Experience in Mindanao
The objectives of this observation are to learn, to share and to exchange our experiences among each other from different countries according to what we saw, we touched, and interviewed some of the candidates, NGO staff, fishermen, Islamic religious leader, priests, and first time voter group all on Basilan province between 8th -15th May 2007 under the sponsorship of the Asia Foundation and the ANFREL. This paper is such a kind of diary, basically agreed with what Steven Rood (2005) who had researched earlier in “Forging Sustainable Peace in Mindanao: The Role of Civil Society.” Many kinds of forces, threats, and cheatings in the elections were found. However, there is still no one discussed which model would probably be suitable for them if any amendments taken place someday in future? With respect, we highly appreciate all free election processes in everywhere in this world. We also really believe only through the process in democratization of a system that could help people free and decide in what they need and in how they choose to implement and improve their communities. Thus this diary is an empirical work that reported chronologically and begun from the author’s home on 3rd May 2007 in Thailand and ended on 15th May 2007 in Basilan province, Mindanao. This observation has become important because Basilan is one of the 5 provinces of Autonomous Region of Muslim Moro (ARMM), the Muslim autonomous zones that been made through an agreement between the Moro movement fronts (Muslim Islamic Liberation Front-MILF and Muslim National Liberation Front-MNLF, excluding Abu Sayaf Group-ASG) as one party and the Government of Filipino as the other party. The agreement was mediated by Jakarta in 1996 before the MILF broke away from the MNLF after the Tripoli Agreement. Conflicts among themselves then emerged, MNLF was based in Sulu, MILF based in Cotabatu and Lanao regions, and ASG or Abu Sayaf Group based on Sulu and Basilan island. Thus in this paper we can see some effects that might be our lesson to rethink and be careful in making decision in whatever activity or agreement which is related to or concerned with our communities in general. I really believe that the elections in the ARMM provinces from past to present could teach us some lessons regarding what we have decided without a good planning, political research, and wisdom. Threats and forces without wisdom could not help any one have better living standards, but suffered in over all. Thus, the system model of election sometimes needs amending for the community happiness in general. Now, let me begin this paper through my diary records from 3rd May until the end of the 14th May 2007 Free Election.
On 3rd May 2007, I started my journey at 9.20 a.m. from Saiburi District to Bantoan Airport in Narathiwat (one of the 4 southernmost provinces of Thailand) by a minibus of Airasia service from the Saiburi Office agent. It charged 130 Baht per trip per head. I had paid for the flight ticket a week before the journey, it was 1907.43 Baht. I arrived at the Airport at 10.10 a.m. After I did my check-in, I was waiting until 11.30 a.m. for the Airasia flight FD 3150 departure. The flight was directly to Suwannabhum Airport in Bangkok and arrived at the Airport at 1.10 p.m. From there I got a phone-call from a staff of the Asian Network for Free Election (ANFREL), his nickname is Rhang. Rhang was waiting for me near one of the exist gates to collect me by a taxi and took me to the ANFREL office on Suthisarn Street. The taxi-fare was around 200.00 Baht from the Suwannabhum Airport to the ANFREL office on Suthisarn Street. I was there for checking my email and meeting some ANFREL’s staff until 4.00 p.m. that I was taken to a hotel named Watana Mansion Hotel for a night stay there. I stayed at Room No. 520, the cost for one night stay at this hotel was 690.00 Baht. This price was included with an insurance (100.00 Baht per head). However, the insurance was returned back to the customer after we did our check-out. At the Hotel, around 7.00 p.m. Khun Puttani, a lady who worked at an NGO agent phoned in, she wanted to meet me at the Hotel for having our view exchanges. We were talking about how to solve the conflicts in Pattani (southern Thailand) while having a glass of orange-juice at the ground floor in the Hotel’s restaurant for two hours. The important thing we talked until 9.00 p.m. was a political method and searching a suitable model of autonomous zones that would be utilized for the four southernmost provinces of Thailand. She basically agreed with me that these four provinces such as Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Satun should be guaranteed with a free election process for governorship. Besides, a political party especially for the Malay-Muslims there should be arranged for the local people. We should let the locals choose their own way to solve the conflicts. We, as the government should serve and support them for peace and having free election. What we believe only through this way that the conflicts in the southernmost provinces of Thailand be solved. However, we still could not find which model that the autonomous zone for these four southernmost provinces should be.
On 4th May 2007, two staff from the ANFREL, one was Song from Thailand and the other, Mohd. Ishak from Indonesia, they knocked my door at 6.30 a.m. We then took a taxi from the Hotel directly to the Suwannabhum Airport. From there, I met Khun Somsri for the first time, a Head of the ANFREL program posted for the Bangkok branch. We had a minor problem at the Airport before having our flight check-in. Khun Nittaya a lady from Chiangmai was not there. It took around an hour searching for her then we came to know from the counter that Khun Nittaya had had her check-in directly from Chiangmai. We felt happy after we knew that Khun Nittaya was coming and would meet us inside in the Airport waiting-hall for boarding.
We left Bangkok for Manila by TG 620. The flight arrived at Aquino Airport in Manila around 2.00 p.m., we then hurriedly went out to continue our journey by a domestic flight to Zamboanga (Mindanao) because the flight would be departed at 3.03 p.m. All the trips in Philippines were arranged by Ms. Tattine, the Asia Foundation staff. Fortunately, we were on time. We arrived at the Zamboanga Airport at 5.00 p.m. There, we met some other staff from Bangladesh, USA, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Philippines. We then were taken to have three or four night-stays at Garden Orchid Hotel. I meant some of us stayed three nights but some others did four nights, it depended on the trips for our destination. At this Hotel, every body received a Foreign Observer ID card for Republic of the Philippines COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS Manila (COMELEC). It was for May 14t, 2007 Synchronized National and Local ELECTIONS. I came to know from there that this observation was sponsored by the Asia Foundation. For me, I got the ID card No. 062. At night, a representative of the Foundation (Ms. Tattine) came to pay some amount of money for everyone of the observers, the money was around 35,948.00 PHP. This amount was to spend in three categories: for room accommodations in Mindanao areas amounting 13,244.00 PHP, per diem 19,866.00 PHP, and communication-sim/cell cards 2,838.00 PHP. From this Hotel around 9.30 p.m., I and Khun Nittaya went out around 200 meters from the Garden Orchid Hotel where we stayed to buy a roll of film for my camera. The film was sold 105.00 PHP per roll. Khun Nittaya bought a five-litter bottle of pure water, 50.00 PHP per unit. I felt very tired. That night I slept at 10.30 p.m.
On 5th May 2007, at the Garden Orchid Hotel, it was the first day for our conference about the briefing schedule for ANFREL OBSERVERS 5TH and 7th May 2007. From this conference I knew many friends who participated in the observation. I was informed that they were from 6 different countries totaling 21 people. The group from Indonesia was the biggest one, they were around 9 persons, Thailand including me 3, Sri Lanka 1, Bangladesh 2, Pakistan 4, and Malaysia 2. It was also representatives from USA, Canada, and Philippines. The program on this day was very interesting, we began the conference with a general view presented by Dr. Steven Rood, Country Representative and Regional Advisor for Local Governance. He explored and stressed about some backgrounds of the Moro movement and the forging sustainable peace in Mindanao. These backgrounds included the structure of government, levels of elections including the 2004 elections, candidates and parties competing, major political players and alliances, influence of family in politic. However, what interesting on that day to me was the second presenter, Dr. Edward Lim, he talked about the persistence of traditional feudal governance, the role of religion in Autonomous Region of Muslim Moro (ARMM), and his experience of previous elections. He summarized that the problem in Mindanao emerged because of the system of Moro sultanate was abolished by their dominant powers. It was the same conclusion as discussed in the researches written by Che Man (1990) and Wan Mahmood (1998) recently in there books.
After a coffee brake, the presentation was followed by Prof. Alber Hussin (talking about security conflicts, political/clan violence vs. secessionist movements), Atty. Laisa Alamia who was from Bangsamoro Lawyers Network, talking about the situation of women in Mindanao. She informed that many young Filipino ladies including the Muslim Moro are served for prostitution both inside and outside the country because of their poverty.
Atty. Rogelio Benjamin, the Chairman of COMELEC, talking about the legal framework for elections and the structure and the role of COMELEC/DepEd in election administration. The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) partners, talking about the background on local partners.
The ANFREL and Natalia Warat were discussing about the deployment process and financial clarification.
I was very tired, the conference finished at 5.00 p.m. I went to bed early, because I was informed that the next day I would be the first panel to present my paper on the topic of “Democracy and Election: A case study of the Malay-Muslim movement in southern Thailand” in front of some news reporters including the people from high rankings in a huge hall of this Hotel.
On 6th May 2007. I got up early to prepare some slides concerned in my presentation. I was grouped in the first panel for Southeast Asia studies and the third person to present my paper after the presenters from Malaysia and Indonesia. I was very happy that my work was appreciated by Steven Rheaulty-Kihara from the Embassy of Canada in Philippines (Councilor: Political/Economic Relations and Public Affairs). I was informed by a very gentleman Mr. Ky D. Johson that Steven would be posted in Bangkok as the Councilor at the Canadian Embassy in Thailand in the place of Mark McDowell who was working with Denis Comeau, the Canadian Ambassador in Bangkok (both will be leaving Bangkok next semester). Steven came to greet me and gave me his name-card after I presented my paper (Democracy and Election). Further, he also promised to see me in Thailand when he posted there. It was a great atmosphere for me to see him earlier. He is a very kind and very gentleman. His character seems to me almost the same as both Denis and Mark my best friends from the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok.
In the afternoon, I came to know that Ustaz Ismail Ibrahim, an expert in Democracy and Islam, was one to present his paper too. During our greeting, he said salam to me and passed his salam to Dr. Ismail Luthfi (Rector of Yala Islamic University) when he knew that I came from the Yala Islamic University which Dr. Ismail Luthfi the rector there. At the end of the conference, Mr. Harisu, a representative of NGO from Basilan came to see me. He was our captain to coordinate with all high ranking people on Basilan Island. We discussed about the planning to observe the election in the area of Basilan. Our group had three persons: me from Thailand and the other two from Indonesia: Mr. Ade and Mr. Wandy. On that day Harisu informed us that he would bring an interpreter on the next day (7th May) before we separated and backed to our rooms.
On 7th May 2007, at breakfast, I came to know from my Malaysian friend that ARMM in the west of Mindanao has been formed through an unfair tactic by the government of the Philippines. He expressed that how it became an autonomy without their own authority in the budgets for their own autonomous territories themselves. The ARMM has also no authority in their own sea around their islands! He added that the Japanese boats were able to fish around the autonomous islands and the taxes from the Japanese taken to the National Government. For this reason, all Muslim movement fronts including Moro National Liberation front (MNLF) previously led by Nur Missuari and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), previously led by Dr. Hashim Salamat (a well educated scholar in Islamic jurisprudence from Libya) and succeeded by Haji Muran (Civil Engineering from Mindanao University) were not involved in the elections in the past and present! He added that all candidates from ARRM now only the Moro tycoons and the gangsters on the islands “who are struggling for their own interests not for the people.”
At 9.00 a.m. we started the conference. All of the programs for the observation was presented by Tim Meisburger, Regional Director of Elections and Political Processes. It was a good experience I got from him, I came to know what and how to question the local people to learn some tactics of cheating in the election. Afterwards, Mr. Ky D. Johnson, Deputy Representative from USA, with his soft speaking showed us to whom we should contact with in case an accident or any emergency happened. We finished our conference by lunch time. We were not given food for lunch anymore since that day, everybody must have paid by his own pocket from the per diem budget which earlier been given by the sponsor.
At night, I prepared many questions for the observation. What worrying me that night was that I might loose some important data if I were not careful enough. Basically, I was really keen to know whether there are vote buying or not, how the people in the ARMM territories campaign during the elections, and how the people feel about he election.
On 8th May 2007, I got up at 5.00 a.m. and prayed. For the trip to Basilan, we go only by fast crafts and ferries, our fast craft took 1.30 hour on journey from the Zamboanga Sea Port to Basilan. Our group had to join Mr. Abdullah our interpreter and guide who was recommended by Mr. Harisu. Abdullah met us at six a.m. at the ground floor of the Hotel. We then left the Hotel for Basilan at six by taxi and arrived at the seaport for Basilan at 6.20 a.m. On that day the fast craft was leaving for Basilan at 6.40 a.m. The first thing I saw which much impressing me when our boat came closer to the Basilan Sea Port was a mosque from this island. For the first time the mosque was seen around 300 meters from our fast craft away from the Basilan coast. Basilan is very interesting. It has its city, named Isabela which is probably adopted from Isabella, a Spanish word, however, it looks more strange because it does not belong to the ARMM but to the National Government even though it is located in the territories of the ARMM Basilan. I was informed by our interpreter that the total population of Basilan is around two hundred thousand (according to the Governor, the population was half million) with 70% Muslims and 30% Christians that distributed in 4 different ethnicities: Yakan is the biggest ethnicity with 70%, Tausu 10%, Bisaya 10%, and Bisama 10%. Seven municipalities on the Basilan, all except Isabella are the components of ARMM. They are such as Lamitan Municipality (50:50 Muslims:Christians), Toburan Municipality (95:5 Muslims:Christians), Tipok-Tipok Municipality (100% Muslims), Sumisip Municipality (98:2 Muslims:Christians), Maluso Municipality (75:25 Muslims:Christians), and Lantawan Municipality (75:25 Muslims:Christians). In the Isabella city alone, the Muslims are 40% and the Christians 60%. Isabela is also the 9th region and part of Zamboanga among the 14 regions belong to the National Government of the Philippines.
What surprising me that time was, I came to know that Nur Missuari who the former governor from the MNLF in those times, the founder of ARMM, then accused of corruption by the National Government afterwards and serving in jail almost ten years in Manila, became the candidate for Sulu provincial governor on the coming 14th May election 2007 too. Sulu was reported recently that eight people were beheaded by the Abu Sayaf group. Many foreigners were afraid to go there. However, in case he won in the 14th May election as the governor, he would become a candidate for the Regional Governor of ARMM that would be taken place in the next November 2007.
After we arrived at a hotel named Royal Issra Pension Haus Hotel, located in the center of Isabela City, we then quickly went to have breakfast at a Malaysian food restaurant, around 10 minutes away on walk from the Hotel. There were four guides for our group that day on two vehicles: the ANFREL and Mr. Harisu’s car. We were on the Mr. Harisu’s. The first person who we interviewed was the Police Officer Salisa Al-Haj from the Provincial Basilan Police Station or PNP, it seemed around 10 kilometers from the Hotel we stayed. This planning had been arranged by Mr. Harisu earlier. The PNP looked a bit scared and worried during our interview. All we received from him that day looked positive, nothing negative. We then left and went for the second person, Mr. Ramiro A Alivio, Col. PN (M)(MNSA), Commanding Military Officer, 40 kilometers from the first place. It was not easy to meet a Colonel. We were questioned a lot before being taken to meet him. However, through a good planning by Mr. Harisu with a concrete document, we then received some information which looked strange and contradicted to what we got from some reports earlier about violence in Mindanao. The Military Officer confirmed us with full confidence that the violence reported in the newspaper or from all kinds of medias that only a tactic of the politicians and a strategy of the western to discredit our Asian countries. He added that with a new regulation the military could not go closer and they must stay away around 30 meters from the ballots because it was prohibited by law. However, according to him it looks funny and like a joke because he saw by himself in the passed election that a case of 14 years old boy who was paid 100 PHP for cheating in the election by forging his identity card that replacing with some of 18 years old men repeatedly 4 times within an hour. Finally, he simply summarized to us that the case of the 14 years old boy as a good example from what he saw, and he then tried to compare it with some other cases that we did not know!
We felt hungry, that time was about 2.30 p.m. we together then had our lunch before starting to interview the third person. We took our lunch at a restaurant named Eisma Restaurant in Poblacion, the town of Lamitan, around 15 kilometers from the second place. At lunch time, I came to see from the restaurant there that a tactic of cheating on boxes of matches were there. At both sides of the box in my hand were attached with the photos of a candidate. The name of a candidate with her photo on both sides of the box named as “Jessica Eisma Flores.” I asked more information about the matches box from some of the customers who taking food on a chair, a woman from around 4-5 persons answered that the matches box was one of donations and given to almost all customers by Jessica. According to her (the informant), it was such a kind of donations and not a vote buying. However, we who are expert in the election process decided that as a kind of vote buying, because the candidate would never give you such a gift like that to any one outside the election season. I took a piece of picture with my own camera to witness that vote buying in Mindanao was a true story, not a rumor. We then left for prayer. It’s a kind of jamak-khasr prayer that we the Muslims shorten and combine their normal prayers from 4 times of kneeling in Duhri (the time from 1.00 p.m. to 3.30 p.m.) and the other 4 times of kneeing in Asri (the time from 3.40 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.) which both are shortened to 2 times from each during journey according to Islamic rule, we shorten each from 4 to 2 times of kneeling as Duhri+Asri (normally 4 times of kneeling of each and do separately) and combine these prayers together as 2+2 times of kneeling in the one combined time. We did our jamak- khasr prayer at a Tabligh Mosque in the area of Limitan not far from the restaurant.
The third person who interviewed was the Mayor of Lamitan Municipality, named Mr. Orich H. Furgay, away around 5 kilometers from the restaurant we took our lunch. Actually, we tried to get him from his office (Lamitan Municipality), 100 meters from the restaurant. Our people informed that he had left for his house at the market of Lamitan. This area was very busy that time. The people there were in a hurry for shopping, selling goods, and almost all kinds of business. This market looked like some remote areas in our town. The Mayor on that day seemed to be an open minded person. He accepted openly that vote buying was benefiting for the voters. According to him, many people became happy and enjoyed the registration for election when the election time came. It looked like a season of festivals because people could have money from vote buying and used for shopping, he added his views.
We left the third person around 4.50 p.m. and arrived at our Hotel at 5.30 p.m. Everybody felt tired.
On 9th May 2007, at 7.00 a.m., we all three persons worked together to conclude the information we got from the informants the day before following a set of questionnaires I have prepared earlier through my notebook computer.
I went downstairs early to have my breakfast alone because of much hunger, I was the only one who did not take any food since my lunch time the day before. Afterwards I walked around for 20 minutes in the market in front of my Hotel. Sometimes, I felt that the way of the people shopping in the market looks the same as the people do at the market of Kota Bharu in Kelantan (Malaysia). I bought five small bottles of mineral water, amounting 55 PHP from this market, it costs 11 PHP per bottle. Suddenly, I was surprised while paying money for the water, a woman sitting beside the shop keeper tried to ask me in Arabic language. We talked in broken Arabic for a while, I came to know that she used to work in Saudi Arabia. However, I could not be there for a long time, around three-four children came closer and beged for some money when they saw me in the uniform of ANFREL. I gave to them around 30 PHP in coins then quickly left from that place, otherwise probably hundred of children would be running after me begging for money. The people looked rather poor. While I was looking out from the second floor of my Hotel, I saw some beggars walking and some were pulling a small rolling set, I don’t know what we should name in a correct word for it but it was with a radio on it and lauding songs like a campaign of the election begging for money around the market.
We started to work at 9.00 a.m., focusing to meet Ustaz Wahab Akbar, the Provincial Governor of Basilan, around 1 kilometer from our Hotel. I was informed that he got Master’s degree in Islamic laws from Syria. He did not tell us about his former organization involved, however, I was informed by his opponent candidate that he had a lot of outlawed military men from Sulu around the Basilan island and imported a number of guns and mortar bombs more than the number of people for the supports in the election. Some people said that sometimes he was also a Commander of ASG. It was a confusing information. However, at the Governor’s house, inside the gate I heard many people talking in Tausu language. It looked interesting because the Tausu is normally spoken by the people from Sulu islands of ARMM provinces. One example of the Tausu that I heard from what they were speak such as “aki tao kamo”, it is very similar to my mother tongue as “aku tahu kamu” in Malaysian language the meaning as “I know you well.” A while later, a man invited us to go into the Governor’s house. We were welcomed by his first wife. Our guide informed us that the Governor had four wives. Three were the candidates in the 14th May Election. The fourth wife was a Syrian lady living in Syria. For the 14th May 10, 2007 election, the Governor himself was the candidate for the National Congressman, his first wife Mrs. Jum Akbar was running for the Provincial Governor of Basilan, his second wife Mrs. Cherry Akbar, for the Mayor of Isabela, which is not belong to the ARMM but part of Region 9 of Zamboanga, apart from the ARMM territories. The Governor’s third wife Mrs. Nur In Akbar was the candidate for the Lamitan Mayor. The Governor looked happy with democratization of the Filipino system but he was unhappy with the project budgets that released by the National Government, “the family political tactic is very important, because the budget for the provincial provinces of ARMM that being approved by the National Government. In general, within this system looks good because there are budget shares for the ARMM but within the framework of implementation that is very bad, because what it should be is that the budget running after the population, not the population running after the budget.” According to him, with this reason, the population in Basilan was generally very poor. He added, “it is not easy to get the budgets from the National Government for the provincial developments. The government should change the political process of governorship. To us, the best thing to do that is to control the political positions as many as possible. Thus, we must have our Congressman, our Governor, and our Mayors in one time as a combined unit and together in getting more budgets for our development projects.” The Governor viewed that honesty in politics is very important, “no one will be sincere to us other than our wives and niece.” Furthermore, he also had a hope to develop the economic project for the Basilan by increasing some programs to improve in rubber planting projects as much as possible. According to him, rubber is used for many important industries. I came to know from him that the sea around the islands in the ARMM 15 kilometers from the seacoast is belong to the local government. He imagined that Basilan had a half million of population and if the rubber project successful then Basilan would be survived from economic troubles.
I think he is the great man, who was the only one that suggested me through his nine years experience as a governor that, too many levels of elections are dangerous because conflicts among the local people themselves might be in trouble due to different ideologies and methodologies from their political parties. The model of governorship according to him, the autonomous model of Italian system. Election is used only for the Regional Governors not the provincial governors. He emphasized, “Italy has only an elected Regional Governor and the provincial governors are appointed.” This is the way to avoid conflicts which might happen among the local people themselves. The Governor added, “conflicts may happen if too many levels of elections and the conflicts may push the candidates into all kinds of corruptions because they are to spend for their preparation in the next election and they will be busy looking after the money they loosed during the previous election.” Furthermore, the Governor showed us also how to be safe from a tactic of corruptions, “a lot of money could be used for economic developments instead of vote buying in the election of provincial governors and the other reason is that, we are also safe from the corruptions too.” With this reason that the elected governors for the provinces should be appointed in case we have already had the elected Regional Governor. Regarding the vote buying in Basilan, he accepted that it was rampant in Basilan including everywhere in the Philippines. Furthermore, he also viewed about Nur Missuari who running as a Governor candidate for Sulu province in the 14th May 2007 election would be no chance for victory if still under the arrest. Missuari was not allowed to campaign during the election. According to the Governor, the campaign must have used a big amount of money but he (Nur Missuari) was not allowed to do.
The second interview was a Congressman named as Gerry A. Salapuddin and three times serving as the Congressman. Gerry got his degree in Political Science and Law and got Master’s degree in MBA from Zamboanga. He was running for the Provincial Governor of Basilan this time, this position was the former position of Ustaz Akbar. In return, Ustaz Akbar was running for the Congressman, the former position of Gerry. During our interview, Gerry accepted that he was formerly belong to MNLF and turned to moderate to join the Filipino Government since 1988. He was not happy with the violence of killing happened during the election such as the night before that 98 people killed and he was also worried that a lot of people complained suffered from the previous governor who was not doing any economic projects for the developments of Basilan. According to him, mostly the previous governor wasted time for his private business at his house more than at the Basilan Provincial Office. To the Congressmen, he is the representative of the Yakan ethnicity (the biggest population on the Basilan). To his idea earlier, he intended to run for the National Senate, but was requested by his Yakan people to run for the Provincial Governor. Gerry felt ashamed that the Muslims looked struggling in a radical more than a moderate form. The Congressman also told us that in the eyes of the Christians the image of Muslims are bad because the Muslims do not like to work within the system. Regarding the security in Basilan however, he also confirmed us that the military posted in Basilan would secure if any violence happened and he also believed that only him (Gerry) could compete all his opponent candidates in the Basilan province. We interviewed the Congressman until 1.30 p.m. and went back to our Hotel for taking a rest.
We started our work again at 3.00 p.m. to meet the Maluso Mayor. According to the people in the Maluso Municipality there were also threats by Abu Sayaf group. On route to the Maluso, we were passing on a cement road. Some partsof the road were still under construction, not completed yet. I was informed by our guide that this cement road was projected and budgeted by the Saudi Arabian government that resulted from the agreement of three parties: MNLF, National Government, and Saudi Arabia. That road has been contracted and built around the Basiland, started from Isabela through all municipalities around the island and back to Isabela more than 100 kilometers long, the budget has been provided amounting to 112 billion PHP since 2005 and would be completed in 2010. It might be this reason that on the way to Maluso some places were still in red mud, we were checked by two military checkpoints before arriving at the house of the Maluso Mayor which is around 40 kilometers from the Hotel. However, we were informed there that the Mayor was in Isabela at that time and would be back to meet us at his house in Maluso for a while afterwards. During waiting for him, we had time for walking around at the seaport in Maluso. We could see some islands which are opposite of the Maluso seaport. To those islands, we were prohibited to visit. There were full of Abu Sayaf people there. Mr. Harisu our captain did not allow us to visit people on those islands. On the port, I accidentally heard some children who were playing on a ground there talking also in Tausu language, the same one as I heard people speaking from the Governor’s house. The word such as “Karina, kao mari” the same as our mother tongue as “Karina, enkau mari” means “Karina, you come here.” It seemed to me that there were also Sulu people in this area. The place we waiting for the Mayor is the market shopping center. A lot of people selling fruits, rice, foods, etc, the same as in a remote area in my towns. However, the rice was sold 26.00 PHP per kilo, much cheaper if compared to my town in Saiburi, Pattani. We were waiting until 5.00 p.m. then received a phone call from Hj. Abdel Mooh Seen Sakib A. Salajin, the Maluso Mayor. He told us that the population of Maluso was totaling 17,000-21,000 people. He assured us that the people were tired of civil wars, they wanted peace, development, agriculture, infrastructure, and better life. According to him, freedom is very important, “through a moderate process will help the people improve their lives.” The Mayor also accepted that threats during elections were still challenging the election process. The Mayor would fight the threats through a legislative process if happened. However, a councilor candidate told me while we were at the market that there was also forcing with guns on election days in the passed. However, the Mayor had a fully confidence that he would win in the 14th May election. For him, that was the final term. According to the system of Philippines, the candidates can be elected for three terms and three years (lifetime) long for each term. We then left his house and arrived at the Hotel at 7.00 p.m. During our journey back to the Hotel, Mr. Harisu (an NGO staff and our captain) phoned in to check us where we were. He was trying to check us when he learnt that we were too late coming back to our Hotel. Thank God, we were glad because he looked worried of us all the time.
On 10th May 2007, we concluded our reporting together at 7.00 a.m. and took our breakfast at the Malaysian food restaurant. I just saw the name of this restaurant on that day as “Tinis.” All of us had food except our friend Ade, he had taken his breakfast with a lot of instant noodles in his room, he bought the noodles from Zamboanga during we were at the Garden Orchid Hotel there. At 10.00 a.m. we arrived at the Isabela Mayor Office. The population of Isabella written on the board in this Office was 73,032 people and 13,758 households. On that day we planed to meet the Mayor Hon. Luis R. Biel’s eldest son, Richie Biel, who running for the Mayor, and the younger, Loy Loy Biel, running for the Vice Mayor. I was informed afterwards that their father was shot dead last year. For an hour we were waiting his staff contact for Richie (the Mayor). Unfortunately, we were informed that the Mayor being admitted in the Isabela City Hospital due to suddenly sickness the night before. The Hospital is located beside the Isabela City Office. However, I could see that Isabela was far better compared to any other cities on this Basiland. It was cleaner, more standards, more people coming to the Office, more peaceful, and more smiling people. We then went to meet the COMELEC of Basilan province. However, unfortunately, after waiting for half an hour then a staff from the Office informed us that the Basilan COMELEC Officer was having a long meeting with a COMELEC Officer from Manila, not possible to meet him on that day. I then requested Abdullah, (our guide) to go to see Mr. Harisu at his office for getting more communication afterwards we arrived at Harisu’s office at 11.30 a.m. and took a rest in the office while waiting for a reply from the targets needed. Finally, we got a reply from one of ulamas (religious scholar, named as Dr. Aboulkhair) who confirmed for our appointment in the afternoon. We left the office around noon time and had our lunch on the way to our Hotel. That was the first time we found a restaurant serving all kinds of food on the table, we must have touched only in the plates we wanted, otherwise we had to pay for all plates.
At 3.00 p.m. we started to meet Dr. Aboulkhair S. Tarason (Ph.D in Islamic Law, Islamic Theology from Umm al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia), the Chairman of Basilan Ulamah Supreme Council, Dean & Professor of Basilan Islamic College and Mahad Mubarakat Alarabie Alislamie. In general, he did not agree with Muslim women as the candidates or leaders even though they are allowed in the Philippines. However, Aboulkhair suggested us that the best system for the communities is the system that the people have freedom to decide themselves in what model they need and that model must not against Islamic laws. All threats and forces are prohibited in Islam. He added that NGO has helped a lot in giving knowledge about the elections and freedom to his students in Islamic colleges. In the Philippines, all religious leaders must be neutral for the elections. Aboulkhair also accepted that threats and forces still there in Toburan, Tipok-Tipok, and Sumisip as examples. Finally, he also agreed that some parts of the system especially in the economic projects should be amended for better living standards. Before we left him we were invited into his house and had mango drinks from his warmed welcome. That day we arrived our Hotel at 4.30 p.m.
On 11th May 2007, we planed to go interview a female candidate for Isabela Provincial Board, Mrs. Nida Patino Dans. She explained many programs about her planning to help her community. To her, three programs are important: good polity in governance, poverty reduction, and cultural exchanges. For this reason, Nida was running in an independent category, she would not involved in political parties. She s began to be the Provincial Board in 1998. Nida accepted that some violence might happen but not in the Basilan province, it was on small islands far away which looked not really concerned with the people in Basilan. She looked worried, a lot of news reported many times which damaged the image of the Basilanians in general. However, vote buying of 500 PHP was rampant, she added. A lot of people were still very poor, fishermen got only 15 PHP a day, disable community had no chance to upgrade their society, medical maternal health care was still in critical, and misunderstandings among the Christians and the Muslims still there. She did not deny that threats and forces occurred almost every place including cheating as dag, dag, bawas (add, add, and erase) in Basilan. “However, she had a logical idea that it is not possible (for the gangster) to kill all people in the Isabela. Nida looked much confident in the system of legislative processes, she added that ombudsman organizations would catch any corruptions from the officials who involved. An example, many staff of the Basilan Provincial Office have not taken their salaries for 4 months that time (before the 14 May election). She noticed that where had the money gone if not for vote buying! Money politic was very challenging for the clean candidates in Basilan, she added. We interviewed until 11.30 p.m. then hurriedly left for our Hotel because that day was Friday. We were to go perform our Friday prayer at 12.00 not far from the Hotel.
At 3.00 p.m. then we started to visit an NGO organization, named as Nagdilaab Foundation Inc. (NF) and managed by a woman. I was impressed with its vision written on a board inside the office that “A People’s Foundation Committed for Peace and Development in Partnership with Communities.” She did not give me her name card but wrote on a notebook of my friend Mr. Wandy Nicodemus Tuturong that day and asked for an excuse before our leaving. According to the NF, three programs: social services, alternative educations, and health care centers should be done immediately in the communities. The people were suffered without these programs. The people especially ladies, women, disables and children need these programs for their better living standards, but few of the candidates there taken concern with these jobs, she added. She accidentally verbalized that the Filipino system was bad, however, she tried to correct her words afterwards when I repeated to explain the badness, “actually the system is there but to be bad or to be good it depends on the ones who practice it, we are a democratic country, sometimes the system looks endangering to our communities if deployments happened without any limitation.” This NF also accepted that violence happened in the ARMM provinces, but mostly outside the Basilan. What important from NF was that the NF also accepted from their experience that the local COMELEC officers were pushing the people in trouble too. They were collecting under-table money from candidates, some of them being threatened by gangsters, and some being bias in the elections. Finally, the NF concluded that money politic, unsafe living, disturbing freedom, and without peaceful election were very popular there. That time was 4.30 p.m., we had promised to pay our money for Abdullah the interpreter for this election observation in the evening on that day. Because he had to do some other jobs arranged by our captain, Mr. Harisu. We were informed that a lady named as Ms. Loida Labaro from Harisu’s office would work for our interpreter in the place of Abdullah.
On 12th May 2007, we left from our Hotel at 10.00 a.m., all of us did not take breakfast. We were too late because busy with writing and reporting our daily records. On that day, the first person would be interviewed was the Basilan provincial COMELEC Officer. We were visiting the COMELEC for the third time this time. Again we were not allowed to meet the Officer. A guard from the Office informed us that the Officer was too much busy and could not see us. We then left for the church in East Barangay of Isabela. It was in our second planning schedule. At the time we reached, Bishop Martin Jumuad was not at the church. We were welcomed by Father Arnel Lagman and Sister Virginia Roy. Wandy our partner introduced us to them that who we are, where we from, and why we came to meet them. They looked happy with us when we informed that we just wanted to listen and exchange our experiences. I came to know from their information that people from this church were not allowed to involve in poll-watching. They informed that because of some tactics from the local COMELEC there that any letter from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) did not reach them. According to them, the COMELEC looked likely not happy with the church people who previously, reported the truth to NGO regarding the election process in what they saw. It might be this reason that many church people were killed last year. Father Arnel mentioned the names who were the victims but I could not follow their names because too hard for me to spell the names. In roughly, kidnappings and killings happened almost every month, the victims were included a Ph.D priest and a mayor who were shot dead, six priests were killed on the spot in their car while traveling on the Basilan island last year. Bribery, cheating, and threat happened everywhere on this island. Both Sister Virgnia and Father Arnel noticed that why the COMELEC did not know. Father Arnel added that from his experience, some amount of 5 million PHP was given to the COMELEC for a Senatorial candidate if willing to win. In addition, vote buying in the forms of different kinds of donations taken place. As examples, rice, 500 PHP, gasoline, and tricycles from candidates were given to the commoners. People were living with fears, almost four months the provincial staff in the capital did not receive their salary, but nobody complained. The people were afraid of isang bala kalang (one bullet for one man killed) that would happen to them if they did. Mostly, the killings happened after elections. No process of justice there, all cases stopped and silent after investigations made. Regarding the security on that island, it was also in a critical point, according to Father Arnel, the military men sometimes sold their arms to Abu Sayaf people, “to whom should we trust now, they join together for their own benefits.” Furthermore, Father Arnel also mentioned that education for the Basilan children was very important to be programmed and assisted. Many children from poor family did not have their education. Mostly the children had to help their parents for fishing. However, cheating in the education programs also occurred, the budgets for education were mostly proceeded through a cheating process. A lot of ghost teachers and ghost students appeared and were reported for gaining more money, but none of improvement grown up. At the end of our interview, both had concluded that laws need to be implemented fruitfully. Afterwards, we then were invited to meet around 23 students of first time voters group outside the room in front of the church. These students were around 18 years old, having their association activity at a pavilion in front of the church. All looked hungry to vote, they accepted receiving the money of vote buying, confirmed their independence in voting, but they never knew who the PCCRV was when we questioned. The students knew that vote buying is characterized as a corruption, but they would vote to whom only the ones they decided the best and could improve their community. We were talking with the students around half an hour then Father Arnel came to inform us that Bishop Martin Jumuad came back. Father Arnel requested us to see Bishop as our greeting to him. Our interview with Bishop Martin was regarding the vote buying, to this Bishop, he viewed that both the candidates (who gave the money) and the people (who received the money) must be prosecuted. He could not blame one side but both sides who involved in the vote buying. What he concerned was two cases that the lobbying not to vote for some certain candidates who are not their ethnicity and the laws were not being implemented fruitfully. We took our breakfast at Malaysian food restaurant on the way back and arrived at our Hotel at 12.30 p.m.
In the afternoon, at around 3.00 p.m., a noising rally campaign of Gerry Salapuddin (candidate for Governor) team with probably 20 vehicles passed on the road through our Hotel. Afterwards, the campaign group set up their stage on a street beside the market in front of our Hotel. I could see their team membersclearly from the second floor. Mrs. Nida (a Christian candidate) who running for the Provincial Board was also in the team. I went down and walked closer to see how they were doing on. I took our interpreter with me and walked closer to know from what they spoke out. From our interpreter that I came to know that it was a team of Lakas-Muslims, Christians, and Democracy (MCD). This team was a coalition group that consisting of people from two different religions: the Muslims and the Christians, they were cooperating to achieve the mission for the election. We could not stay there longer because our team had to go around to see the situation before the election taken place. We then arrived at Barangay East Side in Kampurna village, opposite to Malamawi island. From there, we could see around 100 people, mostly youths, were joining a queue and receiving money. We were informed from our guide afterwards that the money was vote buying. The youths got money, footballs, basketballs two days before the election day taken place. We reached our Hotel at 5.00 p.m. At around 7.00 p.m., again I joined the campaign, I heard Gerry, the candidate in the MCD was accusing his opponent candidates such as Wahab (former Governor and the candidate for Congressman) and his wives of being associated with Abu Sayaf in the public. Oh my God, such campaign to blame among each other like that is not allowed to do in my town, but it happened there in Basilan. That night, the campaign finished at 8.00 p.m., afterwards, the crowded people who joining the campaign began to depart and left for home shouting with the name of Gerry, “Gerry! Gerry! Gerry!” while marching home.
On 13th May 2007, we left our Hotel at 10.00 a.m. to a small fishermen island, named as Malamawi. We went across the island with a small boat. It charged 200 PHP for a return fair to the Barangay Carbon on this Malamawi that consisting 5 precincts and 1,075 voters. From there we could see how peaceful the people were. They were very friendly, we interviewed 6 fishermen to know the situation there before the election. According to the information to us that, mostly the fishermen knew about the election from the campaigns in their village. All of them were ready to go to vote, but to whom to vote for was guided by the Village Captain (Ali Alejo). We were also informed by the Captain that this island was free from threats. He confirmed us that the candidate who won in the election must have been one who could help the fishermen. Fortunately, the Captain pointed to show us there that was to be a house of Abu Sayaf. Further, mostly the fishermen go to sea with small boats started from 2.00 p.m. and come back after one or two days afterwards, it depends on the quantity of fish they get. They had not enough money for education. To them, a capitol budget for fishing was very important if the government could support them. They got around 100 PHP per one fishing round trip, but this money is deducted by gasoline which costs 39 PHP per liter. Regarding any threats by Abu Sayaf people (asking repeatedly), they were very much scared when hearing this question and accepted that the Abu Sayaf people sometimes came to their village. We left the village at lunch time.
In the afternoon our planning was to see the situation in Toburan province, about 1.30 hour’s journey from our Hotel to Toburan. In our transport while traveling then we got a call from Mr. Harisu that to be away from that area, the soldiers just reported a lot of arms found transmitting into that area. We then turned to visit Lamitan instead, at the border between Toburan and Lamitan and had a chance to visit the Dangkalan Beach in Lamitan, behind the house of Mrs. Nur In (a candidate for Lamitan Mayor and the third wife of Akbar). It is a very interesting beach because I found that a lot of dead corrals on the shore. It seemed to me that there are a lot of corrals under the sea on this coast. It might be far better than the attractive tourist Phuket island in Andaman sea, southern Thailand. In fact, I believe that Philippines has a lot of natural resources that would be programmed for the great tourist attractive center to improve the economy in the local areas. We went back and arrived at our Hotel at 9.00 p.m. that day.
On 14th May 2007, we left our Hotel at 7.00 a.m. and arrived Balantagan Elementary School in Lamitan at 7.00 a.m. to see how they opened the vote ballots. Unfortunately, the ballots had been opened at 7.00 a.m. The registered voters at the school were 945. We saw the way the people vote there is much different from our towns. There the people just sit on the school desks and each of the desks for voters is put on with a paper file folder written as “Ballot Secrecy Folder.” In fact, they were not really secret because we from outside their room could see what they were doing. Some of the voters were sitting more than one. We then left and went to see the second place, Lamitan West-II District. The registered voters there were 2038. In front of this school, a signboard of USAID was there written with “from the American people, we are Equalls-Assisted School, EQuALLs: Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills” and I was informed that this school got computers and teachers training skill programs from USA, started from 2005 to 2008. While we were traveling there on our van, we were in formed that killing occurred at 8.30 a.m. in Toburan (the place that Mr. Harisu did not allow us to visit yesterday), four victims in the shooting between two parties, the names of the parties were not clear but one of the victims dead on the spot and the other three woun
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