Peace advocacy must continue, regardless of what - Hatamans

COTABATO CITY – Emotions are building in some areas in Mindanao after the death” of draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in the hands of the country’s lawmakers, notably, Sen. Ferdinand Bong-Bong” Marcos.
The armed conflict now happening in some areas in Mindanao, to mention some, the Army armed conflict against outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), the Abu Sayyaf in western Mindanao and the local group in Lanao del Sur which reports said was allied with international jihadist.
Abdul, a local Moro, speaking on condition of anonymity, practically blamed Sen. Marcos for the death of BBL. Marcos chairs the Senate committee on local government and he publicly shut down the BBL version and offered an improved ARMM law.
The Congress, as if they are playing on the BBL, they were not serious about the struggle of Bangsamoro people,” Abdul said.
He recalled that the senator’s father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, had inflicted so much misery and hardships to Bangsamoro people. The Marcoses made our life difficult,” Abdul stressed.
What is happening now in Moro land is partly because of Sen. Marcos’s refusal to act on the BBL, I take him accountable for all these problems that will come out after the BBL’s death,” Abdul said in the vernacular.
Mohaqher Iqbal, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief negotiator, admitted that some Moro people are getting emotional because the high expectations on the BBL were dampen by inaction of Congress.
Iqbal said MILF leadership has been preventing the emotions to go out of control.
On Wednesday, peace advocate and action star Robin Padilla visited ARMM to help in the launching of All for Peace” program of Anak Mindanao Rep. Djalia Turabin-Hataman and ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman.
The program aims to sustain the gains of the Mindanao peace process and eradicate radicalization of young Moro due to wrong interpretation of Islam as a religion as well as put a stop to the influence of international jihadists.
Speaking to peace advocates, Padilla emphasized on unity of all people of Mindanao to fight extremism.
Look at ISIS, it has no face and no names, just people with uncertain objectives and wrongly interpret Islam as religion,” he said. This is not Islam, this is not Muslim,” he said of the foreign jihadists.
Padilla also took time in joining ARMM officials in an outreach program in South Upi, Maguindanao, one of the hardest hit towns due to drought.
Hataman said whatever the conviction, belief of the people of ARMM and in Mindanao, there should be a common denominator – that is to work for peace.
Rep. Hataman said the All for Peace” campaign aims to bring together all stakeholders to work as one in attaining peace.
This is just a series of round table discussions, meron po kaming pinipresentang konsepto na isang movement and we are calling this as all for peace movement. Isang panawagan para na preserve natin at ma sustain ang gains ng peace, movement na gustong I mainstream yung peace word na hindi ito dapat trabaho lang ng nasa peace panel,” she said.
Gov. Hataman, on the other hand, said political affiliation should take aside in working for peace.
Nobody has the monopoly of peace,” Hataman said. Whoever is in power, peace remains everybody’s business,” he added.
I pray that all candidates will take the Bangsamoro issue a national issue and all Moro candidates must take the cudgels for peace in Mindanao,” the regional governor added. (Ferdinandh Cabrera)