Dark shadows lurk

The Islamic State (IS) was the automatic suspect in the Jolo, Sulu bombing that killed 20 Sunday church goers and state troopers securing the Church, but the troubled past of Mindanao points to several other interests that may seem to frustrate President Rodrigo Duterte’s gains from securing peace.

“The strong backing for the MILF may just need a convincing push since the Bangsamoro Organic Law faces a difficult time with the Supreme Court.

The IS even obliged and owned up to the terrorist act, but the details it provided conflicted with the initial police findings of the incident primarily on the terror group’s claim of the use of suicide bombers.

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which is also among the suspects in the gruesome attack, said the government should look beyond the obvious.

“There are a lot of groups interested in Mindanao, not only Sulu… These are chained interests that are deeply rooted,” a spokesman for the group said.

The bombing came immediately after the government declared as successful the plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

Sulu, a known stronghold of the MNLF, however, voted against the BOL, thus making it among those with a strong motive to launch an attack.

Initially, the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines investigators blamed the Ajang-Ajang group, which has links with the terrorist Abu Sayyaf for the bombings.

The MNLF said the suspects being presented are shallow and obvious.

To a great degree, the MNLF, which preceded the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the self-determination effort, forwarded a good reason for investigators to look deeper.

Rody apparently had an inkling on whom he should be wary of.

The declaration of an all-out war against terrorists was expected, but the real culprits may be lurking nearer than in the conflict areas of the south.

For instance, two former Presidents, Noynoy Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos, rejected calls for an all-out war against insurgents, such as that in 2011 when 19 soldiers were killed.

Again, in the Mamasapano tragedy of 2015, Noynoy refused to launch an offensive against rebels who slaughtered 44 Special Action Force commandos.

Former President Joseph Estrada also blamed Ramos and the yellow mob of Noynoy for throwing him out just when government forces were about to wipe out the MILF.

Estrada also revealed that he received calls from former US President Bill Clinton demanding a halt in government offensive against the MILF.

The strong backing for the MILF may just need a convincing push since the BOL faces a difficult time with the Supreme Court (SC).

Sometime in 2008, after the high tribunal ruled an agreement that would have broken up Mindanao and awarded regions to the MILF as unconstitutional, its commander Umbra Kato went into a rampage that resulted in the pillage of villages in Mindanao.

Kato was slain in 2015 after a military offensive.

The United States has long been pouring huge investments in the troubled areas in Mindanao mainly due to the huge resources believed to be found in the region.

Mindanao is estimated to hold some $1 trillion in untapped natural riches.

The sealing of a peace deal with the rebels was pivotal in assuring the long-term exploitation of the resources in the island.

Rody supported the BOL, but he wanted the agreement to be amended and improved to bring together all the divergent tribes and fiefdoms in the Islamic south.

Such a prospect would be detrimental to the groups wanting to exploit the huge resources of Mindanao since they wanted just one group to talk to.

An agreement that would have ceded portions of Mindanao to the MILF through the so-called Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain was rejected by the SC and the BOL would likely go the same way, since the provisions of both are not too different primarily on the surrender of resources.

The hierarchy of the MILF frequently consults with US embassy officials as evidenced by leaked cables on WikiLeaks that proved the deep interest of the American government in the MILF and what could be its future role in the Bangsamoro.

The MILF officials even suggested, based on the WikiLeaks entries, a parallel consultation with the US regarding the setting up of the autonomous region during the several meetings held between the MILF and US diplomats.

The twin bombings may have been warning shots fired at the SC to force its hand on the BOL.