Govt voices hopes for peace as Ramadan ends

As the holy Islamic month of Ramadan ended, the Philippine government asked the Muslim community on Sunday to support its peace efforts in Mindanao. Presidential peace process adviser Teresita Deles said now is a time filled with hope for a just peace in Mindanao that she said may be finally within reach. "We ask of our people to accompany us in the next stages of the peace process, continuously following the straight path that brought us here. With renewed spirit and a stronger sense of purpose at this celebration of Eid’l Fitr, let us be one in praising and thanking God and in seeking His mercy and blessings in pursuing peace and development for all Filipinos," she said in a message posted on the website of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). The Philippine government continues to talk peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front amid recent attacks by a splinter group led by former MILF commander Ameril Umbra Kato. Citing President Benigno Aquino III"s State of the Nation Address last July 23, Deles said there may be times when the process can get complicated, "but these are merely signs that we are steadily moving closer to our shared goal: Peace." "We are in a time filled with hope for a just peace in Mindanao that is closely, hopefully, within our reach. After months and, yes, years of struggles on the peace tables, we have dared again to dream of peace under the true and tested 'daang matuwid' of President Benigno S. Aquino III," she said. Muslims are celebrating on Monday Eid'l Fitr, marking the end of the Holy Month of Ramadhan. Deles said that while Eid’l Fitr is a time of rejoicing in the fulfillment of one’s spirit, It is also a time to nurture peace as one becomes stronger and wiser at the heart of struggles, and gentler and more forgiving in the midst of conflict. "As peacemakers and peacebuilders, the challenges we experience do not weaken our resolve but rather build our tenacity to rise above everything that separates us from peace," she said. - VVP, GMA News