Hataman prods House to amplify plea in ending Israel-Hamas war
At A Glance
- House Deputy Minority Leader and Basilan lone district Rep. Mujiv Hataman has urged his colleagues in the House of Representatives to echo appeals to end the violence between Israel and Hamas.
Basilan lone district Rep. Mujiv Hataman
House Deputy Minority Leader and Basilan lone district Rep. Mujiv Hataman has urged his colleagues in the House of Representatives to echo appeals to end the violence between Israel and Hamas.
“I call on my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join calls for an end to the violence. I believe this august body can encourage governments including our own to take a strong position against the continued violence against innocent civilians caught in the crossfires of the conflict,” Hataman said in a statement, on Thursday, Oct. 19.
Hataman is set to file a resolution that calls for an immediate end to violence against innocent civilians, women, children, and the elderly.
“Saksi ang buong mundo sa mga epekto ng karahasan sa Israel-Hamas conflict lalong lalo na ang mga namamatay at nasusugatang inosenteng sibilyan, pati ang mga bata, kababaihan at matatanda. Nananawagan tayo para sa pagtatapos ng gulong ito at pagtahak ng mas mapayapang paraan ng pagtugon sa ugat ng digmaan,” Hataman said.
(The whole world is a witness to the effects of violence in the Israel-Hamas conflict, especially the deaths and injuries of innocent civilians, including children, women, and the elderly. We call for an end to this conflict and for a more peaceful way of addressing the root causes of war.)
“Nakakapangilabot at nakakapanghina ang mga video na nakikita natin sa balita at social media, lalo na kung ang mga biktima ay mga bata at matatanda,” he added.
(The videos we see on the news and social media are horrifying and debilitating, especially when the victims are children and the elderly.)
Hataman said that his resolution will also call “for immediate and unimpeded access to international humanitarian agencies in the affected communities, especially in Gaza, to provide relief and medical care to civilians".
As former governor of the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Hataman believes that a permanent resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will help usher in peace.
“Ang ating bansa ay naniniwala sa peaceful resolution ng conflict, at napatunayan na natin ito sa Bangsamoro,” he said.
(Our country believes in the peaceful resolution of conflict, and we have proven it in Bangsamoro.)
The Basilan solon encourages the Israeli government and the Palestinian authority to return to the negotiating table to collaboratively pursue a just and lasting peace in the region.
“Madami nang inosenteng biktima ang nadadamay sa digmaan. Dalangin natin ay wag na sanang tumaas ang bilang ng mga namamatay at nasusugatan,” he added.
(Many innocent victims are affected by the war. Let's pray that the number of deaths and injuries will not increase anymore.)
The United Nations estimates the death toll at 4,300 since the war broke out on Oct. 7. It is estimated that 1,300 of these are Israelis while 3,000 are Palestinians.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) says there are now four Filipino fatalities in the conflict. --Dexter Barro II