What I am doing is not 

blind idealism as you call it.
It’s a just cause for my homeland, 
a fight for the sake of those I love: 
my children, grandchildren, parents, siblings
neighbours, my Tausug brethren who's
been suffering in silence for so long. 


Oppression breeds pain and should not 
reign in a land of peaceful people. 

I may not live longer in this world, 
and I know I will die as people do.
But this I say today: I will fight for 
peace 'til my last breath

I fight for peace,  but always
in peace. Nothing good can be achieved by 
raging war, and countering war 
with war. With violence comes nothing but
more violence. This is not what Tausugs want.

Peace is as common as candies. 
Anyone has the right to embrace peace.
Like my elders before me, I’ve been wanting 
peace. Amid this war that’s seemingly endless
I caught a glimpse of it. It exists, I know. 
We’ll find this piece of peace soon.
But only when we do so together,
and in peace.

I love you peace.
Layag Sug!

Arikulay Arata Wata made a banner of Layag Sug. I love this banner. He posted in Iranaon languages, "Pekababayaan aken giyaya iplalis o manga pagari tano sa Solog a "Layag Sug!". Seketano peman na antonaa i ipelalis? So sinta o Kasila. Mkkkkkkkkkkkk… Neldy Jolo kataya so banner.” Shaiya Pandapat said, "Opama na mga pipiya so mga Isulogen mkkkk..." Aydow, salamat nari Arata Wata. Mapiya ini a banner.  I have written a poem about this. Samantha also wrote about it separately. These are the poems. 

  
LAYAG SUG IS MY LIFE

What is Layag Sug? 
How come you're not answering?
Why are you asking?
For me to know
Why, isn’t it to bully me?
No. I'm just plainly asking.
Why is it so hard for you to answer?
I don’t know why the question arises now.
I suddenly realized I don't know the meaning of it.
Aha, for you what is it?
What is Layag Sug?
Is it a signature on every statement you make? 
Or a line you share with someone?
It's a signature on every statement 
It is also a line I share to make Sulu familiar with people today
So what is Layag Sug?
What do you think?
I don't know, a Sulu boat?
What do you think?
You can share what it is so we could explore
I will give you my meaning
After you give your interpretation of it
You're not answering, are you?
Just say so if you're not
I don't have the entire night waiting
Layag Sug is about my life
About my longing for independence for my beloved homeland Sulu
Literally, it means Sulu Sail!
That’s Layag Sug seen through my lens of thought
And my experience in life!

This poem was drawn from a conversation with Sulu Gypsy over a year ago.
12:44AM, 9 March 2013, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. Let Us All Save Peace. Layag Sug!

-------------------------------

LAYAG SUG

I have not seen this sea, which you 
speak of so fondly every once in a while.

but I'd notice the slowed-down 
breathing, the long pause
when you tell stories of old people 
that died, of brave men that once 
sailed with their boats
to cross vast continents
and trade, and then sail again 
for home where they’d find wives and 
children waiting for their return.

You are still out there sailing 
tonight, and I am here 
hoping you'd reach home soon.
I know where that home is.
But you have to fight to get there.
I could wait for centuries
and be still until 
you're home finally. Don't fret.  
Sail, love, wherever that sea 
with its raging current  
takes you.

And when you reach shore one day,
You'll find me there standing,
waiting for you.

(This piece was made by Samantha when I challenged her to write 
something about Layag Sug a few weeks ago.
I am posting with her permission.)

I am a proud Muslim who descended from the Sulu archipelago. I am a Sulug by blood and heritage. 

I was called “Moro” by the Spaniards as well as my Muslim brethren in Southeast Asia like Manila, Aceh, Melaka and Brunei. I find this term both unflattering and derogatory. To Spaniards who first coined the word, it meant, “pirates,” “traitors,” “juramentado,” “enslavers,” “cruel” and “uncivilized.” 

Later they used this same term to refer to the people of Mindanao, Palawan, and Sulu collectively. At first I objected it, but after years of resistance, I got tired and accepted it. I even allowed its use in reference to my nation. Until today I am still using it and in fact I am now very proud of it. Is it right to continue using it? my friends ask me sometimes. Why don’t I use the geographical names Mindanao and Sulu archipelago to refer to my nation? Why should I accept the term Bangsamoro Nation? My friends tell me it sounds awkward too, because it literally means a “Nation of Moro Nation”.

I tell them that my Muslim brother Salah Jubair in his widely distributed book, “Bangsamoro: A Nation Under Endless Tyranny”, already dropped the word “nation” in the book’s second edition “for brevity and more importantly to do away with the technical confusion arising out of it. Bangsamoro is literally translated into "Moro nation" and therefore to retain it is redundant”.  

He even emphasized, “Alas! This was a monumental error; for the name Moro symbolizes national identity, power and belief in one true God. Today this error is being set right.” To set it right, the Moro or Bangsamoro would be governed by the Bangsamoro Basic Law that will be established and executed by the Bangsamoro Government. That government, which awkwardly means “Nation of Moro Government” if translated literally, will be set up very soon. 

My Muslim brother Salah Jubair, whom I am extremely proud of, continues, “A nation is reborn in the Moro. Though centuries older than the Filipino nation in the North, it is long-lost in the debris and fame of the past. It last reasserted its identity decades after the entry of America. But it was not to claim past glory, rather, it was to unshackle the gory image put on it by colonialism. That the Moro is a nation under endless tyranny is a premise that his book tries to narrate and explain - and hopefully will prove.” 

“All the monikers assigned to the natives, Indio, Moro, and Filipino were given by the Spaniards. History should credit them for giving us all these names, either out of hatred or by reason of similarities, or by force of circumstances, or by all of the above.” In short Brother Jubair is asking us to embrace the word Moro, adopt it as our own and build an identity around it, regardless of the painful history and meaning behind it.

This is an issue, which is crucial to many of us now, because the Philippine Government is almost close to sealing a deal with my brethren, the people of Mindanao and Sulu. They call it Bangsamoro Framework Agreement as you must already know. They say it is uncertain if this agreement will indeed pave the way for peace or bring in more conflicts instead.

Fr. Jun Mercado, a cardinal and peace advocate in Mindanao, in an article published in gmanetwork.com on February 19, 2014, listed ten crucial issues regarding the above agreement. The first one relates to the term “Bangsamoro”.  

 “The first understanding that needs to be put in the ‘right place’ is the very use of the word - ‘Bangsamoro’.” Fr. Mercado explains. “The FAB and its Annexes use the word Bangsamoro in three levels: Bangsamoro as Identity; Bangsamoro as Territory; and Bangsamoro as Government. All the three levels are NOT merely historical or romantic concepts.  They are all political and sensitive concepts or political constructs.  If these are NOT handled properly, they can be the proverbial ‘kink’ in the whole peace agreement.”

Why Bangsamoro? Now they have to come up with some definition of the term, because everyone knows this as a Spanish construct.

Prof. Dr. Clem Bascar, the author of the book, “Sulu Sultanate: The Unconquered Kingdom” in his article, “Moro sub-state - An American concept”, explained that “the term Moro has no indigenous dialectal or linguistic roots. In short, it’s entirely a Spanish lingual invention,  used to refer to all the inhabitants of Mindanao and Sulu when they first set their foreign feet on the shores of these two ancient monarchial territories to conquer, colonize, and Christianize as early as 1578. As a matter of historical truth, before the coming of the Spaniards, there was no Moro inhabitant to speak of in Mindanao and Sulu.” 

I wonder what Brother Jubiar has to say. I am curious about what he thinks. He might launch a new edition of his book, and I wonder if he will continue to use Bangsamoro. The title seems to speak of things to come. “Bangsamoro: Under Endless Tyranny”. A friend of mine asked, “How can a nation free itself of endless tyranny if the name it continually bears is tyrannical in the first place?” I’ll wait for Brother Jubair’s response. 

By the way, the name Salah Jubair could mean either “advise to pray” or “good guidance” in Arabic.  Salah means righteousness, goodness, peace, bowing, homage, worship and prayer. Jubair means “counsels”.

The free online dictionary defines counsels as “the act of exchanging opinions and ideas; consultation and advice or guidance, especially as solicited from a knowledgeable person.” Brother Salah Jubair is a knowledgeable person whom every one of us shall solicit advice from regarding the good ends of the cause for self-determination and freedom.

Now as a Tausug, I revere the elders and respect the wisdom of those that came before me. I advise everyone to stop asking and just follow what esteemed Brother Salah Jubair says. Never mind if in the Malay language, the word “Salah” means wrong or mistake. 

I don’t want to do anything wrong or commit a mistake though, so ahead, let me say this: Forgive me Ya Allah. Forgive us all for the mistakes we made and are about to make.

TODAY IS TUESDAY, 23 April 2013, 11:24 am. I have recently seen the comments of our Muslim brothers and sisters on various Facebook walls about Chiz Escudero’s statement saying, “How can Muslims aspire for self-governance when they cannot even make their own pandesal (salt bread)?” Based on the many fiery posts I read, it is evident that majority of the Muslims both in Mindanao and Sulu were slighted by Mr. Escudero’s statement.

I met Chiz Escudero in person when he was still in Congress. That was in 2006, when he was the Minority Leader. He even handed me his Marlboro Lights Gold while we were visiting him in his office. He seemed well-read, very articulate. It makes me wonder how someone of his stature can issue a statement in public so condescendingly. Before I forget, let me note that many Tausugs do not even eat pandesal, and those who do are not planning to eat it anymore as they think it comes from the colonizers.

They prefer to eat “bangbang sug”, a local bread. It may not have crossed their minds though that the flour used in making pandesal is not from Sulu. No one seems to wonder where this flour is coming from. Perhaps, they also are not aware that the flour used to make pandesal is the same flour used to make bangbang sug.

Let me go back to Mr. Escudero’s statement. As with any Tausug, I am hurt too; but I think it’s better to examine Mr. Escudero’s statement more objectively before my emotions take the better of me.

On a closer look, I don’t think the statement was really about pandesals and our inability to make them. It was more on our inability to perform what is essential and basic. For instance, if we are to roam as free birds over the skies, shouldn’t we acquire first the means to fly?

We dream and aspire for an independent republic, yet we do not even have the means to govern ourselves. First, no formalized mechanism to rule currently exists; second, there is no clear picture of how this can be achieved.

There was an attempt to create a Bangsamoro Republik. It had a presidential position, but I am not aware that a Bangsamoro Government was being formally set up to govern the Bangsamoro Republik. There was a president in the executive body; however, there was no vice president. There was neither a legislative body nor a judicial body.

I am not a political analyst but I know for a fact that when there is a country there should be a government. How will the Bangsamoro Republik ever exist without a Bangsamoro Government to manage it?

There were many suggestions on how to pave the way for Mindanao and Sulu to become an independent country. Still many groups prefer to ask the government of the Philippines to deliver for them their government on silver platter. I think that’s what Mr. Escudero really meant by “Muslims…cannot even make pandesal”.

People wanted to eat pandesal, but they do not even know how to make it. That simply means to me “you wanted to have independence, but you cannot even build your own government to manage your affairs”. Mr. Escudero is actually giving people a bright idea, but in contrast many people took it literally and emotionally.

The people in the liberation front focus on the military setup. Supposedly the revolutionary group can also set up a government — not just a military organization. The military’s role is to defend, while the government’s role is to manage and govern the affairs of the people and their country. The military currently exists; the government doesn’t.

Now the election for government positions in the Philippines is fast approaching. Mr Escudero is a candidate too, but then the Ulama already issued a “fatwah” not to vote for him. Let us see if he could win the hearts of the Muslim people, as he is now being seen as anti-Muslim with his pandesal thing.

Ahmad Musahari, a medical student in Manila and a Tausug, posts on his Facebook wall his observations about the election campaign in Sulu: “I see a lot of familiar names and faces, endless songs of promises, and more promises. It’s like there is no real ‘Power to Vote’. It is yet another big lie in our society.”

He added, “Yes, it is true we are ‘given’ the power to choose who we wanted to sit on top to lead the people, but our choices have already been prepared (manipulated) for us.” Musahari wonders, “Do we have any choice? We have asked so many times, ‘When would development, justice and progress finally arrive in our place? Now is election time. Will we find the answers, or are we going back to square one again?”

In a democracy, people have the right and power to vote. But in the years I’ve observed the election process in the Philippines, I have not seen democracy being practiced. Election in the Philippines is a comedic act, a mockery of the democratic process. People’s votes are either sold/bought or enforced upon people by those with power and money.  Everyone knows this for a fact.

So the question is: “Do we have a choice?” Yes, people do have a choice. But the options are only two: to vote or not to vote. If people decide to vote—is there anyone they could choose? It’s the same old faces. It’s as if choices have already been thrust upon their faces. Den Maidin, another Tausug, commented on his Facebook wall that some politicians are making elections as their business. They invest during elections; they get their money back after the elections. Of course, the returns must be so huge.

For the people of Mindanao and Sulu, real chance does not come from the outcome of any of these hopeless elections. The chance is with the change they must achieve for themselves.

They must build a machine that can help them make their own pandesal. They don’t need to ask the Philippines to grant them independence because the Philippines cannot grant it. The Philippines cannot even grant genuine autonomy and the creation of a sub-state, what more of independence?

The people can achieve their independence by exercising their rights to government and self-rule. Plans must be concretized to make this happen. Through this they could create a machine to make not just one pandesal, but many more pandesals to feed the people. They can abandon the pandesals made by the Philippines.

Mohammad Aziz, another Tausug said, “We’ve never had a written history made by our own. Rather they were made by our enemies. It is no surprise then that we are not described as ‘peace-loving people that had to struggle to defend their land, sovereignty and faith’. Instead we are described as murderers and pirates. Working together we can straighten this twisted history. In Shaa Allah we will succeed as a people struggling not just for ourselves but for the sake of the Tausug’s future as a whole.”

We need to keep writing boldly and sharing our thoughts on various media, both online and traditional. The more we write, the better things would be. We should share our thoughts about what is happening, about how vehemently opposed we are with the current situation. Writing is one of our most powerful weapons.  It is through this that we can achieve change.

What the colonizers did to Mindanao and Sulu, they exercised de facto government of their own. They tried to govern the affairs of Mindanao and Sulu by ignoring the existence of the existing leadership in the country. In the past they have succeeded. But not for long, am sure.

As with Mr. Escudero, thank you for your statement. I hope to share pandesal with you soon—and it will be one that comes from Sulu’s kitchen. My treat.

*  *  *

Our chance is the change we must achieve for ourselves.