MANILA, Philippines – Catholic bishops have decried the “act of violence against human life” which led to the deaths of 44 policemen in a clash with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Maguindanao (BIFF) Sunday, in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, but remained firm in their support of the peace talks.
“While the CBCP vehemently condemns this act of violence against human life no matter what the avowed purpose of such violence may be, we cannot side with those who call for the discontinuance of peace talks,” CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan said in a statement.
“If anything, the sad incident underscores the necessity and the urgency of arriving at a solution that is not rushed but that is inclusive, principled and just to all,” he explained.
“With profound sorrow but with faith in the Resurrection, the CBCP mourns with the families of the gallant policemen, victims of an utterly senseless act of violence in Mindanao, already weary from battle and conflict,” Villegas stressed.
The prelate called on the faithful to let the grieving families “find comfort in the Lord’s promise that none who have been given to Him will be lost.”
Villegas, meanwhile, appealed to all sectors, groups, and political movements of the Bangsamoro to come together in dialogue towards a consensus position on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) , underlining the importance of communication in the peace process.
“Dialogue is the way to peace, not the use of arms. This has been the experience of successive negotiating panels on both the MILF [Moro International Liberation Front] side and the government’s,” noted Villegas in a pastoral statement on the draft of the BBL where he reminded “all people of good will that peace is not the fruit of a mere handshake or an embrace, but the “assurance of respect for fundamental human dignity and human rights.”
“From hostility to openness, from aggressive one-sidedness to mutual respect and understanding, from contestation to trust and friendship — this is the road of authentic dialogue,” he stressed.
The CBCP chief expressed hope that a new Mindanao history would see arms of destruction replaced by productive tools for human development, when men trained for war are trained for wise and prudent governance.
“We, therefore, commend the consensus decision of both negotiating sides for the decommissioning of military forces and arms. We also pray that the form of government in the Bangsamoro will unite the different cultures together for the common good,” he said.
“We appeal to emerging political parties that they effectively remove the neglect and isolation of the poor from decision-making and make them active partners for their integral development. We ask legislators to ensure that the provisions of the BBL as well as their implementation will be forces of solidarity and not of division,” he added.
Villegas, in a post on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, said justice for the Bangsamoro meant the recognition of their centuries-old aspiration for self-determination, their right to chart their own destiny in dignity and freedom.
“For indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro, justice means respect for and protection of their right to their ancestral domain already officially recognized by the Indigenous Peoples Right Acts (IPRA). For non-Muslim and non-indigenous inhabitants in the Bangsamoro, justice is a recognition and protection of their fundamental human rights, such as religious freedom and property rights,” Villegas said.
“For the whole country, justice requires the acceptance of the overarching right of national sovereignty and national territorial integrity,” he added.
However, the prelate expressed concerns that some of these rights might be inadequately or inappropriately articulated in the BBL.
“Many believe, for instance, that a time-free 10 percent requirement to have a referendum for inclusion into the Bangsamoro will effectively expand the Bangsamoro territory through the years because of the sheer force of population immigration. Others see the need for a clear elaboration of the Bangsamoro exclusive right over education so as not to endanger the nature and purpose of Christian religious educational institutions. Still others are concerned about the ambiguous concept of contiguity by water, and see dangers of a Bangsamoro territory slowly expanding through time,” he explained.
According to him, many are also disturbed that there is misinformation and misinterpretation on certain provisions of the BBL.
“Presently attempts to grab land or drive away their lawful owners by force of arms and even by murder, under the pretext of ancestral domain, are creating fear and tension, among certain communities in the Bangsamoro. The reported rise of shadowy civilian militias for self-protection recalls the tragic past of ‘Ilagas’ and ‘Blackshirts’ in the 1970s. This is totally unproductive and ironic when we understand the BBL as a promise of peace and harmony,” Villegas lamented.
“Such concerns we bring to the attention of MILF and government peace negotiators, as well as of legislators who are tasked with refining the draft BBL,” he said.