PEACE BY PEACE
Not long ago, Abdullah Macapaar and I were on opposite sides of the battlefield.
He was then known as “Kumander Bravo,” one of the fiercest fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) operating in Lanao Provinces. I, on the other hand, was the Chief of Operations, G3 of the First Scout Ranger Regiment leading the planning and deployment of Scout Ranger units to bring him to the fold of the law.
Back in those days, we considered each other as enemies.
Everything changed upon the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). Today, we are the staunchest of allies — and brothers in peace.
On Dec. 20, I proudly stood shoulder to shoulder with Kumander Bravo, who is now addressed as Member of Parliament Macapaar, in the heart of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) sprawling Camp Bilal in Lanao del Norte.
It was a surreal moment for me. On that day, we dug shovels into the soil to break ground for a housing and resettlement project for former MILF combatants and their families.
I knew in my heart that we were not just building homes. What we were actually doing was something even more meaningful — rebuilding lives.
Camp Bilal used to be a battlefield. Not anymore. It has now become a beacon of hope not only for the people of Camp Bilal but for each and every Bangsamoro.
The housing project we launched is part of the national government’s efforts to turn former MILF camps into peaceful, progressive and resilient communities.
We do not only aim to put a roof over the heads of decommissioned combatants and their families. We want them to have a fresh start in life.
MP Makapaar’s remarkable transformation as an individual symbolizes the journey that he and his comrades have taken and their willingness to walk the path of peace.
I remember meeting him then as Bravo, the feared commander who used to walk around with a Magnum .44 strapped to his side. The weapon seemed to be an indispensable part of him.
By becoming a Member of Parliament of the Bangsamoro government, the unthinkable happened. He has since set aside his gun for a ploughshare and is now leading his people in a new battle—a battle for peace and development.
This transformation has had a profound impact on me. It has given me hope that genuine change is indeed possible, even for grizzled warriors like Kumander Bravo.
Camp Bilal is following the same path as Camp Abubakar, another former MILF stronghold. Abubakar was once synonymous with conflict. Now, it is a thriving community where schools, training centers, and grain warehouses now stand.
This is what peace should look like. To be sure, this is not an imagined peace. It is a reality that is being experienced firsthand by those who were once victims of war and those who fought in them.
This is my dream for Camp Bilal. Like Camp Abubakar, I want it to become another symbol of peace, development and progress.
All of these gains have been made possible with the trust, determination and courage of those who decided to lay down their arms, as well as those who are helping in their transformation.
Ask any combatant and they will tell you that it is never easy to turn away from armed struggle and embrace peace. But this is exactly what Kumander Bravo and former combatants did.
It is because they believed in the CAB’s vision for the Bangsamoro people and trusted the national government that it will be able deliver on its promises under the landmark peace agreement.
This is why the government is leaving no stone unturned to honor that trust.
The housing project and resettlement project we launched in Camps Bilal and Abubakar, funded by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity’s (OPAPRU) Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Program, is just the start of better things to camp for the community’s residents.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been given his unequivocal support to this collective undertaking and the Bangsamoro peace process as a whole.
For its part, the Bangsamoro government, under the leadership of its Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, is implementing similar peace and development projects in the MILF communities. Local leaders, like Governor Imelda Dimaporo are also stepping in to help.
All of these efforts demonstrate the power of synergy and complementation. Everyone is part of the peacebuilding process.
As MP Macpaar and I stood side by side, I realized how far the both of us have come in our peace journey.
The man who was once my adversary is now not only an ally but also a very good friend. Together, we are doing what was once thought impossible: turning camps into communities, guns into plows, and conflict into partnerships.
This is the amazing story of the Bangsamoro and its people. And I am still awestruck as I watch it unfold.
(Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. is the presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation, and unity.)