DAVAO CITY – Interfaith leaders in Mindanao recently reaffirmed their efforts to sustain the gains of peacebuilding in Mindanao.
INTERFAITH leaders during the gathering. (OPAPRU)
They vowed to revitalize and uphold the gains of grassroots peacebuilding efforts initiated by the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) since its inception in 1996. The BUC had been instrumental in the peace process in Mindanao.
Now known as Mindanao Religious Leaders Conference (MiRLeC), the group pledged their full support to the Marcos administration’s peace agenda.
The MiRLeC is composed of Christian bishops and priests, Muslim ulama, and representatives of traditional and religious Indigenous Peoples.
The Christian delegation was composed of representatives from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), and the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC).
They highlighted the crucial role of the religious community in promoting the culture of peace, mutual understanding, and justice across the island-region.
“Our commitment is concretely manifested in the revitalization of our role in peace-building through our organizational platform, MiRLeC,” the group said.
As religious leaders, they added, they are binding to be a very dynamic and progressive peace movement and one in the efforts to translate its advocacy for meaningful inclusivity, governance and peace in the Bangsamoro, Mindanao, and the whole country.
MiRLeC called for the re-inclusion of Sulu into the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The Supreme Court declared on September 9 that Sulu is not a part of the Bangsamoro region after the majority of its population voted “no” against the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
The interfaith group urged political leaders to ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of the upcoming first BARMM regional parliamentary elections.
“For our political leaders to observe sobriety and peaceful campaign endeavors as they engage our communities and electorates,” the leaders said, emphasizing the need for peaceful political engagement.
The religious leaders called on peace stakeholders to consolidate their efforts in strengthening the nation’s social fabric.
“For our peace institutions and organizations to consolidate their efforts in building social cohesion among our communities and the people of goodwill,” they said.
Roman Catholic Bishop Edwin A. de la Peña, one of the conveners of the conference, pointed out the urgency among religious leaders to move forward in their collective peace journey. “We have come this far. So, we might as well complete the journey.”
De la Peña added that gathering of interfaith leaders aims to bring about their desire for preserving the gains of the peace process.
Like the Catholic bishop, Dr. Mohamad Nadzir Ebil, General Secretary of Hay-ato Ulama, reaffirmed the commitment of the Muslim delegates to protect the gains of the peace process between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“We gather together here, and one of the big reasons is to continue the journey and find ways and means to preserve, protect, and sustain the gains of the peace process,” Ebil said.
He said that they remain committed amid the challenges that the peace process is facing and threats from various groups attempting to undermine its progress. “It may be challenged or threatened not once, not twice, but many times. Therefore, we must, at all times, be vigilant but never shall we succumb to the spoilers of peace, no matter how hard.”
Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Secretary Carlito G. Galvez acknowledged the role of the religious community which has been instrumental in fostering peace, mutual understanding, and solidarity among people.
“In Mindanao, it is the core message of solidarity that has broken down walls, bridged divides, and brought people of different faiths and beliefs together,” Galvez said.
The event was organized by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), in collaboration with the Consortium of Bangsamoro Society (CBCS), Catholic Relief Service (CRS), World Vision, Silsillah, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Asia Foundation, and Australian Aid (AusAid).