Members of the Higaonon tribal community gather outside their school in Rogongon, a remote village in Iligan city where teachers refuse to report for work out of fear of being abducted by a group of bandits. (File photo from RICHEL V. UMEL/INQUIRER MINDANAO)
MANILA, Philippines — A Lanao del Norte lawmaker believes the recent ambush in their province is due to a failure of education.
Lanao del Norte 1st District Representative Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo claimed that moves to amend the 1987 Constitution’s economic provisions can address the roots of insurgency and extremism in Mindanao.
He explained on Wednesday that some of the perpetrators of the February 18 ambush in Munai town were as young as 15 years old, and they cannot even speak Tagalog.
“But what was worrisome about that ambush, there were pursuit operations, and if I’m not mistaken, the leader of that ISIS (Islamic State) group surrendered to the provincial government,” Dimaporo said in a press briefing at the Batasang Pambansa complex.
“They’re still young, around 15 years old and they can’t even speak Tagalog. They can speak only Maranao,” he noted.
“And that’s proof that these extremist groups are staying in the rural areas, away from everyone,” the lawmaker said.
According to Dimaporo, it is still perceived by some circles in Mindanao that education in the Philippines is Roman Catholic-centric, instilling fears that studying in Department of Education (DepEd) schools will lead to a conversion to Catholicism.
Instead of going to DepEd schools, some students in Mindanao go to Marasah or the Madari education system.
However, Dimaporo said Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7, which proposes an economic charter change, will address issues regarding education because it will open education systems to foreign investments.
“If we are going to solve the Madaris issue within the BARMM, we need so many funds for education. I think they were saying P300 billion last night, you know. So this is why we need partners in development,” he said.
“And when you open up our Constitution to provide more opportunities for foreigners to come and help our far-flung areas […] So, it’s not really an investment. It’s an investment for ourselves, for our religion, to come into the Philippines and help establish proper Madari system so that our children in Muslim areas can read and write Arabic and not be thrown into areas that they will end up being recruited by terrorist organizations,” he added.
The House’s RBH No. 7 and the Senate’s RBH No. 6 — to which RBH No. 7 was patterned after — propose to open public utilities, basic education, and advertising to foreign investment and ownership.
READ: House committee of the whole approves RBH
In February 19, six Scout Rangers and three alleged fighters of the Daulah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG) were killed in an encounter in Lanao del Norte’s Munai town, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said.
READ: 6 soldiers killed in clash with terrorists
Reports from the Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry Division (1ID) stated that troops of the scout platoon of the 44th Infantry Battalion were on a military operation when they encountered DI-MG
After a two-hour gunfight, the terrorists withdrew toward the direction of Lanao del Sur.
Five soldiers were wounded in the battle.
READ: Six soldiers, three Maute fighters killed in Lanao del Norte clash