Monday, December 11, 2006 Marawi, Iligan folks urge govt-MILF talks By Lino dela Cruz Iligan Correspondent
KAUSWAGAN, Lanao del Norte -- Hundreds of people from this town and nearby cities of Marawi and Iligan during the conclusion last week of the Mindanao "Week of Peace" urged the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace panels to continue with the peace talks.
Convenor Juanito Enriquez of the Forum for Peace said during the start of the "Week of Peace" celebration last December 4, this year, the people urged the panels to "have a sincere dialogue as a way to peace."
Enriquez said the appeal was issued by participants composed mostly of farmers, fishers, urban poor, religious folks, women, youth, local officials, professionals and non-professionals from the former war affected areas in Lanao.
The peace movement is aimed at sustaining the prevailing peaceful situation in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and the cities of Marawi and Iligan.
These areas were the hardest hit in the 2000 armed conflict between government forces and the MILF.
The government and the MILF eventually went to the negotiating table to forge a peace agreement, which is still being worked out until today.
The last round of peace talks held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was suspended over discussions on the ancestral domain issue.
Both the government and the MILF panels proceeded with several rounds of exploratory talks and agreed to conduct more dialogues and consultations among the different sectors on the issue of ancestral domain.
According to Philippine Army Major General Ed Gurrea, head of the government's technical working group, they are reiterating their concern on having the peace talks proceed as scheduled.
Enriquez said the war-affected areas need government attention through delivery of basic services like education, health, shelter, livelihood and infrastructures.
A declaration of peace was signed by the people and a monument of peace was erected last Dec. 7 in this town, where the armed conflict started in 2000.
They were erected by the same people including their children who imprinted their palms on the moist cement of the peace monument.
A Muslim leader named Musa Sanguila said this is meant to deliver the message that peace is here to stay in these areas.
