CALLING for silence and cooler heads to make way for truth and justice, at least 1,500 students, teachers, activists, peace advocates, and several soldiers from the 10th Infantry Division marched in Davao City on Feb. 4 fearing that too much hiding and doublespeak will snatch away the fruits of the peace process. KARLOS MANLUPIG/INQUIRER MINDANAO
DAVAO CITY – To show their love for peace, at least 500 soldiers, policemen, Moro rebels, government employees and bikers will be kicking hard on their pedals to the town of Mamasapano in Maguindanao on February 14.
Dubbed as the Bangsamoro Bike for Love, the 70-kilometer biking event will jump off from two locations, including the headquarters of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division in Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat and from Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat.
Expected to join the event are representatives from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front, International Monitoring Team, Archdiocese of Cotabato, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, provincial government of Maguindanao and the different local government units of Maguindanao.
Contingents from the general headquarters of the AFP, Philippine Army and the Western Mindanao Command will be flying in to join the activity.
Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, chef of the 6th ID, said the event, which was planned even before the Mamasapano incident, is a proof that all of the stakeholders in the area, regardless if they were from the government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or the Moro National Liberation Front, are yearning for progress and peace.
“The activity is intended to show to the Filipino people and the world that all sectors of society in Central Mindanao are one and united in the pursuit of a just and lasting peace in the region,” Pangilinan said.
The original route of the biking activity was from Awang to Buluan town, but was later changed to Mamasapano after the dreadful incident that left 44 police commandos, 18 MILF rebels and five civilians dead.
Coincidentally, the joint activity will be proof that the stakeholders in the region are united in the same path for peace for years since the talks between the government and the MILF made progress.
Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay, spokesperson of the 6th ID, said about 100 MILF members and leaders from the different units will be joining the event but some will be taking with them their motorcycles because they do not have bicycles.
“Because they are eager to show their support to the activity despite their lack of bicycles MILF and MNLF members will participate in the activity,” Petinglay said.
Pangilinan and Petinglay would personally bring with them their bikes while MNLF leader Muslimin Sema committed to be there with his motorcycle.
ARMM governor Mujiv Hataman would also be joining the racers with his bike adding that ARMM employees with bikes will also be there.
Hataman added that the ARMM government would also be staging a concert led by local performers that day and will call it “Yakapayapaan” as a call for everyone to embrace and love peace.
“I will be there. And definitely ARMM will have a contingent most especially our employees who have bikes,” Hataman said.
Petinglay explained that this would not be purely a biking event but also an activity to help spread the message of peace by explaining the Bangsamoro Basic Law to the communities.
There will be three 30-minute stopovers wherein residents will be gathered and representatives from OPAPP and the Bangsamoro Transition Commission will discuss and clarify questions about the BBL and the entire peace process.
The bikers that will start from the 6th ID headquarters will stop in Datu Odin Sinsuat and in Datu Saudi Ampatuan while the contingent from Tacurong City will stop at Datu Abdullah Sangki municipality.
All bikers will then meet and converge in Shariff Aguak and then proceed to Mamasapano, Petinglay said.
“Residents, most especially those who were displaced, will welcome the bikers at the Mamasapano Elementary School to have lunch together boodle-style,” Petinglay added.
After lunch, Petinglay said, the closing program will be held in the school where MILF chair Ebrahim Murad, OPAPP chair Teresita Deles, Hataman, Maguindanao governor Esmael Mangudadatu and Pangilinan are expected to talk about the peace process and to express their commitment for lasting peace in the region.
“We will be also giving out red heart-shaped balloons for the kids who were displaced by the conflict to show that we are one with them and that we are all working or peace,” Petinglay said.
Petinglay, who is also a regular biker, said that the event is very significant because it seeks peace in all aspects- peace in the region and personal peace through a healthy lifestyle.