SWISH OF THE KRIS

ALL: There is such a mistaken concept among our Christian Brothers in saying that the only good
Moro is dead Moro.

NABEL: A good Moro is dead Moro. What a mistaken concept my Christian Brothers! My father
is a dead Moro but while he lived, he was a good man, a good Filipino. He became bad when he
turned bandit by force of circumstances and fled to the mountains to join Kamlon.

YAHYA: I, son of the bandit Sultan Alimoden Alfad, come to you Oh! my blood brothers and
sisters. You, who call yourselves Christian Filipinos, I plead with understanding. I come in the
name of peace and national unity. For are we Moros not Filipinos like you? Are we not entitled to
share the lands of our forefathers?

ALL: Listen to me for I am an educated Moro as articulate as your poets, orators, and politicians.
Listen to me and I shall voice to you the grievances of my clan. I demand here and now my rights
as a Filipino.

KHALID: I am the nephew of Bae Tarhata Kiram. And I, too, was also educated in the United
States of America. I spent years and years to educate myself so I may enlighten my people and lift
them from the morass of ignorance, sloth , and poverty.

ALL GIRLS: Na aden iran mitindig so titu a maratabat.

NORALDEN: Few days ago. Four Moro vintas were stripped mercilessly by your fighter planes
and all were sunk. Not a single man survived in that massacre. Now can you say that they are
good Moros for the only good Moro is a dead Moro? I mourned for them as much I mourned for
my father who instantly died in that skirmish fight against your soldiers. My father was armed
with nothing but a kris. But with a swiss of his kris, he can kill and kill. Kill with the vengeance
that distilled four centuries of strife and bitterness.

JALAL: Last week, I killed a man in cold blood. Yes, I killed him with no regrets. And his blood
is still in my hands. Not all the waters of Ranao can wash the drops of his blood which is a symbol
of my sweet revenge.

ALL GIRLS: I am an educated Moro but here I am helpless, alone and about to be swallowed by
the Moro problem.

ABDULA: There is such a dragon which you cannot kill by your modern weapons. But a Moro
has his maratabat and that his best weapon. The Spanish conquistadores did not vanquish him. The
Americans did not vanquish him. You, our Christian Brothers can never Christianize a Moro, for
as you believe in Christ as your savior, we believe in Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.
KHALID: From the cradle idolatry of Egypt and Babylon, from the imposing temple of Pagan,
Rome, a new faith is born. It is my faith and the faith of my forefather, Bantugen. Stop calling us
Moros for it is a notion of a conquered people.

ALL BOYS: Call us Brothers. And if you do all these by the grace of Allah, we will live in peace.
But if you defy us, we will fight you until the end. We will fight you until we all turn
huramentados.

ALL: You may finally get Kamlon by your modern weapons, but other Kamlon will rise up form
their ashes and will scourge the land forever. ALLAH HUAKBAR!!!