28 August 2020
GOVERNOR ABDUSAKUR M. TAN
Sulu Provincial Government
Capitol Site, Patikul, Sulu
Dear Gov. Sakur:
Assalamu alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa baarakatuhu! We respectfully submit to your propitious attention the herein petition.
A CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT PROBE COMMISSION RE: TWIN BLASTS IN ORDER TO UPROOT THE CORE OF THOSE WHO PERPETUATE DASTARDLY AND COWARDLY DEADLY WAR GAMES IN OUR HOMELAND TO THE DETRIMENT OF OUR INNOCENT CIVILIANS and LOCAL STATE COMBATANTS
In the interest of truth and justice, corollary to the 08/24/2020 Jolo Twin Blasts, we respectfully invoke the principles of fatabayyanu/fatathabbatu– and appeal to our elected leaders to conduct an impartial, neutral, independent investigation and validation- because without it the Sulu Provincial Government as well as the local and national authorities cannot take appropriate legal action resulting in the failure to uphold the rule of law.
The most recent August 24th Twin Blasts in Serantes Jolo brings to mind the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral gory twin blasts, the Jolo Municipal rally blast, the Notre Dame of Jolo Coop bizarre blast that remain unsolved today; the massacres against civilians in the hinterlands; the spate of KFRs (Kidnap for Ransom) albeit isolated cases but which are done perennially.
Stoking understandable alarm and suspicion, the recent Twin Blasts were hastily resolved and attributed to: at first motorcycle planted IED; then, to suicide bombers from Basilan and Tawi-Tawi; and even linked to “alleged rubout” committed by some local cops in Sulu against military undercover operatives just by mere subjective circumstantial evidences without thorough investigation warranting admissible solid evidences to positively identify the remains of alleged suicide bombers.
Consequently, now looms upon our Homeland is indefinite lockdown and Martial Law. Is there any difference? Since 1974, battalions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have been deployed to Sulu. Thus, an infantry brigade; and various military detachments sprouted throughout the 19 municipalities of the province up to present even after 1986 and beyond- all these have remained.
Since 1974 during the Martial Law regime, Lupah Sug has faced a perplexing enemy that has thrived on mere speculations and conjectures reduced to mere allegations time and again because the Tausug people have been deprived to know the Truth up to this day.
Nevertheless, in reality, this ENIGMATIC ENEMY has struck upon and attacked state combatants, non-state combatants and civilians alike wreaking havoc upon our lives in a vicious cycle undermining the human security of Lupah Sug.
We who believe in Almighty God, perfectly understand His Decree and the inevitability of death and tragedy.
Allah exhorts us to be patient and to utter: Inna lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.
However, we cannot just be apathetic and be meek just because we are not directly the victims’ blood relatives albeit we, too, have suffered and agonized over this too familiar serendipitous twin blasts.
Nay! We cannot blame shaytaan and the shayateen for this War Against Allah so to speak diabolically committed against innocent civilians and the weak.
Can we blame the rankling allegations and anxiety of our people: “We can no longer be mute spectators to this cycle of violence repeatedly done with impunity killing innocent civilians.
“We can no longer take how Jolo has been used unwittingly as pathetic playground for wargames killing the young soldiers and new police graduates regardless of faith. Why at their expense? and even more so why at the expense of innocent civilians? What did they do to deserve being compelled as collateral participants in these deadly games?”
For so many years, the violent killings in our province has been going on intermittently unchecked. We feel the rage of all the peace loving citizens for these senseless bizarre killings. We unanimously agree that this has to stop. We, the Tausugs are not willing to be continuously used as scapegoats for any War Games. ENOUGH.
Thus, we cannot afford to be silent amidst this dhulm, and oppressive conditions where our human security is at stake and put to risk despite the presence of our “delegated” Parens Patriae ; it is incumbent upon every Tausug in Lupah Sug or upon those Tausug flung elsewhere in diaspora to speak up – In The Name of Peace As Salaam and In The Name of Justice Al Adl – to implore plaintively our President, the Senate, AFP, DILG, PNP, BARMM Governor, 19 Sulu Mayors headed by the Sulu Governor, Board Members, Councilors, Purok and Barangay Leaders, HR along with civil society including faith based organizations to collaborate and co-own the issue so that AN INDEPENDENT NEUTRAL INVESTIGATION be conducted immediately to identify the PERPETRATORS so they can be liable before the law.
Without a thorough investigation DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT PROBE COMMISSION no clear and rational action can be done to ensure justice for all victims and to ensure that it shall not happen again bi-idhnillaah.
For what is the use of pouring our hard earned taxes for INTEL, for peace and security, for catapulting expensive bombs, and littering Sulu Province with military presence when it cannot preempt a TERRORISTIC ACT inside a relatively SMALL TOWN?
Oh yes we cannot bring back the innocent lives of those who perished but we can certainly bring back Peace and Security which have woefully collapsed dormantly in Lupah Sug- only if we Strive and Work for it As One Body with our Elected Leaders at the Forefront in our United and Sincere Call to Preserve and Sustain Peace and Unity in our Beloved Lupah Sug… for indeed it is Now or Never. #conscientize Lest each of us shall be asked by Our Lord… what did you do in the midst of dhulm and oppression?
Lastly, we resonate: No to Martial Law! Pursue Sabah claim as a lawful ancestral heritage for holistic peace and development of Sulu! Sustain Anti Drugs & Anti Corruption Campaign! Onward with Effective Moral Governance which means ZERO TOLERANCE TO IMPUNITY BUT implement access to integrated Islamic education, to medical assistance, to local entrepreneurship support programs; to sustainable potable water and solar energy; to environmental protection awareness and waste management programs to all 19 municipalities of Sulu!
To be able to succeed unhampered, in shaa Allah, we reiterate our call for a unified collaborative effort to Uproot the Core of Those Who Perpetuate Dastardly and Cowardly DEADLY WAR GAMES In Our HOMELAND TO THE DETRIMENT OF OUR INNOCENT CIVILIANS and LOCAL STATE COMBATANTS. Sulu is NOT a breeding ground for Saboteurs of Peace!
Lead Petitioners/Signatories
Warina Sushil A. Jukuy
PAHRA-WESMIN, Coordinator
Phil Alliance of Human Rights Advocates 09085023791
warinajukuy@gmail.com
warinaj@yahoo.com
Shaykh Benhar A. Yusop
Head, Religious Affairs
Organization of Muslim Mindanao Overseas Workers (OMMOW) Qatar
Shaykh Albar A. Yusop
President
Organization of Muslim Mindanao Overseas Workers (OMMOW-Doha, Qatar)
Ustadh Ben Mohammad
Western Mindanao Overseas Workers Association, Riyadh, KSA – WWW.WEMOWA.ORG
Chairman
Ustadh Al Madzhar J. Ahmadul
Chairman, ILM Islamic Education Towards Nation Building
Doha, Qatar
Danilo C. Sagaral
Chairman, Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Coordinating Council (MRRDNECC)
Zamboanga City Chapter
Dr Benjamin S. Bangahan
PRESIDENT, Tausug Parhimpunan, Inc. (TPI)
Timothy A. Ijiran
National President
IDB Graduates Association (IGA) Team Philippines
Founding Adviser, TAYO INC (TAUSUG ACTIVE YOUTH ORGANIZATION)
Sharifa Pearlsia Ali-Dans
Secretary-General
Association of Philippine Muslim Women Leaders and Professionals
Dr Pearl Sherajeanne T. Jundam
Moro Human Rights Defenders Network (MHRDN) Board Member
BAIMORO (Bagong Kababaihang Moro)
Chairperson
Gamson Jr Mawallil Quijano, RRT PAHRA-WESMIN
Coordinator, Qatar-based OFW Network
Wahida A. Abdulla
Executive Director
Gagandilan Mindanao Women, Inc.
Banguingui Sulu (Tongkil)
Maudi Maadil
Deputy Executive Director
MICNET- Peace and Human Rights
President, Helping Hand International