MAGUINDANAO (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 10, 2013) – They shook hands, hugged like old-time friends and ate on the same table as if they have never fought on opposite sides of the battle. For the first time in history, hundreds of government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front forces joined hands to secure the area where President Benigno Aquino will visit for the Sajahatra Bangsamoro program that is set to be launched on Monday, organizers said in a statement.
In a joint security operation send-off held over the weekend at the old Maguindanao Provincial Capitol in Sultan Kudarat town, army soldiers and MILF rebels gathered to formally signify their unity towards lasting peace in this war-torn region in Mindanao.
“As they say, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Makakamit na rin natin ang kapayapaan na matagal na nating minimithi” said General Gilberto Jose Roa, chairman of the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, in his speech.
MILF leader Gordon Zaipullah, who heads the MILF Central Mindanao Task Force, described the meeting of the forces as historic. “Ang pag-meet natin dati ay singing of the bullets. But now it’s not singing of the bullets anymore because we are cooperating with each other.”
For his part, Major General Caesar Ronnie Ordoyo, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, underlined the need to forge unity as we all come from the same nation. “Tayo ay iisang dugo, iisang kulay. Hinubog tayo ng isang rasa ng Malayo that everybody should be proud of. Iisa lang ang bansa natin,” he said. “This is a momentous occasion and I hope we will replicate this,” Ordoyo said.
Sultan Kudarat Mayor Tucao Mastura, who was also present in the gathering, also expressed pride for hosting the historic event in their town. “Ako ay nagagalak na nangyari sa Sultan Kudarat ang mga bagay na magiging sanhi ng katahimikan sa Mindanao. More than 40 years ago, we had gunfight. Now, we have boodle fight,” he said.
Zaipullah urged both soldiers and rebels to respect each other. “Isipin ninyo na kayo ay one command. Not as MILF, not as government forces. Hayaan natin na makita ang unity ninyo,” he said.
Ordoyo, on the other hand, emphasized trust in building the relationship. Expanding on the meaning of the word ‘trust,’ he said, adding that each letter stands for the following – T for tiwala sa katotohanan, R for respeto, U for unawa, S for sinseridad and T for tapat.
Roa expressed his gratitude to the MILF forces. “Salamat sa sinseridad, kooperasyon at leadership ninyo (MILF). At sa inyo na naniwalang makakamit ang kapayapaan hindi sa pamamagitan ng giyera. Sana ay tuloy-tuloy na ito,” he said.
Aquino, along with Cabinet officials and representatives of government agencies participating in the Sajahatra Bangsamoro, will lead the launching of the program at the Bangsamoro Leadership Management Institute compound in this town.
Sajahatra Bangsamoro is Aquino’s concrete, socio-economic peace initiative that aims to uplift the health, education and livelihood conditions of MILF communities in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner. With reports from Mark Navales, Ferdinandh Cabrera and Geonarri Solmerano)
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