Zamboanga.com Editorial

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Zamboanga.com Editorial
August 5, 2008

Congressman Erbie Fabian, eight barangays in your district are under threat of being taken away from the administration of Zamboanga City and placed under the care of the ARMM via the  BJE (BansaMoro Juridical Entity). The eight barangays are: Zone III, Zone IV, Busay; Landang Gua; Landang Laum; Manalipa; Pasilmanta; and, Tictabon. There are four barangays in SACOL ISLAND: they are busay, Landang Gua, Landang Laum and Pasilmanta. Sacol Island is a treasure. Zamboanga City can't afford to loose it to the ARMM.

Zamboanga City was fortunate that Gov. Jesus Sacdalan and Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol of Cotabato province asked the Supreme Court on July 29, 2008 to stop the government from signing an agreement on Aug. 5 granting more territory to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). It was a blessing that this petition was filed with the Supreme Court 8 days before the MOA’s scheduled date (8/5/08) of signing.

The Supreme court is very organized and all cases must be filed ahead of time before it can be heard. The schedule for the hearing date is usually set a few days or one day prior to the hearing date. You can't just walk into the Supreme court and say "here is my case" and expect the the supreme court to hear your case that very same instance. However, you can tag your case with another case that is already pegged to be heard.

The Supreme Court granted the TRO (temporary restraining order) for the MOA on 8/4/08 and Zamboanga City filed the petition on that same day. Too late again!! Thank you, Provincial Government of North COTABATO!!


Bear in mind, the TRO is not a victory. The supreme court will review the matter and while they are doing so, the people of President Arroyo will try to do their best to push the negotiation through. The TRO is only good through the 15th of August. In the meantime the administrators of Zamboanga City should not rest but take this time as an opportunity to correct the mistakes they have made in the past. Take this time to go to each of the affected Barangays and campaign for a United Zamboanga City!

The negotiation between the MILF and the GRP has been going on since last year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but the City administrators continued to ignore the danger. They were confident that Zamboanga City would not be included. Lo and behold here we are.

The eight barangays are: Zone III, Zone IV, Busay; Landang Gua; Landang Laum; Manalipa; Pasilmanta; and, Tictabon. There are four barangays in SACOL ISLAND: they are busay, Landang Gua, Landang Laum and Pasilmanta. Sacol Island is a treasure. Zamboanga City can't afford to loose it to the ARMM.

Erbie, these Barangays are in your district. Will you fight for Zamboanga City through the media or will you go down to the trenches and talk to the people of these Barangays? Will you shake their hands and tell them that Zamboanga City will continue to take care of them if they stay within the administration of Zamboanga City and not under the umbrella of the BJE or ARMM? Erbie, will you be able to convince the city Mayor and the councilors to do the same?

If you the congressman of district II and the congressman of these affected Barangays won’t do the above, then what hope is there to keep these Barangays as part of Zamboanga City, preciosa, perlita, urgolio de Mindanao?
 

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