By Noel Y. Punzalan
COTABATO CITY, March 18 (PNA) — The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) launched here the region-wide “I Value Life, I Sign for Peace” campaign aimed at collecting one million signatures for peace up to June this year.
On Wednesday, hundreds of residents from Maguindanao, a province-component of ARMM, flocked to the Shariff Kabunsuan Complex, the provisional seat of the region situated in this city, to reiterate their call for peace to put an end to the decades-old Moro rebellion in Mindanao.
“I am for peace as I, together with my tribe suffer long enough to the horrors of war,” Roger Egas, a representative of the Teduray tribe in North Upi, Maguindanao, said.
A manifesto of the peace campaign read, “Once again, some quarters of the Philippine society are aggressively pursuing the path of war. It is in this regard that we, concerned individuals, organizations and institutions, spearheaded by the autonomous regional government, raise our voices.”
The call came following the tragic Mamasapano incident in Maguindanao that resulted in the deaths of 44 elite Special Action Force elements of the Philippine National Police; 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and nearly a dozen civilians.
Compounding the predicament is the ongoing military law enforcement operation against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement and its armed wing Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters that has so far displaced some 123,000 individuals housed at various evacuation centers in the province.
The BIFM, headed by Ustadz Ameril Umbra Kato, bolted out of the MILF some three years ago due to ideological differences.
The MILF, on the other hand, is in the thick of peace negotiations with the government for the establishment of the Bangsamoro entity, a conduit that would replace the old ARMM set up.
“It is beyond question the primordial importance of life, Muslims and Christians alike, do believe in the value of life. Thus, we are convinced that the launching of an all-out war is contrary to the beliefs and aspirations of the peoples in Southern Philippines,” the manifesto stressed.
Apart from Maguindanao, the signature campaign was also simultaneously initiated in Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-tawi, the four other province-component of ARMM. (PNA)