Dimasangcay Pundato

Dimasangcay A. Pundato
Dimas A. Pundato.
Born	December 21, 1947 (1947-12-21) (age 63) Marawi City, Muslim Mindanao of Phlippinesi
Residence	Ditsaan-Ramain, Marawi City, Quezon City, Philippines
Ethnicity	Maranao
Citizenship	Filipino Muslim
Alma mater	University of Manila, Jamiatul Philippines Al-Islamiyyah
Religion	Islam
Spouse	Naima Macapundag-Pundato

Dimasangcay A. Pundato (born 1947) is a Muslim Filipino, known to friends and kin as “Kumander Dimas” is a former Moro revolutionary leader and current undersecretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process^[1]. He is not among the traditional politicians. He served for nine years in the now-defunct Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) under the Office of the President during the administrations of the late President Cory Aquino and former President Fidel V. Ramos. He was the former Vice Chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Chairman of the MNLF Reformist Group, where negotiated with the Ramos administration in peace talks with Moro rebel front leaders^[2].

Moro rebel leader turned Muslim reformist

In the fight against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos, Pundato led the Maranao forces of the MNLF from 1973 to 1985, eventually becoming MNLF Vice-Chairman in 1978. He also fought internally for reforms in the rebel movement. Among the three pillars of the MNLF, only Dimas Pundato, the new Chairman of the MNLF Reformist Group became the only actively engaged in the fighting on the grounds while the rest were staying abroad and managing their forces literally by remote control. In 1980 he severed his relations with MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari when the latter refused the reforms demanded by Pundato of the organization with allegation of ideological differences and a leadership style tilting MNLF to one-man rule. This led to the creation of the MNLF Reformist Group which he headed.^[3].

Career as Muslim Government Official

Dimas Pundatoin his long stint in the government he became honed as peace and development expert possessing with strong capability and track record of 20 years of relevant experiences acquiring technical expertise in peace and development and development management as as Assistant Secretary, Undersecretary on Muslim Affairs in the Presidential Adviser for Peace Process (OPAPP) with focus on Muslim affairs, conflict resolution and mediation with Moro revolutionary groups. A professional managerial competence as Executive Director of Office on Muslim Affairs and provincial warden having effectively executed development management and resource mobilization programmes in Muslim constituencies bringing about sustained peace and order.

Pundato was seen as public servant with no-nonsense and result-oriented professional work throughout eight (8) years of experience in post-conflict development and humanitarian works with expertise such as conflict prevention analysis and resolutions management, facilitation of OPAPP’s direction to improve human security by bringing back the rebel groups such as the MNLF, MILF and NPA in talking terms with the government with nine (9) years experience as Executive Director of the Office on Muslim Affairs under the Office of the President functioning effectively to undertake project management and resource mobilization for the Muslim constituencies in support of the strategic objective of the government under the four (presidents) administrations;

Muslim civil society looked up to Pundato as competent Muslim public administrator demonstrating “leadership by example” in the government bureaucracy as model to the ordinary rank and file Muslim employees^[4]. The style of management possessing political will and action-oriented personality is an effective personal leadership skill as key to get the job done given the temperament in the region down to the lower level of its local government units.

Rare Kind as Ethically and morally-driven Muslim professional

Pundato possessing strong irreproachable personal conduct and discipline bringing an exemplary public service with ethical leadership and work standard. The demonstration upright and best personal qualities and conduct of honesty, integrity, perseverance, positive attitude, openness, and hard work made a life of prudence, out from extravagance, and this proven incorruptibility untainted with corruption, nepotism and abuse of discretion have not enriched the family for long years of civil service and for a record had contributed during many instances of government belt tightening policies to return large amount of public money to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). For fidelity and fear of reproach from the Creator, it did not took advantage of the Mecca pilgrims’ fund and solicited any favors to benefit personal gains. Senior Muslim government official and elder Muslim leader holding the required maturity, seniority, and suitability for the critical post that demand resoluteness, mental aptitude, wisdom, a demonstrable strong leadership that commands respects and firmness to face tough challenges of various groups, stakeholders, and warlords necessary to be able to withstand with fortitude the rigors of effectively and efficiently administering the region (ARMM) and its constituents;

Fight for the Return of Philippine Democracy

During self-exile, Mr. Pundato and the MNLF Reformist Group met with President Aquino’s late father, the martyred Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. in Kuala Lumpur. Believing in the reforms that Senator Ninoy fought for against Marcos, Mr. Pundato and the MNLF Reformist Group helped to fight Marcos dctatorship. But even then after his death of Senator Ninoy in August 21, 1983, in continuing their support for his dreams for our country, one year before the historic EDSA People Power Revolt, Mr. Pundato and the MNLF Reformist Group signalled support and political cooperation with the Ninoy Aquino Movement in San Francisco, California and in the country. As a gesture, Pres. Cory in 1986, tasked Former Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, currently the DILG Secretary to convince Dimas in Kuala Lumpur to return and be part of her government. Mr. Pundato then told Sec. Pimentel to first convince other Moro rebel leaders, such as Misuari & Salamat if they will accede to the peace negotiations since he and his reformist group agreed not to become an obstacle to peace but was bent to heed Cory’s call national peace and reconciliation.

Christopher and Ramon Carreon became instrumental in the back channeling for the peaceful return of Dimas to the Philippines. Early in 1987, Ambassador Pelaez and Ambassador Mauyag Tamano, convinced Dimas in Kuala Lumpur to return to the Philippines without any demands and conditionalities he joined the government to support the return of Philippine democracy under the stewardship of then newly installed Pres. Corazon Aquino, then mother of young Noynoy Aquino. As a regular Resource Person to the Peace Commission of Ambassador Pelaez closely watched the Regional Consultative Commission in drafting the Organic Act of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao. From 1988 to 1998 Mr. Pundato was appointed Executive Director of the Office on Muslim Affairs where he had successfully institutionalized a system for running and managing the annual pilgrimage to Mecca Saudi Arabia. Among the innovations he introduced which remained unsurpassed till present were: getting the lowest rates for the fare and quality accommodations in Saudi Arabia; Dimas was able to forge a strong relationship and raised the credibility of the Filipino Muslims with Muasasa or Hadz Establishment in charge for Southeast Asian Muslims.

Political Advocacy

Throughout the life of Dimas Pundato, he typify as Muslim reformist and as a philosophy in life a revolutionary fervor to overcome the waves in our social and political lives that is overwhelmed by the traditional culture and values, of feudal leadership, clannish ties and relations. His family upbringing with disciplinarian father thought and reared him to become tough in life, relation, social life, and mindful of the concern for others and the general welfare of many people. His political advocacy came out of the emergence of the Islamic fundamentalism and the Arab nationalism that sweeping across Middle East and South Asia. The model of Arab democracy profounded by Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt has shaped revolutionary fervor upon the young Dimas and the Islamic political thoughts purveyed by the Pakistan’s Muslim reformist (mujadeed) Syed Abu Ala Maududi of Jamaat e Islamie shaped the eclectic political belief that Islam and democracy can be workable political ideology for the Muslim community to survive a secular polity under the nation-state hegemony in Pakistan. Moved by this modern development in the Muslim world, Dimas Pundato became Muslim democrats espousing Islamic democracy as political ideology.

References

1. ^ Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace Process
2. ^ The Moro National Liberation Front-Reformist Group
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ Mindanao Autonomy: From MNLF to MILF

Persondata
Name	Pundato, Dimasangcay
Alternative names
Short description	Filipino politician
Date of birth	1947
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death