NorMin 2019: Tales of 2 Lanao, mass surrenders, call for justice

By Nef Luczon

December 27, 2019, 4:30 pm

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<p><strong>PLEBISCITE</strong>. City Hall employees in Marawi City prepare the ballot boxes on Jan. 20, 2019 for distribution to different polling precincts for the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law. The Lanao del Sur Provincial Plebiscite Board of Canvassers officially recorded a total of 503,420 voters who answered "yes" and 9,735 "no" to the question on whether or not they want their respective localities to become part of the new region that would replace the  Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. In Marawi City alone, 58,688 voted "yes," while only 112 voted "no." <em>(Photo by Nef Luczon)</em></p>

PLEBISCITE. City Hall employees in Marawi City prepare the ballot boxes on Jan. 20, 2019 for distribution to different polling precincts for the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law. The Lanao del Sur Provincial Plebiscite Board of Canvassers officially recorded a total of 503,420 voters who answered "yes" and 9,735 "no" to the question on whether or not they want their respective localities to become part of the new region that would replace the  Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. In Marawi City alone, 58,688 voted "yes," while only 112 voted "no." (Photo by Nef Luczon)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The first month of 2019 marked a new chapter in Mindanao's history when the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) was ratified through a plebiscite on January 21.

The Lanao del Sur Provincial Plebiscite Board of Canvassers (PPBC) officially recorded a total of 503,420 voters who answered "yes" and 9,735 "no" to the question whether they want their respective localities to be part of the new region that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). In Marawi City alone, 58,688 voted "yes," while only 112 voted "no."

The majority of votes led to the creation of the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), with Cotabato City, and some barangays in North Cotabato as new part of the territory. 

But the province of Lanao del Norte refused to let go of its six towns to be part of the new BARMM.

In its separate BOL plebiscite on February 6, the provincial office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the province's 22 towns have a total of 352,518 registered voters, but only 242,667 actually cast their ballots.

Under the BOL, the six towns planned to be included in the BARMM are Balo-i, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan, and Tangkal.

Lanao del Norte 1st District Rep. Mohamad Khalid Q. Dimaporo casts his vote in a precinct in Tubod town on Feb. 6, 2019. Dimaporo and his family holding elective posts in the province already expressed their objection to let the six towns to be part of BARMM due to socio-economic grounds, and the history of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front attacking its towns in the previous decades. (Photo by Nef Luczon)

 Anti-communism drive

When President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) 70, which led to the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), calls for rebels and supporters to surrender intensified throughout the year.

ELCAC has its localized versions, through the local government units, which were crucial in implementing EO 70 to the grassroots with the help of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Individuals who claim to be members of the communist rebel group, New Peoples' Army, surrender to the military along with their firearms and ammunition. This is one of the many instances the military claimed it facilitated the surrender of rebels and its supporters mostly from Bukidnon province in the year 2019. (Photo courtesy of the 8th Infantry Battalion)

Most of the mass surrenders happened in Bukidnon province, with raids and offensives undertaken by the military that said to expose hideouts, including alleged abuses and crimes committed by the rebels.

This also prompted the AFP, specifically the 403rd Infantry Brigade under the 4th Infantry Division, to file charges against the Communist Party of the Philippines.

In addition, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar was appointed to be the officer-in-charge for the Cabinet Officers for Regional Development and Security (Cords) in Region 10.

Cords-10, under Andanar's leadership, was tasked to implement and supervise EO 70 in the region, which according to Andanar will remain unhampered.

In one of the gatherings participated by the media here on December 13, Andanar said that the Regional TF-ELCAC in Northern Mindanao tops the country for being the most active region in implementing EO 70 and yielding rebel surrenders.

These surrenders were then screened so that they will be qualified to avail of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-Clip), a government program that provides livelihood and financial aid to the former rebels and their families.

The death of Philippine Military Academy's (PMA) Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio on September 18, became a national headline. But his story in his home city, Cagayan de Oro, gave more perspective to the cadet's family in calling for justice.

Not only Dormitorio's family but also the community of the schools he attended prior to PMA, held prayer rallies in remembrance of him. His death has caused the resurgence of the conversation and debate surrounding the Anti-Hazing Law.

Eventually, suspects were arrested, who were Dormitorio's upperclassmen, and PMA officials were replaced due to the incident.

Dormitorio was laid to rest in Cagayan de Oro City, while charges against the suspects are pending in the courts. (PNA)

Soldiers of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division salute Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadet 4th class Darwin Dormitorio before his remains are buried at the Cagayan de Oro Gardens in Barangay Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro City, on Sept. 25, 2019. Col. Claro Unson, PMA deputy dean for academics, said failure to strictly enforce the Anti-Hazing Law was one of the shortcomings of officials of the PMA that led to Dormitorio’s death. (Photo by Jigger J. Jerusalem)

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