Lanao Ulama vow to support War VS Drugs

By ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL YAHYA

Marawi City, Lanao del Sur

October 1, 2016

With the belief that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is bestowed by God as a gift, clemency and mercy to the Filipino people, a group of Ulama and other multi-sectors led by a former provincial governor in Lanao del Sur took upon themselves the fight against illegal drugs as strongly advocated by the national leadership.

This was made plain during a prayer rally organized by the Ulama National Solidarity Conference of the Philippines (UNSCP) and participated in by other sectors of the community held September 24 at Lanao del Sur People’s Park in the Islamic City of Marawi.

With a Team, “ISLAMIC ADVOCY FOR THE ERADICATION OF ILLEGAL DRUGS IN SUPPORT TO PRESIDENT DUTERTE’S TOTAL WAR AGAINST ILLEGAL DRUGS,” the prayer rally marked the beginning of the participation of the respective prominent Ulama organizations and individuals to support the relentless effort of government authorities to exterminate the alarming drug menace of our country, said the Ulama National Solidarity Conference of the Philippines (UNSCP), convenor and organizer.

It was participated in by various civic organizations, Moro revolutionary groups, the academe and other sectors of society,

In a statement, UNSCP said, “Verily, the unprecedented proliferation of illegal drugs which may have been despicably un-acted upon by the previous administration knowingly or unknowingly, proved to be the principal source of all evils and peril of society like, corruption, criminalities and immorality.

“The significant occurrence was discovered when this country came under the administration of President Duterte in the last days of July 2016 which he, indeed, exerted his determined efforts with the law enforcement agencies... as well as his allies to take down and fight against roiling illegal drugs, corruption and criminalities,” according to the statement.

The President said that about 3.5 Million Filipinos immersed to illegal drugs in various levels i.e drug users, drug pushers, drug traders and drug manufacturers.

Just recently, the pursuit of President Duterte’s total war campaign against illegal drugs claimed a death toll of 3500 persons. Of this figures, 1152 of which were killed during PNPs; legitimate operations; 1506 persons were killed by their cohorts due to rivalry of the illegal drug trade and/or to silence the other crime.

On the other hand, closed to more than 100,000 persons involved in illegal drugs have surrendered alive to government authorities.

“It is very sad to note that people in the other side of the political camp who claimed to be pro-human rights advocates are in cahoots with the CHR who are remnants of the previous administration (and) are distorting information abroad, accusing President Duterte of committing extra-judicial killings of the total death toll,” said the statement.

Former Lanao del Sur Provincial Governor Aleem Bashier D. Manalao, founding chair and convenor of the prayer rally signed the statement.

Manalao is also leader of the Mostaqbal movement whose members are Muslim women.

It said: “This dastardly act may reduce, if not destroy the momentum of the PNP, the PDEA and other law enforcement authorities involved in the total drug war campaign and paint a bad image of the present administration that will affect tourism and foreign investments.

“Perhaps righteous people could exert themselves taking part in President Duterte’s advocacy promoting virtues and standing against evil so that safety and peace will finally prevail. Thus Allah states ‘and help one another in doing virtues fearing Allah and do not work together in doing evil.’

“By this virtue, it is evidently indisputable to my respective prominent clerics (ULAMA), priest along with propagators of Islam that I once became the Provincial Governor of Lanao Del Sur in Mindanao Southern Philippines to take this opportunity to ask my Muslim brothers all over the Arabic and Islamic Countries to give the new elected President of the Philippines a helping hand and a support him in great endeavors and virtuous effort in making his decent and noble goals in reshaping the future of our country, for our children and the Filipino People..

“We believe that the magnitude of this campaign lies not only in the shoulder of the President and Government but likewise oblige all people from all walks of life, regardless of religious beliefs, tribal identity and political affiliations to come forward and contribute their shares in their own small way to minimize, if not totally avoid bloodshed and death toll, ultimately putting out the burning fire of illegal drugs as offshoot of the aforementioned campaign.”

TNRS