Troops, civilians celebrate peace deal in Zambo

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Armed with brushes and paints, soldiers changed the defense perimeter of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) into an image of peace during a mass mural painting activity Saturday in this city to symbolize their support for peace and the end of hostilities with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“Mas maganda po kapayaan ang paraan kaysa ‘yong naglalalaban-laban tayong mga Filipino,” Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero told newsmen as he joined his forces  and civilians in painting murals on the headquarters’ perimeter wall.

The government forces - coming from the different units including the army, navy, marines, airforce, police and the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) -  set aside their firearms and took up brushes  to paint  the defense walls with different symbols of peace.

American forces from the US Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, civil society organizations, and students also participated  in the activity.

Guerrero, who is one of the veterans at the height of the “all-out” campaign against the MILF in 2000 in central Mindanao, said he prefers that his soldiers to engage in community development activities than to wage war.

Guerrero recalled that he was then a battalion commander when he captured Camp Sarmiento, the camp of now MILF chairman Al-Hadj Murad Ebrahim in Matanog town, Maguindanao during two months of fierce hostilities.

He said about 300 soldiers lost their lives in the campaign that saw also hundreds of MILF rebels killed.

“It was an ugly war where some of my soldiers were asking me to look after their families in case [they perish].  So if you see and compare the peaceful activity versus a violent action I would prefer that my soldiers  are engaging in community development activities. It’s better to pursue peace than to wage war,” Guerrero added.

Guerrero said the mural paintings participation of the soldiers signifies their celebration of peace.

However, Geurrero said the military continues to maintain its security alert against possible spoilers, including the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF), a renegade faction of the MILF that bolted the group owing to differences.

“We are not relaxing the security because there are still spoilers like the BIFF who wants to sabotage the on going peace activities,”  Guerrero said.