The Filipino Profiles

Wahab M. Akbar (April 19, 1960 – November 13, 2007) was governor of the province of Basilan from 1998 to 2007. He was killed in a bomb explosion at the Batasang Pambansa on November 12, 2007, four months into his first term as Representative of Basilan to the Philippine Congress (2007).

Wahab Akbar, a Yakan, was born on April 16, 1960 in Lantawan, Basilan. His father was Hajji Mutamad Salajin; Akbar is his maternal grandfather’s name.

At age 11, Akbar joined his father, a rebel, in the mountains. After three years, Salajin was persuaded to surrender to the government and was appointed mayor of Lantawan by President Ferdinand Marcos. Akbar resumed his studies in Isabela, Basilan. Later, he enrolled at Gregorio Araneta University in Manila where he took up agriculture. However, he did not finish his studies. In 1979, he was arrested along with other Muslim students and detained in Bicutan, Taguig. After his release, he left the country for Sabah, Malaysia, where he stayed until 1982, when he went to Syria and studied Islamic jurisprudence. In 1987, he left Syria when he was sent to Libya by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to train as a commando. He met Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani, the founder of the Abu Sayyaf, in Libya, but denied any involvement with Janjalani or his group. Akbar left Libya and returned to Sabah in the early 1990s, and later returned to Basilan in the mid-1990s.

Upon his return to Basilan, Akbar became a preacher of Islam. He ran for governor of the province in 1998 and won

According to Secretary Angelo Reyes of the Department of National Defense (DND) during the 29th Anniversary Celebration of Basilan "Governor Akbar has always the talks of Visayas, Luzon and Malacanang people for his decisiveness, dedication and tough decision." Also according to Deputy Speaker for Mindanao, congressman Gerry A. Salapuddin, "Ustadz Wahab Akbar the fighting governor of the modern times of pro-poor and more than ever will lead Basilan to achieve its grandeur unto Glory…."

Akbar built the Basilan provincial capitol to house government offices and lobbied for funds to finish the province’s 230-kilometer provincial road. In June 2001, however, when the Abu Sayyaf attacked Lamitan, Akbar was accused of facilitating the payment of ransom for the release of Abu Sayyaf hostages in Lamitan.

In 2007, Akbar was elected Representative of Basilan to the Philippine Congress. In his first and only privilege speech "I Am Basilan" in the House of Representatives on July 31, 2007, Akbar described himself:

“  Throughout my life I was a laborer, I was a driver, I was an operator of heavy equipment, I was a bakery owner, I was a fishpond owner, I was a fish broker, I was a banana broker, I was a cigarette smuggler, I was a coconut harvester, I was a rebel, I was a student of an agricultural school at the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation then. I was an activist against Marcos, we were even imprisoned for forty (40) days at Bicutan, Taguig. I was a student for Islamic Theology in Syria for five (5) years, I was a preacher, I was the deputy commander of the 2nd Mobile Army of MNLF which my commander is the DOLE-ARMM Secretary now based on my recommendation to the Regional Governor of the ARMM. My 5 senses, my bone, my flesh, my blood, my skin, are progeny of Basilan. “

In his speech, Akbar condemned the military’s renewed offensives in the island province, criticized the government’s militaristic approach to achieving peace in Basilan, and advocated peace. He said:

“  Billions and billions of pesos were spent by the government in search for peace, through war! war! Mr. Speaker, my distinguished colleagues, through war! …the collateral damage to the province was huge. Yet, the resistance and stubborn mentality of some rebels are still there, and the solutions to peace through war had become an expensive yet a disastrous monotony.

Billions of pesos were budgeted to military personnel, logistics and ammunitions in order to kill Filipino Muslim rebels, to punish them in the search for peace, but where is peace now? It still remains to be elusive. Meaning, pursuing peace through war cannot be a solution and can never be employed as an effective means to an end.
”

On November 12, 2007, at about 8:00 in the evening, a bomb exploded at the entrance of the House of Representatives in Quezon City, killing three people and injuring at least 7 others. Wahab Akbar was one of those who were killed. He was 47 years old. In accordance with Muslim rites, Akbar was buried the day after his death in Sumagdang, Isabela City, Basilan. He was survived by his wives, Basilan Governor Jum Jainuddin-Akbar, Isabela City Mayor Cherrylyn Santos-Akbar, Marietta Samoranos Akbar, and Nur-ain Akbar, and his seven children.

Other Information

• Name : Wahab M. Akbar
• Birthday : April 19, 1960
• Birthplace : Lantawan, Basilan
• Died : November 12, 2007, Quezon City
• Father : Hajji Mutamad Salajin
• Schools Attended :
• Agriculture, Gregorio Araneta University, Manila
• Studied Islamic jurisprudence, Syria
• Spouse(s) :
  • Jum Jainuddin-Akbar
  • Cherrylyn Santos-Akbar
  • Marietta Samoranos Akbar
  • Nur-ain Akbar

Career History

• Governor, Basilan (1998 to 2007)
• Congressman, Basilan (2007)