In Mindanao, religious leaders join hands to promote peace

DECLARATION SIGNING Bishop Edwin dela Peña of the Catholic Prelature of Marawi (third from left) leads the signing of a declaration on Wednesday to sustain the peacebuilding initiatives of religious leaders from different faiths in Mindanao. The ceremony culminates their two-day gathering in Davao City. —RICHEL V. UMEL

DAVAO CITY—Leaders of different faiths have come together to strengthen efforts to foster cooperation among the people of Mindanao and address conflicts in some areas on the island.

The religious leaders held a two-day gathering here that concluded on Wednesday during which they “reaffirm our commitment to work for peace and sustainable development” that is “guided by the values of love, justice, harmony, respect, integrity, unity, reconciliation, spirituality and unity.”

The newly formed Mindanao Religious Leaders Conference (MiRLeC) sought to follow in the footsteps of the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) that was organized in 1996 by Catholic Bishop Fernando Capalla, United Church of Christ in the Philippines Bishop Hilario Gomez Jr., and Ulama League of the Philippines president Mahid Mutilan.

The MiRLeC now included among its convenors a representative of the indigenous peoples’ (IP) communities in Mindanao.

A MiRLeC declaration released on Wednesday cited several “persistent and emerging challenges” to building peace in Mindanao such as terrorism, extremism and environmental injustice. It also cited the recent exclusion of Sulu province from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), based on a decision of the Supreme Court, as one that could affect the Bangsamoro peace process.

An imperative

“Interfaith-based peacebuilding remains an imperative to sustain the gains of the peace process and for the Muslims, Christians and indigenous peoples to enjoy meaningful peace and development,” the religious leaders pointed out.

“There is a need to do a more consolidated peace engagement such as cascading peace dialogues and conversations, consolidating of (the) peace constituency, dialogue with political and other leaders, and advocacy for women, youth and indigenous peoples’ empowerment,” they added.

The MiRLeC is convened by Marawi Bishop Edwin dela Peña, representing the Catholic community, Dr. Muhammad Nadzir Ebil, the Muslims, Timuay (Tribal leader) Jerry Datuwata, the IPs, Rev. Dennis Magno, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, and Bishop Genesis Uding of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches.

More credible voices

Among those who graced the gathering were Cagayan de Oro Archbishop-Emeritus Antonio Ledesma and Cotabato Archbishop-Emeritus Orlando Cardinal Quevedo.

Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. welcomed the formation of the MiRLeC saying the platform adds to the credible voices that speak for peace in Mindanao and the country.

Last January, during a funeral Mass for Davao Archbishop-Emeritus Fernando Capalla, Quevedo called for a revival of the BUC’s efforts, especially after renewed tensions following the bombing inside the Mindanao State University gym in Marawi City in December last year while a Catholic Mass was being held.

The BUC was a coming together of Catholic, Protestant and Muslim religious leaders for interreligious dialogue as a way of defining a future of peace and justice in Mindanao.

Quevedo had noted the BUC had “faded away” after Capalla became ill. Prior to his death, Capalla was the last among the original BUC conveners; Mutilan died in December 2007 and Gomez in December 2022.

Every year, the BUC sets the theme for the Mindanao Week of Peace that is observed from the fourth Thursday of November to the first Wednesday of December, per Proclamation No. 127 that aims to promote peace, unity and understanding among Mindanao’s diverse communities.

For this year, the MiRLeC set the theme as “Sustaining the Gains of Peace, Solidarity and Resilience.”