Monday, June 29, 2009

Mangyan, Politician and Election


I was surprised to see hundreds of Mangyan roaming around a compound allegedly owned by a political patron in Brgy. Labangan Poblacion in San Jose last week, until an informant told me that the mountain-dwellers are here for the on-going voters' registration for 2010 elections. They are from a nearby Mangyan community. Yes, for a mass registration to a local Commission on Election or COMELEC office. Their transportation, food and accommodation are free of charge courtesy of said political patron.

In 2007, Atty. Margarita Tamunda of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) who was assigned to monitor the canvassing of election results in Occidental Mindoro reported that Mangyan folk were being manipulated by big politicians in Paluan and Sta. Cruz. The Paluan incident was featured in a TV show “Imbestigador” over GMA 7. Imagine, the Mangyans were given free literacy education where they were taught how to write name of certain politicians on a ballot. My goodness!

“What’s wrong with keeping them during elections? They are not kidnapped. They have food and television and videoke entertainment there and they can get out of the place anytime they like…” Well, they’re right because under the present election code this practice is not illegal. But this line of thinking is not only exclusive to political partisans. Sadly, many of us Christians see nothing immoral with such practice.

As early as in the middle of 1920’s, Gov. Robert S. Offley undertook initial efforts to come into contacts with the Mangyans,- our indigenous brothers. That was during the American colonial period. Offley found out that the lowlanders exploited the Mangyans for a cheap labor source or manpower. The American governor absorbed them into the body politics and the tribes have to give up their cultural identity. Due to the Christians’ perceived “extreme backwardness” of the tribal members, through a Manila-initiated policy, they were separated from the “Tagalogs” or Christians.

According to author Volker Schult in his book “Mindoro : The Social History of A Philippine Island”, the first Filipino governor of Mindoro, Juan Morente, Jr., favored the strict separation of the Tagalogs and Mangyans. His motivations are not only paternalistic and humanitarian but also tinted with political reasons. The segregation, made through establishments of schools and reservations, was seen as incentive for migration or to attract many people from other neighboring provinces to come to Mindoro. Through this policy on reservation, the ancestral land and of the tribes was easily distributed to the migrants. The Mangyan leaders vehemently opposed the national policy and sought the intervention of the Supreme Court (SC) on the legal matter. Atty. Vicente Sotto represent the Mangyans in court but in 1919, five against four justices declared the Reservations legal. The SC then stated:

“And true indeed they are Filipinos, with many but not all the rights which citizenship implies. And true, indeed, they are Filipinos. But just as surely, the Manguianes are citizens of a low degree of intelligence. If the Philippines is to be rich and powerful country, Mindoro must be populated and its fertile regions must be developed…” (Supreme Court; Report of Cases; Vol. 39; March 17, 1919 pp. 713-719). And that is the main reason why Mindoro’s population became heterogeneous.Why the Mangyans were driven out of their lands.

Even today, they need to be integrated to mainstream society but without sacrificing their cultural identity. There must be a balanced process, a so-called “ethnical symbiosis” or mutually beneficial interactions between Mangyans and politicians. Concretely, there is a need for separate registration and polling places in every barangay where the non-Mangyans, except people from COMELEC, cannot intervene. Massive community-based voters’ education to be conducted by non-partisan groups specifically those organizations mandated by law for the promotion and protection of the IPs in cooperation with COMELEC. Through these simple steps, we could save them from the bane of local politicians. From the evils of politics.

Going back to this modern day practice of “school’ and “reservation” for our indigenous peoples,- to my mind, any local election held in under these circumstances is a vicious farce and most scandalous mockery of their dignity. They are taking advantage of the Mangyans’ sorry plight. And we cannot be a party to an act of blunders that degrades and debases the Mangyans,- the poorest of the poor among Mindorenyos. We are our brothers’ keeper, aren’t we? Now, tell me that there’s nothing wrong with this practice,- and there is definitely something wrong with your being a Christian…

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(SSC File Photo : An anti-mining rally in Mamburao)

15 comments:

  1. Eto ang analisa ko: NAKAKAAMOY NG PAGKATALO ANG LOLA MO!!! he he he

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  2. LABANGAN POBLACION?dba ang lola Nene mo lng ang pulitikong taga doon hmmmmm maiitim rin pala ang mga balakin nya.

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  3. Dear Anonymous :

    I am not saying na "taga-roon". And it is not her. The place maybe rented, leased or acquired.

    But let us not focus on personalities but on issues. Sa tingin ninyo tama ba ang ginagawang ito sa mga Mangyan? Yung iba kasing nakakausap ko ang sabi: "Kung sila (ang kalaban) ang gumawa masama, kung kami, hindi". Hanep sa katwiran, masyadong personality focused at partisan tinted, 'no?

    Balik kayo ulit at salamat sa pagbisita.

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  4. pero di ba both of them Lola nene and lolo jose ginagawa naman yan sa mga mangyan every election time, ano ang bago? ginagawa ni lola nene yan di lang sya masyado obvious. Thanks...

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  5. if it is not her, sino po tinutukoy nyo kuya norman? salamat po

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  6. Dear Anonymous:

    Hindi po ito usapin ng "sino" dahil sabi nyo nga ay pareho silang gumagawa nito. Usapin ito ng "dapat ba?" at "ano ang ating gagawin?". May role ba dito ang mamamayan o wala. Hahayaan na lang ba nating sila-sila (ang mga magkakaribal na politicians) ang mag-resolba ng usaping iyan dahil hindi na nga bago ito kagaya na rin ng isinulat ni Schult na naka-tatak na ito sa history ng Mindoro noon pang American colonial period.

    Mas 'yun ang puntong dapat na maarok ng ating isipan at hindi ang pangangati o paggatong pa sa nagliliyab nang alitan ng mga pulitiko sa atin na ang pangunahing nadadarang at nalalapnos ay ang mga ordinaryong mamamayan at ang ipinapain nila ay ang kanilang mga kaawa-awang taga-sunod.Usapin din po ito ng pagkilalala natin sa kultura ng mga katutubo at ang ating pagsusuri dito lalung-lalo na sa panahon ng halalan.Madali naman po sigurong unawain ito.

    Salamat po...

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  7. sa hangarin ninyong mga taong simbahan na paglingkuran ang mga mangyan, hindi kaya "ginagamit" lamang ninyo sila?

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  8. Norman, mas tamang sabihin na noong july 1, 2009, nagdiwang ang AVSJ ng kaniyang canonical erection anniversary.
    Nang ideklara ang AVSJ bilang isang hiwalay at nagsasariling Simbahan, hindi ito itinatag. Remember, iisa ang Simbahan natin. Kaya't ang mga itinatayong diocese ay hindi sinisimulan (na gaya ng gustong ipahiwatig ng salitang 'foundation').
    Salamat (MS).

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  9. SANA NGA pero dba obvious naman na kaung mga taga DZVT ay pabor sa LOLA nyo..hehehhe yan ang analisa naming taga-pakinig.Teka lng kuya Norman dba ang LoLa mo rin ang isinulat mo nung nakaraang eleksyon..wag mag deny...ako ang nagbasa ng balota mo????(joke!)

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  10. To MS: Thanks for your "erection" (?). Babaguhin ko mamaya. Salamat sa puna...

    To Anonymous 1 : Ginamit lang ng Simbahan ang mga Mangyan? Wala akong magagawa kung ganyan ang iyong pag-aanalisa. Pero kung susundan ko ang iyong lohika, ganyan din marahil sa iyong palagay ang ginawa ng mga naunang paring misyunero na naunang nakipag-ugnayan sa mga katutubo. Ang ginawa ni Bishop Duschak noong 1958 na gumawa ng mga sistematikong programang pang-Mangyan. Isama na natin ang Mangyan expert na si Antoon Postma, ang yumaong Kgg.na Obispo Vicente C. Manuel, SVD,DD na may maigting na kalinga sa mga kapatid nating ito, at iba pang mga paring nakipamuhay sa mga katutubo simula ng maitatag ang Simbahang Katolika sa isla. Sila o kami na kasama ng mga Mangyan sa pagsusulong ng IPRA sa lalawigan at sa mga kontra-minang pagkilos na ang direktang tatamaan ay hindi naman mga taga-patag kundi ang mga pamayanan sa kabundukan.

    Maliban na lamang kung may iba kang balangkas o dahilan na matingkad na magbabaybay sa pangkalahatang kaibhan ng mga dating ginawa at kasalukuyang ginagawa ng mga pari, layko, madre para sa mga katutubo. Paki Bahagi naman kung mayroon ka...

    To Anonymous 2 : Mali ka. Sa national election at Brgy. Election lang ako huling bumuboto. Noong nakaraang national election yung tatlong AKP senatoriable at ilang "mainstream" candidates ang ibinoto ko. Honestly, at hindi ito joke, blangko ang governor at congress slot sa aking balota. Noong nakaraang brgy. elections, isa lang ang ibinoto ko, sa hanay pa ng kagawad...

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  11. Ganito kasi yun. Turo ng Simbahan, ayon daw sa Diyos, na maging mabait tayo sa kapwa. Kasi kailangang maging mabait para makapunta sa langit. Kung di ka mabait, sa kaharian ka ni Taning pupulutin.
    Dahil reward and punishment ang balangkas ng kaisipang lagi kong naririnig sa sermon ng inyong mga pari, ginagamit lamang natin ang ating kapwa na ating pinapagpakitaan ng kabaitan, di ba? Kailangan kasi natin sila, e.
    Kaya sa paglilingkod sa Mangyan, gaya ng sinasabi mo, ginagamit lang ng Simbahan ang mga Mangyan upang makatupad kayo sa turo ng inyong Diyos.

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  12. To Anonymous 1 : Sa ganyang punto ay tama ka. Ito 'ata yung ethical theory na tinatawag na Utilitarianism. Salamat sa paliwanag...

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  13. malinaw po sa statement ni Alex Del Valle na Kau po pala Norman Novio,daisy del valLe ay magkakakampi...nagtulungan...heart fm DZVT at RN.malinaw pala na pro-SATO kau.kung d un totoo dapat aware kau sa mga statements na binibitawan niya sa ere dahil kung magkakasaam nga kau eh wla na kaming dapat pang pagkatiwalaan pa!

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  14. haba ng diskusyon mo ah. Sa panahon pa naman ng mga sinaunang pulitiko mula calapan hanggang paluan, ang mga mangyan ay ginamit na (nasa libro ito ni Volker Schult) sa tuwing sumasapit ang eleksyon. Nasaksihan din ito ng isang journalist ng Philippine Daily Inquirer.Siempre, mali ito, dahil ginagamit lamang sila, ngunit wala naman silang naging kapakinabangan sa mga halimaw na naghari sa lalawigang ito. Ah, meron daw, tuwing may birthday, eh pinapababa sila at binibigyan ng pack lunch, dinner at merienda!
    Mahalaga talaga na mapag-aralan ang kasaysayan ng lalawigan. Noon pa man lagi na naming sinasabi na sana ay magkaroon ng MINDORO Studies o kahit ang isang social science subject ay tumutok sa pag-aaral ng mga kaganapan sa Mindoro, nang sa gayon magkaroon tayo ng mas malalim na pag-aanalisa. At matuto sa mga pagkakamali.

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  15. To Eunice:

    Sana nga...

    To Anonymous:

    Wala ako sa posisyon na pangaralan o suhetuhin siya kung totoo man o hindi na ginagamit niya ang aking pangalan sa kanyang programa. Ang mas importante ay alam kong hindi ako bayaran at propagandista ng sinumang pulitiko...

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