Peace in Mindanao ‘best way’ to honor 44 killed police commandos – group

The “best way” to pay homage to, and seek justice for, the 44 elite police commandos killed on Jan. 25 is to continue the peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a multi-sectoral group said Monday.

The group, composed of senior statesmen, a former senator, current members of the House of Representatives, close friends of President Benigno Aquino, and student leaders, said both the Aquino government and the MILF should sincerely establish accountability “of all those responsible for this unfortunate incident.”

The group was referring to the clash between members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP SAF) and the MILF in a marshland off Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province that resulted in the death of 44 police officers. The SAF had gone there to arrest Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, or Marwan—one of Southeast Asia's most-wanted terror suspects—and Abdul Basit Usman, a top Filipino terror suspect.

“Peace in Mindanao is the only option. A stop to the deaths of Filipino vs. Filipino in the battlefields of Mindanao and the building of a progressive and equitable society are ultimately the best way to honor and to render justice to the PNP-SAF troopers and all those who died in Mamasapano,” said the group in a statement.

“Let us all march toward all-out justice and all-out peace … Peace in Mindanao, and the entire country, as a whole, is of transcendental importance,” the group said in the statement read by Francesca Dalangin, chairperson of the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines.

“Without peace, we stand to witness a repeat of such a tragedy. Without peace, we cannot speak of the development of the peoples of Muslim Mindanao. And for that matter of our country as a whole, since the issue of human development and of social justice touches us all,” the group said.

During the press conference, Christian S. Monsod, a member of the Constitutional Commission convened by President Corazon Aquino to draft the 1987 Constitution, said there is a need to underscore the importance of continuing the peace process now.

“We need to rally the people behind the peace process. It is important to view the peace process as a component in attaining long-lasting peace that will lead to further human development,” Monsod told reporters.

“We need to remain steadfast in pursuit of the peace process. So that our sons and the sons of those SAF will not die in the battlefield,” he added.

“Our core message is that we should grieve for the dead. But we should vindicate their deaths by pursuing long-lasting peace. We should not stall the peace process. We should not equate justice with vengeance,” Monsod said.

Former Sen. Leticia Ramos-Shahani said Christian Filipinos “must break the stereotypical image of Muslims as being bad.”

“While we say no to violence, autonomy must also respect the sovereignty of the republic,” said Shahani, a former undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Singer Noel Cabangon told reporters “there is no easy way to peace, but war is not the answer.”

“Mamasapano should not stop us from pursuing peace,” he added.

Risa Hontiveros, Akbayan Partylist chairperson, said “all” those responsible should be held accountable, be they government or MILF forces. “Let us prevent the further escalation of violence in Mindanao.”

Rep. Walden Bello of the Akbayan Partylist, said the House of Representatives will continue to meet its deadline in the crafting of a Bangsamoro Basic Law, which is currently undergoing congressional hearings.

“While holding the hearings for the Bangsamoro Basic Law, we want to hold accountable those responsible for the Mamasapano incident. We also re-commit ourselves to the peace process,” Rep. Barry Gutierrez, also of Akbayan Partylist, said. — BM, GMA News