“Susmarisep” gravity of the perfidy

This isn't citing God's name in vain, rather a truncated, reverent expletive for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in reflexive plea for God's intercession. In token reverence, the old folks often make the sign of the cross in times of need, or desperation, or in fits of helplessness.

 When things become so unbearable and beyond control, such as, when nature rages in anger, or when a person is beyond saving, or during a scourge or sickness, it leaves no other recourse but to say "Leave it all to God" or "Leave it to heaven", as in "Susmarisep"!

 The controversial Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Philippine Government and the Muslim Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) "granting" expanded ancestral domain in Mindanao, is a "Susmarisep" situation. The national government which the MILF - just to stress its claim of equal footing - calls the Government of the Republic of the Philippines or GRP, has been all the time under sub-rosa negotiations, in giving up additional 712 villages or barangays to the MILF. Is this not perfidy wherein the State surrenders or cedes parts of its territory by mere MOA and without even consulting, much less getting the consent of, the LGUs and the affected inhabitants? Signing the MOA first, and referendum later that could easily be manipulated, appears questionable.

 Not only territorial surrender, but also outright sell-out of sovereignty to the MILF, is like slicing an ordinary cross-section of the pizza or cake. The claim of Hermogenes Esperon Jr., the new presidential peace process adviser, that "no sovereignty is given up here" exposes his ignorance of the law, without any in-depth know-how of what sovereignty is. What do you call the surrender of territory and governance, and in effect the surrender of the power and authority to command respect from within and without, which is the essence of sovereignty?

 The MOA being kept under wraps except to the negotiators, and no doubt Malacañang, grants the MILF, which is not even a State as known in the international law, all the badges of sovereignty, or at least an autonomous status, with its own legal, banking, and education systems, civil service, and internal security force. The MOA also confers to the MILF a virtual de facto new independent state to enter into international agreements, among others, on its own. Even a non-lawyer knows this arrangement as typical of "only in the Philippines" absurdity!

 Why was the draft of the MOA not furnished even to the Senate which has the power over treaties entered into by the government? Why was the MOA not divulged to the affected LGU officialdom and the affected inhabitants of the expanded ancestral domain?

 It's only providential that the LGUs of North Cotabato, Kidapawan, Zamboanga, and Iligan cities, Palawan, and Zamboanga Sibugay had post-haste sought intervention with the Supreme Court that granted the TRO aborting the August 5 MOA signing in Malaysia.

In disrespect and disdain, MILF Vice-Chairman Ghadzali Jaafar donned his true colors by audaciously saying: "Our official position is that the agreement on ancestral domain has been signed, so it's a done deal. We are not bound by that order", in reference to the SC TRO.

 Very perplexing is the whimsical attitude of the national leadership from the President down to her Palace subalterns, including, of all people, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo voicing their disappointment over the aborted signing of the MOA. They handily opined the matter as very simple, not involving territorial integrity and sovereignty.

 Even Erap who is not a legal expert cried Cain. Representative Teodoro Locsin Jr. moaned over the voluntary dismemberment. Senator Pimentel demanded Malacañang to submit to the Senate the MOA. Ex-Senator Franklin Drilon cried for impeachment. And North Cotabato Vice-Governor Emmanuel Piñol and Zamboanga City Celso Lobregat called for active vigilance. All bespeak the gravity of such treachery or perfidy to the Filipino people.

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