Sunday, November 09, 2008 Ulamas' help sought on peace in Mindanao
PRESIDENTIAL peace adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. has asked for the help of the influential 110-strong delegates to the 4th Ulama League of the Philippines (ULP) assembly for the conduct of authentic consultations and dialogues with communities.
"We are at a critical juncture in the Mindanao peace process where we find ourselves coping from the aftermath of the violence that erupted in various parts of Mindanao last August, and which placed the fate of the peace process in a balance," Esperon said during the ULP meeting at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) did not break off from the talks. The memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) was stopped and some MILF commanders (Umbra Kato and Abdullah Macapaar alias Bravo) staged violent attacks on communities.
Esperon said the Ulamas (Muslim bishops) are very influential in the Muslim communities and are considered as "important part in the government's consultative efforts down in the grassroots."
"You have always been staunch allies and indispensable partners in our quest for lasting peace in Mindanao. I hope that in today's (Friday) gathering of godly Muslim scholars from all parts of the Philippines, we will reaffirm once more our commitment to work for peace, promote better understanding, and uplift the human spirit," Esperon added.
He said the ULP "is in a strategic position to help push a broader consensus for peace by initiating authentic dialogues within and among Muslim communities in Mindanao and elsewhere."
Esperon hoped that Ulama dialogues will result in "a set of recommendation on how we can concretely move forward our stalled talks with the MILF, and put to completion our peace process.”
The official said the importance of peace so that real development in Mindanao will take place, but this will only happen "if we embark on a genuine effort of political and social change that seeks to accommodate our diversity and affirm the fundamental rights of every Muslim, Christian, and Lumad in Mindanao."
But he added that all efforts must be pursued "through peaceful means, and never through the force of arms."
"When guns are silenced and legitimate grievances are addressed, development can then better take place," Esperon said.
He urged the Ulamas to formulate their action plan and draw up measures on how the country can overcome political, economic and social barriers through peaceful means so that we may achieve lasting peace and development.
Meanwhile, Undersecretary Dimas Pundato of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said the Ulamas have pledged their all-out support for the government's peace initiatives.
"The Ulamas are very supportive to this effort by the government to attain a lasting peace in Mindanao," Pundato said. (VR/Sunnex)
(November 9, 2008 issue) Write letter to the editor. Click here.
