’ to just waltz in with Ms Coronel-Ferrer, is both unseemly and incongruous.
The so called peace panel and their supporters in the ‘Palace’ have, thus far, gotten away with brazenly flaunting their disregard for the constitution and their scorn for the Filipino.
Their activities have been conducted under the radar, (almost clandestinely); so much so, that when the product of their work is ‘sprung’, the poor unsuspecting and trusting citizenry is stunned. There’s got to be a way to monitor all activity that has to do with the BBL. After all, the biggest stakeholder.. the 95% of the Philippine population.. are the ones to be ultimately affected adversely.
Yes, this republic of ours is peopled by low grade intellect, undeveloped intuition, therefore, depraved-prone character ready to sell out at the mention of an amount of money to last only a year’s sustainance for food, shelter and clothing plus a fair amount of leisure at the beer garden at Ermite Manila! What sayeth Dude?
They should sell souvenir “Iqbal” teddy bear stuff toys and key chains to go with those books. Might as well make money while they’re at it.