Groups hold rallies to back Government-Moro talks

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Thousands of advocates from different areas in southern Mindanao held rallies on Tuesday to support the peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The simultaneous peace mobilizations, which included a caravan for peace, were spearheaded by the Mindanao Peoples Caucus; Mindanao Alliance for Peace (MAP), Bangsamoro Center for Just Peace; and the Datu Piang Alliance for Peace from Datu Piang, Maguindanao.

The peace rallies and mass mobilizations were held in the cities of Cotabato and Kidapawan in Southwest Mindanao, Maguindanao province in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm), and Davao City in Southern Mindanao.

In a statement, the group said these actions were intended not just to show massive support on the peace talks but also to demand concrete results from the negotiations.

The two-day peace talks between the government and the MILF would start on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The group urged both panels to deliver results of a negotiated political settlement in the next 12 months.

"Such period is the fair estimation of the peace panels within which to accomplish their mission of coming up with a peace agreement. Given this timetable, it is crucial that the public will be prepared to support the necessary outcome of the talks," the group said.

It also urged the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process to continue the consultations and sustain the information drive to make each stakeholder regularly informed and updated on the status, issues, and possible "compromises" in the negotiations.

The activity started off with a "Walk for Peace" in Datu Piang town and later a peace caravan, which will culminate later on Wednesday in Kidapawan City.