Arnold Garbanzos ILIGAN City--Many in Malacanang do not appreciate the significance of Lanao as a combined province to the peace process of Mndanao. If peace-making were the Pareto principle, Lanao is the significant 20 percent needed to achieve the 80 percent results we are praying for to happen in Mindanao, including the Bangsamoro. Why? Because Lanao is the “nerve center of the Bangsamoro”; it is the “barometer of all Muslim Filipinos” for four significant reasons:
  • it is the location of the only Islamic city in the country or even in this part of the world;
  • it is the “Home of the Mindanao State University System” where almost all of our Muslim leaders have been educated and have charted the destiny of the Armm and its people;
  • among the three major Muslim tribes of Mindanao, the Maranaos are the most populous and most prolific in national government and local agencies nationwide--they hold key positions in our government;
  • Lanao is the “Battery of Mindanao”-- it empowers 65 percent of Mindanao and yet it is today in darkness, which is a very big puzzle for the entire Bangsamoro that cannot imagine why Lanao is today considered very poor when they are supposed to be the richest among the provinces.
Surely there is a great injustice made by this nation to Lanao! How we treat Lanao will therefore affect the entire Armm area. The National Power Corp. realizes this fact very clearly because if Lanao del Sur will not pay its power charges to them, expect the entire  “Basulta” to do the same. Lanao sets the tone for the entire Bangsamoro. If Lanao sneezes, the entire Bangsamoro catches a cold. The peace process of Mindanao will not be determined by the vast oil resources of Sulu, Tawi-tawi and Basilan; it will not be determined by the vast natural gas deposits of Liguasan in Maguindanao. It will be determined and measured by the unlimited hydro power supply of Ranao. How the government   treats Lanao will affect the entire Bangsamoro/Armm tremendously. The logic is very simple actually and the entire Bangsamoro is watching, if this nation cannot give justice to the Maranaos for their hydro power resources which is entirely God-given to them and for free, how do they expect to get justice for their oil and natural gases in Sulu and Maguindanao? President Duterte defines an oligarch as one who does business by “laway”-- meaning, they don’t do much, don’t spend much and simply use political maneuvering and clout  to slither their way through the government bureaucracy and on top of that don’t even pay taxes. Honestly, this is what is happening to the renewable energy industry of this country especially in Lanao. Hydro is for free--it is God-given, not one business man can produce these waters. What they simply did was maneuvered their way through our politicians, put in place the Epira and voila, they are now in the billion-peso renewable energy business.   And any tax they pay they simply charge to the people of this country!  ‘ Try to check this out. There are more oligarchs in the renewable energy industry than any other industry in the country. It is no wonder all them are like mussels clinging to the Epira as their shield.  And worse, they are now in the position to buy out the National Power Corp. Agus-Pulangi Complex!  That is the greatest injustice this nation can give to our Maranao brothers and Lanao. Thus, many Maranaos feel cheated out of their birthright over these waters and it is no wonder many of them are poor and destitute and many engaged in  illegal activities just to survive. Expect them to be rebels in mass. The only way to stop this is to give back these waters to their rightful owners and let them earn from it.  It is their God-given right! The Bible/Torah has a basic unilateral principle: Ishmael or the Muslims will be a blessing to all as long as Israel is righteous and they are treated righteously, but Ishmael can be a rod of chastisement raised up and permitted by God/Allah  if Israel is unrighteous. Check this principle out in the Bible. There are many instances Ishmael became a blessing to Israel and there are also many instances Ishmael became a punisher to Israel. It all depends if Israel is righteous or unrighteous. Question is, are our Muslim or Ishmaeli brothers a blessing to us or are they a source of trouble for our nation or our city? Their acts are simply a reaction to what this nation has done to them.  It’s a God-ordained arrangement.  And no one can change this unless we ourselves change our hearts on the matter. As the Holy Quran said, “Truly Allah will never change the condition of the people until they change their hearts on the matter.” It is time for our nation to reboot our policies towards the Bangsamoro and treat them righteously.  Return these waters to the Maranaos and Lanao and let them rise as a tribe and as a nation. Kindly take note that the name Maranao, Maguindanao and Tausug are all related to water. Truly, Lanao sets the tone for the entire Bangsamoro and Malacanang must realize this.  Malacanang must not only work hard for peace, it must also work smart for peace and Lanao is the smart choice if not, the smartest choice for peace in Mindanao.  What will happen in Lanao can happen to Mindanao and what can happen to Mindanao can happen to the entire country.