More Mindanawons to be proud of than to be ashamed of in 2009

by Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews
Saturday, 09 January 2010 00:34


DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/07 January) – The Ampatuans -- Datu Andal Ampatuan, Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao, principal suspect in the massacre of at least 58 persons in Ampatuan town, and other clan members who allegedly also participated in the mass murder -- shamed Mindanawons and the entire country in 2009. The abductors and killers of Rebelyn Pitao, the 21-year old teacher-daughter of New People’s Army commander Leoncio Pitao alias Parago, and other victims of summary executions in Mindanao,too.
But many more Mindanawons made Mindanawons and the rest of the country proud: a second placer in the bar, a peace advocate awarded nationally and internationally, a boxing hero, and for development consultant Mags, “(Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael)Mangudadatus wife , Bai Genalyn, and his siblings, Atty. Connie Jayme-Brizuela and Atty. Grace Oquendo-Ayon (who) paid with their lives because they believed in change and pursued it.”

Genalyn Mangudadatu, the two lawyers and 55 others were in a convoy en route to the provincial office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Shariff Aguak, when stopped by at least a hundred armed men believed led by Datu Unsay mayor Datu Andal Ampatuan, Jr., who was bent on running unopposed for Maguindanao governor.

Presidential Adviser Jesus Dureza earned both a “proud of” and “ashamed of” vote each for his handling of Ampatuan, Jr. A reporter said he was “ashamed of Dureza for giving Ampatuan Jr., a special treatment” while a researcher said she was proud of Dureza’s handling of the Ampatuans.

Mylene Amerol-Macumbal, a Maranao accountant from the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) placed second in the 2008 bar exams, with a grade of 85.65 or .05 less than topnotcher Judy Lardizabal of San Sebastian College in Manila

A total of 1,310 passed out of the 6,364 law graduates (20.58% passed) who took the exams nationwide.

In the field of sports, Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao of Sarangani and General Santos City, made history in 2009 by becoming the only fighter to ever win seven belts in seven different weight classes. Pacquiao is now busy preparing for his electoral fight in the lone district of Sarangani province which he wants to represent in Congress.

Tandag (Surigao del Sur) Bishop Nereo Odchimar, 68, a canon lawyer and CBCP vice president, won the votes of 86 out of 88 bishops present at the 99th Plenary Assembly of the Bishops’ Conference at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila in July 2009.

Odchimar assumed the post in December from Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo who served two terms from 2005 to 2009.

The last time a Mindanawon Bishop was CBCP President was in 2003 to 2005 -Davao Arcbishop Fernando Capalla. Before him, Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo was president for two terms from 1999 to 2003

Mindanawon peace advocate Mary Ann Arnado won the PeaceMaking Award of World Vision International, the first peace award given by the 50-year old institution. This is Arnado’s second award this year, having been named in February as Ninoy Aquino Fellow for Public Service.

A lawyer and secretary-general of the Mindanao People’s Caucus (MPC), Arnado bested two other finalists from Kosovo and Rwanda for the award, William O. Lowrey, Director for Peacebuilding and Reconciliation, told reporters just before the awarding rites at the Grand Men Seng Hotel on Monday, International Day of Peace.

Arnel Mardoquio, the artist behind the film “Hunghong sa Yuta” (Earth’s whisper), won a grant from Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

For Redemptorist Brother Karl Gaspar, seeing youth groups in schools, parishes and those linked with NGOs “continue to campaign for young people to register for the next elections” has been very inspiring.

For Samira Gutoc of the Young Moro Professionals, “evacuees made us proud of their resilience.”

Gutoc was referring to the persons displaced by the August 2008 war in Maguindanao and neighboring areas. At its height, some 600,000 persons were displaced although the number dropped to about half by end of 2008.

A still undetermined number of evacuees continue to remain in evacuation centers in Datu Piang and some other towns in Maguindanao as of today. (Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews)