Abdullah Makapaar
Abdullah Goldiano Makapaar bin Sabbar (known as Commander Bravo) was a Moro rebel (Maranao Tribe) and a Brigadier Commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (M.I.L.F.), 303rd Brigade (Camp John-Mack), in Lanao del Norte, a province in northern Mindanao Island of the Philippines. He was later promoted to Division Commander and served as Commanding Officer in the northwest of Mindanao, including Camp Bilal. Camp Bilal is one of the biggest military-training camps in northwestern Mindanao, and was previously handled by his elder brother, the late "Commander James Bond" (Tagoranao Goldiano Macapaar). The nickname "Bravo" given to Abdullah came from a candy popular at the time.
Abdullah Makapaar | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament | |
| Assumed office 29 March 2019 | |
| Nominated by | Moro Islamic Liberation Front |
| Appointed by | Rodrigo Duterte |
| Chief Minister | Murad Ebrahim |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Abdullah Goldiano Makapaar bin Sabbar Delabayan, Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, Philippines |
| Relations | Tagoranao (brother) |
| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) | Commander Bravo |
| Allegiance |  |
| Commands | MILF Northwest Mindanao Command |
| Battles/wars | Moro conflict |
Abdullah Makapaar replaced his elder brother, the late "Commander James Bond" (Tagoranao Goldiano Macapaar) who was a Lieutenant of Philippine Army and who had created Camp John-Mack of the 303rd Brigade with the approval of the then Vice Chairman, Murad Ebrahim, on the recommendation of field commanders. Camp John-Mack is named after Goldiano Macapaar bin Sabbar's brother (Tabowa "John" & Mackrang "Mack"), the Moro revolutionary leaders Edward "Mackrang" and Tabowa "John" Goldiano Makapaar bin Sabbar, who were killed in battle. His eldest brother, the Hon. Abdulrahman "Lama" Goldiano Makapaar bin Sabbar, was a former Barangay Chairman of Delabayan, and later ABC President of Kauswagan. and former Provincial Board Member for Lanao del Norte. Other Goldiano Macapaar bin Sabbar brothers died in battles under Martial Law in Lanao del Norte. Today, Abdullah Goldiano Makapaar bin Sabbar engages in the ILAGA war against the Moro, calling for the Bangsamoro people, particularly those in Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and neighboring provinces to support the Federalism and Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).[1]
Parents
Makapaar's father, Datu Tegul, was a Sultan of Delabayan, and the son of Datu Aku of the royal family line Romandi and Sabbar in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur. Datu Aku and his close relative, Datu Balowa from Lininding Community (now Barangay of Munai), found the small community of Delabayan (now one of the barangays in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte) before the Philippine–American War. The land of Delabayan is deeply forested. The apocryphal tale of the finding of, the community is that after a long hike, Datu Aku and Datu Balowa reached a small clearing, where they stood back-to-back and struck the "honorable agreement" that one would log the forest he faced, and the other the area of forest he faced. Datu Aku is also credited with encouraging the development of the community now known as Barangay Bansayan, Piagapo. As a child, Sultan Bansayan Umpar accompanied his father on a visit to Datu Aku in his new community of Delabayan. During that visit, both Datu Aku and Datu Balowa encouraged the father of Sultan Bansayan Umpar to find his own community upon returning to Piagapo. Makapaar's mother, Bai Iba, whose parents were descendants of one of the four Royal Sultanates' bloodlines, is from Munai, Lanao del Norte. Makapaar is the youngest of seven siblings. Makapaar's Mother, like many other Filipinos who experienced life under Martial Law, engage in the ILAGA war against Moro.
Early life
Abdullah Makapaar never completed his education. At that time the Philippines was under Martial Law and engaged in the ILAGA war against Moro. As a teenager, he enjoyed riding motorbikes. Once, his family had a motorbike and his mother named it "Bai Iba," which was very upsetting to her other sons, Hon, Abdulrahman and Lieutenant Tagoranao, because they believed their brother "Orak" (now Commander Bravo) was too young to ride on the motorbike. Hence, Hon. Abdulrahman immediately sold the motorbike. During Martial Law the ILAGA war against Moro, Makapaar liked to work with the MILF Agent Squad formed by his brother Tagoranao. Despite being young, he got involved in those missions on several occasions.
Abroad
Makapaar was a part-time taxi driver in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before he became MILF Brigadier Commander. While working in the Kingdom, he continued with his studies about Islam at Hadith of Islam. He performed several Hadji and Umra in Macca and visited prophet Muhammad's grave in Madinah. Makapaar gave his support to the "Muslim Brown House Committee Community" founded by Moro Rebel Jamel Lucman. One day while driving fast alone, he suddenly stopped because of the red color signal in traffic lights but he did not notice that the exact area where he stopped was the middle of highway intersection. It leading into the accident between a big truck and cargo trailer where he also received minor physical injuries. When asked why he stopped in the middle of highway intersection by a police he answered that he was just following the traffic rules of Saudi Arabia. He was jailed and released a few days later because of his Islamic knowledge and providing lectures to his fellow inmates.
MILF Occupation of some parts of Kauswagan
Maranao Tribe have conflict with the Christian because of the boundary small piece of Land however, on going negotiation, Christian side killed some of the Maranao tribe who is MILF Soldier under Commander Bravo. on the other hand, Mayor Jack Maruhom of Kauswagan still negotiating the both side but Commander Bravo decided to go to Municipal Hall and to have courtesy call to mayor and also ask the Mayor why the process very slowly. Commander Bravo leads almost hundreds of selected MILF soldier to Kauswagan municipal hall and he put a block between national highway road going to Misamis Oriental and going to Zamboanga Peninsula. He stays in Kauswagan Municipal Hall for almost a day.
On the process, most of the people died in sea because they do not know how to swim and some of them were died because of the sunk boat overloaded. Commander Bravo Controls the almost key location of Kauswagan particularly in the following and on the MILF Commander Mousa of Linamon, and hold the Municipal Hall to ask the Mayor for Justice of all Moro civilian killed by unidentified Christian:
- Bagumbayan (Pob.)
- Kawit Occidental
- Kawit Oriental
- Libertad
- Poblacion
- Tacub
- Tugar
Military
Makapaar has an Islamic military leadership which is well-known to MILF Commanders and elements. He claims that he was trained (in guerrilla tactics) in Afghanistan by Osama bin Laden in 1981. He believes himself to be an exemplary model of warfare. In 2000, he created a small outpost over-advance to the parameter of the Camp John Mack's checkpoint in barangay, Inudaran, Kauswagan and declared it to be a temporary Headquarters of 303rd Brigade (Camp John Mack), BIAF-MILF. He led his Field Commanders in several battles in Linamon, Bacolod, Kauswagan and Maigo towns in Lanao del Norte at the time when former President Joseph Estrada declared all-out-war against the MILF on March 21, 2000. He led several enormous battles in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao, and also led in defending the MILF main camp of Camp Abubakar in Maguindanao. He stated to his Field Commanders about the "Battles, and it is one of the standard to the Soldier of Islam, however the cost figure is the damage "Bullet" spending war made by the government forces which can derive deficit of the Republic of the Philippine".
Ameril Umbra Kato was founder and Commander of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway group from the MILF. Abdullah Goldiano Makapaar and Ameril Umbra Kato, until his death in April, 2015,[2][3] were two of the most wanted men in the Philippines. An interview with Kato conducted by ABS-CBN led to a controversy in the Philippines after the Philippine Supreme Court nullified as unconstitutional the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the MILF in 2008.
Islamic Law and Culture Law
Makapaar supports the implementation of both the Islamic Law (Shariah Law) and the Manarao Tribe's Culture Law (Taritib & Igma Law). He believes in forcing women to wear Hijabs. He is arresting the all suspect small and big time Drug Lords in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, and eventually hand them over to Lanao Shariah Law for Judgment-Decision.
Makapaar has a current Division Commander Aleem Abu Haneef Edris Salidawan (Chairman of Shariah Law- Lanao) who is handling military operation in Lanao del Sur and some part of Lanao del Norte specially on whale-caught and apprehended suspected Drug Lords and Criminals, and prosecuted them into Shariah Courts public execution. He is not also agreed with the Islamic principles of Maute Group in Municipality of Butig, Lanao del Sur.
Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte mulls offensive Him
Duterte said Bravo has apprehended suspected criminals and prosecuted them in Shari’ah courts but also supposedly asked money from arrested offenders in exchange of giving them lighter sentences. The MILF commander is also engaged in dubious money lending scheme where he pockets half of the profits (Mulls).
However, MILF Chairman Hadji Murad Ibrahim had already personally emphasized and explained to President Duterte about the part of MILF Commander Bravo on the reveal, beside there was a personal investigation on 9 December 2016 made by Atty. Abdullah Mama-o, a Secretary of Muslim Concerns and Overseas Filipino Workiers-KSA. Makapaar on other hand, he is fully support to the all-out-war against drug.(Full Support).
Committed to Peace
Macapaar was granted a personal and exclusive interview by Al Jazeera's Ms. Jamela Alindogan, in the MILF Northwest Mindanao Camp in Lanao del Sur, who says he will never give up the rebel group's weapons - not until historical injustices, which he says were committed by the Philippine government, have been corrected, "Interview for Committed to Peace".
References
- "Senior MILF leader, soldier dead in fierce clashes". Rappler. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- Dizon, Edwin O. Fernandez, Karlos Manlupig, Nikko. "Son, Iqbal confirm BIFF leader Umra Kato is dead". newsinfo.inquirer.net.
- Aning, Jerome. "Ameril Umra Kato dead—Muslim leader". newsinfo.inquirer.net.