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 camps in northwestern Mindanao, and was previously handled by his brother, the late Commander Tagoranao "Tago" Goldiano Macapaar. The nickname "Bravo" given to Abdullah came from a candy popular at the time.

Abdulluh Makapaar replaced his brother, the late Commander Tagoranao "Tago" Goldiano Macapaar, 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, the Moro revolutionary leader Edward "John Mack" Goldiano Makapaar bin Sabbar, who was 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 Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).^[1]

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.

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 Lawthe 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 Kingdom, he continued with his studies about Islam at Hadith of Islam. He performed several Hadji and Umra in Macca and visited Mohammed 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 noticed 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 few days later because of his Islamic knowledge and providing lectures to his fellow inmates.

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.

References

1. ↑ "Senior MILF leader, soldier dead in fierce clashes". Rappler. Retrieved 25 March 2016. 
2. ↑ Dizon, Edwin O. Fernandez, Karlos Manlupig, Nikko. "Son, Iqbal confirm BIFF leader Umra Kato is dead". newsinfo.inquirer.net. 
3. ↑ Aning, Jerome. "Ameril Umra Kato dead—Muslim leader". newsinfo.inquirer.net.