Mindanao NGOs ask Aquino to rescind order on community watches

Governor Abdusakur Tan and former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A number of Mindanao-based non-governmental organizations are calling on President Benigno Aquino III to revoke Executive Order 546 which they say has given rise to private armies, especially in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

EO 546 was issued by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in August 2006 and allowed the use and arming of the Barangay tanod, or members of the local community watch, in local peace and order programs, including anti-insurgency operations.

It also allowed mayors and governors to set aside funds for their peace-and-order programs.

But the groups, allied with the Free Cocoy Tulawie Movement, said the EO only legitimized alleged private armies such as those in Maguindanao under Andal Ampatuan and in Sulu under Governor Abdusakur Tan.

Tulawie is a Jolo politician who campaigned against Tan’s perceived abuses in Sulu. He is in jail for his alleged involvement in assassination attempts on Tan.

As the size of Ampatuan’s private army has been greatly reduced in the aftermath of the Maguindanao massacre, the groups said President Aquino should now act against Tan.

“He is the very cause of the state of unpeace in Sulu,” the groups said in a joint statement.

Tan, in a statement sent through the Sulu provincial office, branded the allegations as “ancient” with “no merits.”

The Free Cocoy Tulawie Movement said Tan had effectively used EO 546 to build up his force and stifle human rights.

“It can also be recalled how Tan had implemented the ID card system in the guise of helping military authorities combat terrorism, but which was heavily protested for being discriminatory to culture and religion, especially among Muslims,” the group said in the statement signed by Professor Julkipli Wadi of the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Islamic Studies, Ismael Maulana of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society and Prof. Alih Aiyub of the Salam and the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP) and other Mindanao civil society leaders.

“If the President is serious about [his promise], he should immediately disarm Sakur Tan’s private armies in Sulu. He must immediately revoke EO 546 that allows local chief executives to arm civilians,” the statement added.

The statement also urged Aquino not to make Tan an observer in the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“His presence is anathema to the desired changes we envision for the Bangsamoro people. He is the classic example of the status quo that is already unacceptable. Parading him to Malaysia is a big insult to the international community supporting the peace talks,” the group said.

In response to the claim he was not fit to be an observer in the talks, Tan said he and the other ARMM provincial governors had every right to represent the interest of the people “for the simple reason that the subject territories of the talks are areas under their constituency.”

Contrary to the claims he was the cause of tension in Sulu, Tan  said he was a peacemaker and that the people of Sulu were now united.

“All political adversaries before are now standing as one to bring development to Sulu,” he said.

Tan claimed to have united the five governors of the ARMM and recently, and said he was instrumental in the peace pact between the Hataman and Akbar families of Basilan.

Sonny Abing, Sulu information chief, said Tan was now trying to end other family feuds in ARMM and put a stop to Rido (clan wars) in the region.