1,352-km journey for peace starts in Cagayan De Oro

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—At least 45 vehicles joined the convoy of the “Lakbayan para sa Kapayaan” which started in this city at around 2 p.m. yesterday and would end in Quezon City on Saturday.

“We want to send the message of peace across the country. There have been so many calls to wage war from the people who haven’t had a taste of war,” said Salic Ibrahim, chair of the group Reform ARMM Now (RAN).

“Now is the time for us, for the people who have been living in war-affected areas, to tell our story—how war kills not only people but also the soul of our country,” he said.

Caravan participants came from Maguindanao, Basilan, Tawi-tawi, Sulu, Cotabato, Davao and Bukidnon.

It will travel at least 1,352 kilometers, including two sea transfers. It will pass by the cities of Butuan and Surigao in Mindanao; Maasin, Tacloban, Calbayog and Matnog in the Visayas; and Sorsogon, Legazpi, Naga, Lucena, San Pablo and Calamba in Luzon.

During stopovers, especially in non-Moro communities, the participants will hold dialogues with residents to stress the need for peace talks instead of war.

“Peace is my only choice. Without peace, all other solutions fail,” said Khal Mambuay-Campong, one of the five female participants and the caravan coordinator in Mindanao.

“Women play a major role in society. We suffer twice or even thrice as much as the males do in times of war,” she said. Bobby Lagsa, Inquirer Mindanao