“Give the Bangsamoro their right to self-determination! We do not want to lose our parents because of war!” said Lavandero.

“The Bangsamoro have suffered for 469 years, so give us back the justice that was taken from us!” shouted Mohammad Tamano of the Iligan League of Students.

Tamano said that the “Bangsamoro have suffered from the invasion of Spain in 1521 that lasted for 377 years, the American colonization of 40 years, and the Philippine colonialism of 52 years already.”

General Santos-based Pastor Frank Bantilan said that the indigenous people of Mindanao have been distressed by the sudden impasse of the peace talks. “Muslims and Lumads (indigenous people) are more than brothers, we feel no different pain.”

Benito said the “civil society in Mindanao urgently appeal” for “swift and more carefully review the implementation of the GRP-MNLF 1996 peace accord so that gaps are identified, corrective measures are installed, and implementation scheme put into place;” “for the immediate resumption of the GRP-MILF peace talks and for the Government to honor its commitment to the consensus points;” and “for the GRP and the MILF to refrain from any unnecessary actions that may jeopardize the peace talks.”

“But the stance of the government in nonconforming to the agreed consensus points is a clear manifestation of its feebleness to bestow strong political will for the realization of the peace accord,” Benito argued.

The signing of the MOA on the ancestral domain issue “could have been the best Christmas gift for the Filipinos and a memorable reward for the Muslims in their celebration of Eid Al-Adha this year,” the civil society organizations (CSOs) that participated in the rallies said in a manifesto.

The CSOs also appealed to both parties to refrain from any unnecessary actions that may jeopardize the peace talks. “It would now be an acid test for CSOs to stay on guard to prevent violence from taking place and to bring back the parties into dialogue to discuss contentious issues,” said Alim.

They also raised questions of possibilities to find “a creative and acceptable means of pursuing the implementation of the consensus points without violating the constitution.”

“Veering away and watering down the consensus points and invoking the constitutional process as a means to pursue a political agreement is tantamount to a betrayal of a “gentlemen’s agreement” and lack of sincerity on the part of the government to find peace in Mindanao.”

“We, in the civil society are aware of the fact that majority of people in the grassroots desire for a meaningful result of the peace process, not only to put an end to the ravages of war, but to address the longstanding political problem in a non-violent way,” Benito said.

There is no doubt that the failure of peace talks will lead to violence, chaos and war, the CSOs stated. “But the people are tired of war. It is anti-people and violates the very core values of all religions and civil society: love, peace, nonviolence.”

In September 1996, the Philippine government also signed a peace agreement with another Muslim rebel group, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), from which the MILF broke away in 1981.

Last update : 30-01-2008 15:44

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