President Benigno Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III warned challengers to peace in Mindanao that they would “feel the full brunt, depth and might of the State’s response if they would get in the way”.
“To those who want to challenge the authority of the State, you will feel the full brunt, depth, and might of the State’s response. You will not get in the way of the peace and the stability that will help fulfill the potential of Mindanao,” said Aquino who attended on Thursday the 22nd Mindanao Business Conference in Davao City, with Cabinet secretaries in tow.
The President made the trip amid the recent spate of bombings in the region that killed more than a dozen people.
At least six died in the explosion in Cagayan de Oro City last July 26, eight in Cotabato City August 5. Although no one was killed in the blast in North Cotabato, the incident occurred only two days after the Cotabato City explosion.
The President took note of the blast in Cagayan de Oro, which he described as a “desperate act by a small sector dead set against the attainment of peace in Mindanao.”
“For a long time, we have been working to neutralize these elements; and this is a fight in which we have had quite a few successes,” he said, adding that the government welcomes partners for peace but clamps down on those challenging the state.
“You will not get in the way of the peace and the stability that will help fulfill the potential of Mindanao,” he said.
The Palace has assured the public that they were looking into the bombing incidents in Cagayan de Oro City, Cotabato City and North Cotabato.
Authorities have yet to determine if these explosions were related.
But in a recent interview by Radyo Inquirer 990AM, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Police Regional Director General Noel Delos Reyes revealed that authorities were looking into the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters’ involvement in the bombings.
The BIFF, a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, supposedly wants to ruin the image of Mindanao and make it appear that there are security problems in the region.
He said that while they would not be sending more troops at this time, the primary focus was on intelligence gathering.
During his speech, Aquino emphasized that peace was “only part of the equation.”
He highlighted the successes in the region, saying the “region’s complete transformation from the Land of Promise to the Land of Promises Fulfilled is close at hand.”
Aquino focused on the energy problem and the prospects of the local agricultural sector.
He said that while they could not solve the electricity problem overnight, the government was on track by enacting structural changes to attract investors in the power sector in Mindanao.
The President also said the ongoing infrastructure boost was vital in promoting local products and tourism in the region.
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