No to military offensive in Mindanao

By Ben Gines Jr.

06/20/2008

Manila---Bishops from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) yesterday cautioned the Arroyo government on engaging in an all-out military offensive against the Muslim rebels and bandits in Mindanao, saying such action could have repercussions on the “peace-building” efforts of the inter-religious groups in the region.

“Conflicts cannot be resolved simply by military might. Conflicts can be solved by mutual understanding,” CBCP president Angel Lagdameo said during the 12th Asia Pacific Policy Forum on the “Role of Youth in Peace Building” held yesterday at the Australian Embassy at RCBC Plaza in Makati City.

The event was attended by Australian officials led by Ambassador Rod Smith, student leaders, CBCP president Lagdameo, CBCP chairman on Inter-Religious dialog Antonio Ledesma, members of academe and non-government organizations.

Following President Arroyo’s order to wipe out the Abu Sayyaf

Group (ASG) force, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have launched a joint offensive to track down the group responsible for the abduction of ABS-CBN broadcast journalist Ces Drilon, her two crew members, along with Mindanao State University professor Octavio Dinmapo, their guide in Sulu, last June 8.

Drilon, her cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama and Dinampo were kidnapped by a group of Muslim extremists, ASG.

Valderama was freed last June 12 while Drilon, Encarnacion and Dinampo were released Tuesday night.

In her speech in Davao City the other day, Mrs. Arroyo said she had directed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano to conduct “punitive action” against the kidnappers because she wants the people of Mindanao to experience a reprieve from the terrorism being conducted by the ASG.

Instead of pursuing the ASG, Lagdameo said talks should be held in Mindanao to bridge the gap between linguistic, cultural and religious gap between the Christians and Muslims.

“An exchange of hospitality and crossing bridges, crossing the linguistic the cultural and religious bridges in order to achieve peace and mutual understanding must be done,” he said.

Lagdameo said that the Church will not agree to the strategy of an all-out war by the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP), saying there can be no peace in the world unless there is peace in religion.

“The talks here (peace forum) that we have been listening to will contribute so much to our efforts in peace building (in Mindanao),” he said.

He said church leaders in Mindanao are currently going beyond the political and military solution.

“We should go beyond the economic, political and military solutions. We must reach out to each other in inter-religious dialog,” Lagdameo, who refuses to brand ASG bandits as criminals, said.

To achieve peace in Mindanao, the CBCP leader said the government should be trying to avoid looking one another as enemies but rather as future friends.

“We should be developing respect and friendship,” he said, echoing Father Jose Blanco’s non-violence principle that is based on “respect for life and respect to other person, converting one’s enemy into friends”.

Lagdameo said one way for the government to address conflict in Mindanao is by addressing the causes of poverty, something that the government have long overlooked.

He said he would be ready to speak with President Arroyo on matter of peace in the southern region

“We have been talking with her (Arroyo) in the past regarding peace keeping, bishops have been addressing this concern,” he said.

Autralian Bishop Michael Putney said the Catholic church never sees violence as a way forward, saying they will do everything to find non violent solutions to resolve the conflict in Mindanao.

“It’s always been that way, dialog meetings, negotiations and so on…I can only speak in general principles of what the church would do. It would always try every other means short of supporting conflict,” Putney said.

“Well, as Catholics, we share the same visions and goals always so in these simply fundamental Christian principles there will be no difference between Australian or Philippine bishops when it comes to the possibility of violence. We will do everything we can to find other ways other than violence,” Putney said.

Meanwhile, Australian Ambassador Rod Smith said the Australian government is obviously relieved that the hostages have been released unharmed by their captors.

“It’s quite right for the Philippine government to do what it should do to track down the perpetrators of the kidnapping incident and prosecute according to the law…. It’s right the kidnappers should be held accountable for their actions,” he said.

In 2000, then sitting President Joseph Estrada ordered the military to launch an all-out offensive against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which offensive proved highly successful as the MILF camps were recovered by the government forces, and the MILF as a military force was in shambles, with its leaders on the the run.

The CBCP and NGOs interfered and objected to the offensive and it is believed that it was this rejection of Estrada to heed the bishops’ plea that had the bishops going against him and pushed for his ouster.

Today, under the Arroyo government and talks of peace, the MILF, along with the Abu Sayyaf, have grown in strength and numbers and have become bigger problems.