PNP, AFP enlist bishop-ulama group in peace bid

Police and military authorities have submitted a draft proposal to the Bishop-Ulama Conference seeking its assistance in finding a peaceful solution to the decades-old conflict in Mindanao.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa personally flew to Davao City last Thursday for a dialogue and consultation with Muslim and Christian religious leaders in the region.

“When I was a lieutenant, I was assigned in Mindanao because of the conflict. Now that I am the chief of the PNP, may gulo pa rin dito sa (there is still conflict here in) Mindanao,” he told the leaders and members of the Bishop-Ulama Conference before presenting the peace draft proposal.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines was represented in the dialogue held at Camp Catitipan in Davao City by Brig. Gen. Nestor Sadiarin, chief of the AFP’s Civil Relations Service.

Bishop Patricio Alo, Fr. Petronelio Amata, Alim Mahmud Adilao, and Rev. Mariano Apilado, executive pastor of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, all welcomed the peace proposal of the police and military.

Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla did not make it to the dialogue due to a previous commitment.

Verzosa told the religious leaders that there has to be a solution to the problem and that he is confident that with the direct participation of all stakeholders, especially the religious leaders, the conflict in Mindanao could still be reversed.

Leaders and members of the Bishop-Ulama Conference assured Verzosa that they would study the draft proposal, as all sides agreed that the deep-rooted Mindanao problem could not be resolved through the barrel of the gun.

While this peace effort is still being laid out, this was put to a test by mounting hostilities between government security forces and the Moro Islamic Liberation (MILF) in Central Mindanao.

Last Saturday afternoon, guerrillas of the MILF’s 104th Base Command attacked an outpost of the Provincial Police Mobile Group in Barangay Sangay, Kalamasig, Sultan Kudarat.

The MILF assault left a policeman and a rebel dead, said Maj. Armand Rico, spokesman of the Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command.

Rico said the fighting spilled over to Barangay Paril where the 601st Infantry Brigade reinforced the local police.

“Our combined forces, in coordination with provincial and local government officials, are now pursuing the MILF rebels,” he said.