Frustrated Peace

Latest developments in southern Philippines

Ryan Anson examines the most recent political and military developments in the southern Philippines in two articles published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, September 9, 2007.

In "Trying to keep it all in the family dynasty," Ryan reports on a congressman-elect and his two wives -- one the mayor of Isabela City and the other Basilan's new governor -- and the concerns that come with one family's rise in political power. To read the full story, click here.

Ryan also examines the role of U.S. servicemen in the region as they divide their time between building bridges and performing free surgeries to providing sniper and small-unit tactics training for the local military. Click here to read the full story, "Philippines war on terror not as fierce: American advisers help Filipino troops to wipe out poverty, the seeds of Islamic extremism."

Ryan was interviewed on KCBS about the Mindanao Insurgency

http://www.kcbs.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=907419

Slideshow: Inside the Moro Islamic Liberation Front

Click here to launch slideshow.

Mid-term Elections in Basilan (May 14, 2007)

Yakan Muslims fill out their ballots at a polling precinct in Parangbasak, Basilan on May 14, 2007. Filipinos voted today for senators, congressman, provincial governors, and city mayors throughout the country. Wahab Akbar, the charismatic governor of Basilan who once fought against the government with the Moro National Liberation Front and allegedly maintained ties with Abu Sayyaf extremists, hopes to become one of two congressman who will represent the island province in Manila. Violence disrupted elections throughout the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, which includes Basilan and four other provinces in the southern Philippines. Armed men shot at voters inside a voting precinct near the town of Tuburan, Basilan while supporters of rival political parties in central Mindanao threw grenades and detonated small bombs in the provinces of Sharif Kabunsuan and Maguindanao. In several Lanao del Sur towns, election volunteers refused to open polling centers due to widespread insecurity.

Mid-term Elections in Basilan (May 14, 2007)

Jum Akbar, the first wife of Basilan's governor Wahab Akbar, casts her ballot at the East Elementary School in Isabella City on May 14, 2007. Filipinos voted today for senators, congressman, provincial governors, and city mayors throughout the country. Jum Akbar is running for governor of the conflict-ridden island while her husband Wahab hopes to become one of two congressman that will represent Basilan in the Philippine Congress. Wahab's two other wives, Nur-In and Cherry, ran for the mayoralty seats in the cities of Lamitan and Isabella.

Through the Marsh with the MILF (May 9, 2007)

“I’m looking for the day that the Bangsamoro would be the master of their own selves and destiny,” Mohagher Iqbal told me during an interview at the MILF’s political headquarters at Semuay Crossing, southern Philippines. “On that day, whether there is heaven or hell, what is important is that the Bangsamoro people could no longer accuse anyone, including the Philippine government, of creating our mess here in Mindanao.”

Mindanao is still messy, but not as crazy as it once was back in the days of the 2000 and 2003 wars. At least Iqbal and his cadres no longer head arrest warrants on their heads.

I had been to Iqbal's office twice before, once with TIME magazine while trying to investigate the MILF’s alleged ties with al-Qaeda. The other visit took place one year after the signing of the first post-2000 war peace agreement in Tripoli, Libya.

Floods and Bad News (May 4, 2007)

The southern city of Davao used to be the salvaging capital of the Philippines during the 1980’s and 90’s. The coastal town’s booming economic growth lured a mix of rich and poor migrants that included everyone from farmers, Chinese businessmen, and dirty politicians to ex-Maoist and Islamic militants who became guns-for-hire. The more ruthless entrepreneurs terrorized the wealthy elite, stole cars from the middle class, shot street kids, and turned Mindanao’s largest city into an urban war zone. Clandestine paramilitaries fought members of the Communist New People’s Army in the squatter neighborhood of Agdao while street gangs brawled over turf in Bankerohan. Someone was getting rich, but many more people were dying.

Philippine Marine Checkpoint in Isabella City, Basilan (May. 2, 2007)

See complete slideshow here.

Muzzling Media in Jolo (Apr. 25, 2007)

Trying to blend into a place like Jolo is like trying to squeeze an elephant through the eye of a needle-or a lobster through a fish net. The last time a pack of reporters came down, some of them got kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf while trying to get access to the European tourists who were snatched from the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan in 2000. The charismatic but misguided Abu Sabaya even held local Filipino photographers hostage for a few hours and stole their cameras and shoes.

Journalists rarely visited Jolo after the 2000 internaional hostage crisis. So when I showed up, I stuck out worse than a sore thumb. Julie Alipala advised me not to check in with the military because they would attempt to restrict my movements. It was a little ironic because the first place she took me to, after eating lunch of course, was a Marine battalion located next to Lake Panamao, Habier Malik’s former stronghold. She had befriended the commanding officer over the years, and claimed the Philippine marines were much more media-savy and approachable. The colonel here didn’t given us any problems and even provided us with plainclothes escorts on mopeds who “cleared the area” as we drove toward Malik’s base.

Photographs from the Island of Jolo

To view the slideshow, click here.