MANILA, Philippines—Two Roman Catholic bishops in Mindanao expressed fears about the possible resurgence of violence over a proposed peace deal that would set up a Bangsamoro homeland enjoying broad powers.

Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez of Marbel and Bishop Guillermo Afable of Digos aired their concerns in interviews on Radio Veritas as they accused the Arroyo administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of crafting the deal expanding the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) without consulting both Christian and Muslim stakeholders.

The bishops spoke shortly after the Supreme Court stopped the signing in Malaysia of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) between the Philippine government and MILF negotiators, pending its ruling on petitions by some Mindanao politicians questioning the deal.

“There will be trouble because some of the MILF now want to include Christians,” Gutierrez said in Filipino.

Afable said: “A lot of people, particularly those in Mindanao, don’t know about the MoA. The government should reveal this to prevent trouble.”

The United Opposition Tuesday also raised fears that the deal, if pushed through, would lead to more bloodshed.

“It appears that the administration, driven by an obsession to extend President (Gloria) Macapagal-Arroyo’s stay in power, has disregarded the people of Mindanao and is even willing to risk civil war on the island,” Makati Mayor and UNO president Jejomar Binay said.

Fighting erupts

Hours after the high court aborted the signing, government forces and Moro rebels traded mortar fire on Monday evening in a remote village of Midsayap, North Cotabato.

There was no indication that the flare-up was related to the controversy over the proposed establishment of the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

Col. Julieto Ando, spokesperson of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the guerrillas fired about 10 rounds of 60-mm mortar shells toward military and police positions in the village of Baliki.

No one was hurt in the three-hour exchange which displaced more than 300 families, the military said.

The MILF’s civil military affairs chief, Eid Kabalu, said the MILF fighters only defended themselves when soldiers shelled their position.

“We did not fire the first shots, we only gave back what the soldiers were giving us, mortars,” Kabalu told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).

Sacrificial lambs in name of peace

Bishops Gutierrez and Afable said the MoA had divided the people.

“The Philippines is a participatory democracy ... All stakeholders should have been consulted. I understand five provinces are against this,” Gutierrez said.

Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ public affairs committee, said the government negotiators should have released the draft of the MoA before agreeing to sign it because its contents affected Christians and Muslims.

In Kidapawan City, about 5,000 residents of North Cotabato gathered at the provincial capitol grounds in Barangay Amas Tuesday to protest the lack of public consultations on the proposed agreement.

Wearing red T-shirts and red bands, they aired their opposition to the inclusion of several North Cotabato villages in the proposed Bangsamoro homeland.

“This is a democratic way of expressing our grievances against our national officials who make us sacrificial lambs in the name of peace,” North Cotabato Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol said.

Sobriety needed

In Cotabato City, members of the Philippine Darul Ifta (House of Opinion), a collegial body of Islamic scholars and religious leaders, called for sobriety.

“Everybody is tired of war. What we are praying and asking for is for the military and the rebels to calm down. Let’s be patient,” Ustadz Esmail Ibrahim told the Inquirer.

Ebrahim also took a shot at the opponents of the agreement.

“The ulama and Bangsamoro people want to have a lasting peace but the problem is those who are opposing the signing,” he said.

“It’s not yet the compact agreement. They are just thinking of themselves. The people should [be] given a chance to exercise their rights by voting yes or no for the inclusion in the plebiscite. Then everybody will abide by the result of the plebiscite.”

Kabalu said some local leaders had, in a way, misled their constituents by calling for protests against the MoA.

“Why not wait for the plebiscite?” Kabalu said on the phone.

Hadji Abdu Rahim Kenoh, associate convenor of the Inter-religious Solidarity Movement for Peace, said there was nothing to be afraid of.

“We need to give peace a chance and better go through the process,” he said. “What is in the agreement will still be asked in the plebiscite.”

Not final yet

At the House of Representatives, several lawmakers also appealed for sobriety.

Deputy Speaker Simeon Datumanong, who represents Maguindanao province, said: “I appeal for calmness. The provision of MoA is nothing to be afraid about because nothing is final yet.”

Anak Mindanao party-list Rep. Mujiv Hataman, who hails from Basilan province, warned that disinformation could feed enmity among various groups in southern Philippines.

“We call on everyone, especially those who are opposing the MoA, to objectively study the agreement. Do not rely and relay hearsay and misinformation,” Hataman said.

Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen said: “It’s better to talk than shoot each other.” With reports from Norman Bordadora and DJ Yap in Manila; Jeoffrey Maitem, Edwin Fernandez and Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao; and Agence France-Presse