ARMM, Anak Mindanao party-list observe 50th year of Jabidah Massacre in Corregidor

CORREGIDOR ISLAND — The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the Anak Mindanao party-list marked the 50th commemoration of the Jabidah Massacre here with a strong message of hope that the decadeslong Bangsamoro struggle will result in the enactment of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“We see the BBL’S passage as an integral stride in the Bangsamoro struggle,” ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said.

The governor reiterated his support to the passage of the BBL and to the establishment of the Bangsamoro Government that would eventually replace the existing ARMM government. “We must do everything in our capacity to ensure that the Bangsamoro Basic Law is enacted,” Gov. Hataman added.

The March 18 Corregidor Island activities were part of the Bangsamoro Week of Peace, which is held annually in the second week of March. Representative Amihilda Sangcopan of the Anak Mindanao Party-list; Fr. Jun Mercado of the Institute of Autonomy and Governance; Atty. Eliseo Parcasio of the Moro National Liberation Front; and Commissioner Hussin Amin of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, also delivered their reflections and messages of support on the Bangsamoro struggle during the Corregidor commemoration rites.

The Jabidah Massacre, along with other atrocities committed against the Moro people, is considered one of the most important events that ignited the Bangsamoro struggle for self-determination.

Bangsamoro men from the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawitawi were recruited to an elite group called Jabidah. The recruits were supposed to execute the ‘Operation Merdeka’ – a plan to destabilize and take over Sabah, a Malaysian state. The recruits were brought to Corregidor Island to train in late 1967. They were later killed, shot indiscriminately at the airstrip on the island. The number of those killed ranged from 10 to 200. One trainee, Jibin Arula, survived to tell the story. ARMM youth agency holds two-day peace

camp Over 30 Moro youth leaders also gathered on this island for the Moro Youth Peace Camp organized by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (ARMM) Office on Bangsamoro Youth Affairs (OBYA) on March 17-18.

The youth camp is in line with the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Jabidah Massacre, which is considered a critical point in the Bangsamoro struggle. The activity is also part of the region’s Bangsamoro Week of Peace that started on March 12.

“We have gathered youth leaders across the region in one place to learn about one important part of the history of the struggle,” said Nizam Pabil, executive director of OBYA. “For you to appreciate, embrace and support the plight of the Moro leaders today – may it be BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law), may it be addressing discrimination – it is important to look back and understand where it is coming from,” he said.

The two-day event focused mainly on the history of the Moro struggle and the role of the youth in peace building.

Speakers include Rogelio Braga, author of literary works that tackle the realities of the Bangsamoro struggle, and Bai Rohaniza Sumndad-usman, executive director of Teach Peace Build Peace Movement, who lectured about the youth’s role in peace building.

Part of the event is a visit to the location of the Jabidah Massacre where the participants met Governor Hataman. The governor said he is hopeful that the Jabidah Massacre will be a beacon of hope for the Bangsamoro dream and that in the future, historical injustices committed against the Moros will be solved.

“Ang pagkamit sa mithiing Bangsamoro, kung saan tumitingala tayo sa dahilang hindi lang kumikilala sa kawalang-katarungan, kundi nagsisikap ding maabot ang katarungan sa lahat ng anyo nito; kung saan ang Lupang Hinirang ay hindi lamang umuudyok ng pagkakaisa, kundi ipinagdiriwang din ang samut-saring yaman ng ating karanasan,” said Gov. Hataman

“Before I joined this activity I have little knowledge of the Jabidah Massacre,” said Rauff Pulalon, 21, one of the youth participants. He added that after the site visit, he realized the importance of remembering history to reflect and be reminded of the decadeslong Bangsamoro struggle. “As youth of today, we are reminded that the Jabidah Massacre plays an important role in our struggle. Our role today is to continue what our ancestors have started,” said Pulalon.

The event aims to raise awareness among the youth about the importance of the Jabidah Massacre, and to promote the roles of the youth as positive actors in peace building. “The people should understand first their own history to fully appreciate the need to advocate for peace,” Nizam Pabil, executive director of OBYA-ARMM, said.

“I was among those who discouraged people from supporting the Bangsamoro cause,” youth camp participant Yusuf Eldani, a 23-year old Sama from Tawi-tawi, said. Learning from the camp, Yusuf highlighted the need for the Moro people, especially the youth, to become aware of the roots and causes of the Bangsamoro struggles.

Yusuf raised his concern about the youth’s “ignorance” about these matters. “When I go back to our community, I would gladly share the (lessons) I gained from this camp to my peers,” Yusuf said.