I am posting the email sent to Mr. Ducky Paredes with my own reactions on the matter:
*********"Dear friends and fellow Mindanaoans:
"For a long time now we have wanted a free and progressive Mindanao to our chagrin. The Republic of Manila is the real obstacle to our dreams of an independent Mindanao. Despite taking a backseat in national affairs, we are and always have been a milking cow for the people of Manila.
"The bulk of tax revenues of Mindanao are always brought to Manila, but we only receive a miniscule amount in return for our budget, and a big share of that revenue remains in Manila for their flyovers, roads and over-paid and corrupt politicians. And what do we get in return? Nothing really.
"We are a hardworking people, resilient, tenacious, and our love for Mindanao has always brought us together. Mindanao is a very beautiful place (country for most). It is very rich in natural resources and peopled with visionaries. But, our actions and lives are restricted by people living hundreds of kilometers away. Despite the restrictions, lack of government support and lack of funds, we have survived, we always have.
"Cities like Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Tagum, Zamboanga, to name just a few, have managed to outperform most cities in Luzon and Visayas despite the terrible lack of funds and support from Manila. An independent Mindanao would give us strategic trading and business ties with parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, even countries such as Japan, China and Taiwan. Because the people of these countries respect us more than those in Manila. And the opportunities for business and growth in Mindanao are vast. Just imagine if we are an independent nation!
"Mindanao would be far more progressive economically and far better socially than the banana republic which is the Philippines (Republic of Manila).
"There is no point in being a part of the Philippine Republic. There is no future in that country. It is mired in debt, which it can barely pay even the annual interest. Investors avoid that country, preferring other Southeast Asian countries, which are outperforming the Philippines in every aspect. To the people in Manila, politics is their first and most important priority. It has even become a national pastime. Just ask yourself this question: "Would you like Mindanao to be an independent country and be given the best but rare chance of starting out clean and fresh, armed with a highly educated and hard-working population with strong leaders, with a land vastly rich in natural resources? Or would you prefer to remain with the Philippines, which is being sucked into the abyss?
"Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City has called on all Mindanaoans to unite and we must now start work on establishing an independent Mindanao. A call to all Mindanaoan professionals, business people, politicians (real politicians), industrialists, educators, students, Mindanaoan soldiers, all Mindanaoans from all parts of the globe, let us now start work.
"Contact all your relatives, all your local politicians and business leaders, friends and co workers. Let us establish and re-establish strong communication lines among all the different cities, towns and municipalities throughout Mindanao. Let us start with the basics and then progress to more complicated issues in nation building. Let us do this one step at a time but with the same objective of creating a united and
independent Mindanao."If you have received this message, please forward this to all your relatives and friends and other fellow Mindanaoans. Do whatever it takes for us to achieve our shared goal and vision. Let us all join hands for a
United and Independent Republic of Mindanao!" — A Friend, A Mindanaoan
My family has long been involved with the Moro struggle and the hopes of having a truly independent Mindanao. Those were the days where idealism seem to fuel their souls and where fighting for your right / idea spells heroism.
I remember my parents telling me stories of how sulu was before the great fire. How beautiful it once was -- it was safe to stroll late at night, how their friends from Manila would visit and gush about the place and about endless parties, picnics and island hopping. Those were peaceful times ... times that seemed forever trapped in the past and never to happen again?
Why do I say this? I have never lived in Sulu, but from accounts to me by my relatives it has changed completely... Gone are peaceful walks, clean streets and neighborhood parties, instead it is said to have been replaced by guns, goons and golds. What happened?
I don't want to think that the struggle (and lives and property lost) were all for naught. I used to think that when the people who fought be given a chance to govern, things will be better, but I was proven wrong.
Times and indeed people change. Those who fought against the system and who said that when they will be given a chance to govern, they will install genuine reform. Alas, it was not meant to be, they were eaten by the system. They embraced the very idea they fought against and it saddens me.
It saddens me to think that the sacrifice of many be for nothing. It saddens me that people who said they will help rebuild the place rocked by war will only rebuilt their homes and it saddens me that they who said are for the people are in the end only for them selves. They amass wealth and power while poverty grows around them.
I truly believe that a city/town/province is as great as its leaders and its people. No matter how much we say we wanted change, we do nothing to change it. We let circumstance and situation dictate what we do instead of having the ‘balls’ to truly change our “world”.
An independent Mindanao? The proposition that Mindanao should secede if GMA resigns is outrageous. I liken this call to a Brat giving an ultimatum. How can our country progress if we continue to live and be in a “tribal” mentality? How can we really move forward if we are torn in divisiveness? I believe that until we change our attitude towards politics and life, we are destined to repeat the past.
Great nations became what they are today because their people willed themselves to work together in achieving a common goal. United is the key word here. Love for country and pride in themselves are other factors. There is no You or me, rather a collective thought of Us and We are the driving force.
I love Mindanao and feel that it is more beautiful and bountiful than Luzon or Visayas, but alas until we resolve the fighting (peace and order) and the prejudice then I doubt if we could really move forward.
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