by Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Dec 7 (PIA) – “Blessed John Paul II on happy memory once said that the other name for peace is progress and development.”
This was the opening statement of Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad at the launching of the 2011 Mindanao Week of Peace in Isabela City as he reflected on this year’s theme: “Common word between us and you: Love of God, Love of Neighbor.”
The bishop exclaimed the conditions why Basilan continues to seek for peace and perhaps will forever remain as it is if these conditions continue to thrive in the island province. He enumerated that “as long as people are hungry, as long as people are selfless..., as long as children do not go to school…, as long as the aged and the elderly are on the streets as beggars and when they are sick, the government could not provide health care, no medicines, … as long as the people in the government are corrupt and no infrastructures like roads, health centers are delivered to the people,… as long as people have no home to shelter them from rain, as long as people has no bed to sleep…as long as criminals are not punished and there is the reign of impunity…as long as politicians have goons to sow terror and fear…as long as the environment is destroyed…as long as farmers and fishermen are not given assistance…they only choose and the last in need are neglected…there will be no peace.”
The bishop further urged the people to ask “our government elected officials to truly deliver the basic services and the basic needs of our people. If we can do it then there is hope—there will be progress and development.”
“As long as good people do nothing at all, we’ll never attain peace,” Jumoad stressed.
Hundreds of Basileños participated at the launching of the recently concluded Mindanao Week of Peace 2011 where several activities were lined up to accelerate awareness among the people to continue to hope for peace amidst this so called “love-hate relationship” with peace, which remains to be elusive.
Wooing peace
Recent events have once again tarnished this “courtship dance” with peace with the October 2011 Al-Barka incident and the subsequent attacks in some parts of southern Mindanao.
All eyes once again turned to Basilan as the news broke on the infamous “massacre” of 19 soldiers in Al-Barka town on October 18, which also left some six BIAF-MILF dead, dozens wounded, and hundreds displaced civilians.
The incident outraged some sectors, which divided the nation, calling for an all-out war against the rebels as what the Erap administration did with the MILF; while the sector for all-out-justice supporting the Aquino III administration’s formula expands. But what do they mean?
The government said it will continue to pursue the criminals and bring them to the arms of justice, even though the government seemed to be clueless as to who were the perpetrators and responsible to the senseless killings of the soldiers in Al-Barka.
The incident even drew several civil society groups, non-government organizations, alliances, and consortiums to express their piece on the tragic event and called for sobriety and called on people not to be engulfed with emotions but to be guided with reason.
The incident also drew massive reactions from social network users. Like a virus it amassed quickly that infected every user and expressed positions on the issue. A war between “all-out-war” versus “all-out-justice ensued online. Discussions became personal, in which animosity between Muslims and Christians surfaced. With much ado about nothing, the common denominator remains—all wanted peace.
History of violence, kidnappings
Basilan has a long history of violence, a stigma that has been attached to the name and place. One could see facial expressions changes once people outside of Basilan and Mindanao would come to know you come from Basilan. It is home to the dreaded Abu Sayyaf group, which has remained to be a threat to peace and security in the province. Civilians, mostly Christians, businessmen, religious men and women, children, teachers, common farmers, health workers, and women, among others fall victims of this group. Some killed, ambushed, others released with hundreds and millions of ransom money flowed in—in pesos and dollars.
Civilians lost hope and confidence with their political leaders and judicial authorities as perpetrators continue to freely roam the island. However, there were reported arrests and court decisions against some members of the ASGs, but people are still unsatisfied. Authorities blame victims for not pursuing the cases against their kidnappers. This is the name of the game—no complaint, no case. It is, indeed hard to build a case if victims decided to compromise and remain silent.
This is a culture of silence drawn out of fear for life and security. Thus, most victims would opt to leave Basilan and for those who cannot remain silent and would just hope for the best.
Piece of Peace
They say the problems of Mindanao can only be solved by Mindanaoans. Achieving progress and development also depends on Basileños. Although this is not entirely true as we welcome all the help that we could get out of humanitarian efforts and developmental initiatives from various sectors outside Basilan.
Local peace initiatives thrive; many of them are not broadcasted nor picked up by the local and national media. But various organizations, schools, and local government units had been supporting and initiating peace activities—impacting or not to the communities.
All these pieces, however, are crucial to the attainment of a lasting peace in Basilan. Including the paradigm shifts in the military’s engagements in winning the peace in Mindanao, particularly in Basilan with the Bayanihan concept. Military authorities say that it is not anymore about winning the war but about winning the peace.
The Aquino III’s administration believes that winning the peace is the straight path (Daang Matuwid) to achieve progress and development in Basilan. With the Al-Barka incident, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III immediately deployed Interior and Local Government Secretary Jessie Robredo, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, and Peace Adviser Teresita Deles to Basilan to push for government’s formula to peace.
Roadmap to development
Robredo, Soliman, and Deles came to Basilan and co-presided the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting with local chief executives and various stakeholders from the academe, religious sector, civil society, government agencies, women, business, youth, among others.
Robredo said that if not with the Al-Barka incident, the PPOC meeting should have been about the P8.5 Billion roadmap for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. He said that the Aquino government has set aside the amount as a stimulus package to transform the ARMM and bring to its people the services they deserve from the national government that have long been denied of them.
The government will implement its P8.5 billion roadmap and investment plan for the five provinces under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) pending appeal against a Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of a law resetting the polls in the region and allowing the President to appoint an officer-in-charge governor thereat.
Robredo explained that the meeting intends to draw lessons out of the Al-Barka incident. And from these lessons, the government will maximize the use of existing mechanisms and institutions to address the peace problems besetting Basilan and thereby accelerate progress and development.
The elusive peace
Basilan’s love-hate affair with peace is challenged by the biases that every sector and individual is clinging on to. Needless to say, however, that these biases were recognized as fruits of violence experienced by these individuals.
While peace is encompassing all aspects of life. The personal peace is crucial and basic. An individual who continues to nurture hatred in his/her heart, there will be no hope for peace. This may not be easy, but a mentor once said that unless people learns to forgive unconditionally—peace remains to be elusive.
The government, however, insisted that no amount of infrastructure projects and services from national government are delivered to conflict-affected communities, can assure of a lasting peace unless elected local officials do their share of responsibility as mandated to them by the authority of the people.
This, in turn, has to be complemented with every Basileños share in pursuing for respect, understanding, cooperation, and more importantly, forgiveness. Otherwise, peace remains to be our elusive dream and be caught in a bad romance. (PIA9-ZBST)