AMRSP hits govt's 'violent response' to Basilan ambush

The Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines on Sunday criticized what it called as the government's "violent response" to the situation in Mindanao. In a statement sent to media organizations, the AMRSP said: "The killing of the soldiers and the beheading of some are truly abhorrent acts. But why should we follow the way of violence, resorting to similarly abhorrent acts in order to 'correct' violence?" The group said "killing is immoral and wrong, whichever side is doing it - rebels or soldiers." It called on the government "to persevere in its resolve to continue dialogue and peace negotiations despite the pressure for revenge over the recent bloodbath." The group also called on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front "to honor (their) commitment to peace by returning to the negotiating table despite the resurgence of yet another military campaign." "We need to risk and begin trusting each other as the guiding value during these times of ambiguity, if indeed we are committed to a lasting solution to the conflict in Mindanao," the AMRSP statement said. "We seek justice for the deaths of the duty-bound soldiers not out of revenge but through peaceful means, upholding law and order, in the same way that we seek justice for the many civilian victims of wars of aggression," it added. The AMRSP is composed of Catholic religious and missionary congregations in the Philippines that count foreign missionaries and priests as members. GMANews.TV