Forum on Iligan's security mgt held

Members of civil society, representatives of civic organizations, city councilors and few media workers attend a forum on security concerns on Friday, September 16, 2016 at Kalinaw Hall, MSU-IIT IPDM, Iligan.

Police senior superintendent Leony Roy Ga, city police chief officer, informed participants on the security management and strengthening efforts while the city is in a month-long fiesta or Diyandi Festival.

PNP senior superintendent Ga updated participants on the strategic deployment of security
forces in Iligan to secure residents in time of Diyandi Festival celebration. He also provided
hotline numbers for emergency calls needing prompt action. 

Checkpoints and more police enforcers are deployed in strategic areas of the city to suppress potential threats and to maintain the peace and order situation.

Ga also said that all security sectors are mobilized these days for security management.

He also ask stakeholders to help discourage unverified rumors from unclear sources.

Meanwhile, Danica Cagalawan, staff of councilor Bacsarpa, appraised participants of the calendar of Diyandi festivity.

Kamran Shah of Non-Violent Peace Force, Jun Enriquez of Civil Society Organization
Forum for Peace Inc., and Karen Veloso of Institute for Peace & Development
in Mindanao (MSU-IIT) with P/Superintendent Ga.

The conference affirmed six (6) significant matters for multistakeholders' collaborations.

1. Recognize the major roles of PNP/AFP in security management.

2. Acknowledgement and engaging civilian population in security concern.

3. Equal responsibility and accountability of security sectors and civilian populace to maintain a transparent, participatory, and collaborative security management. This includes the use of hotlines and hot-numbers for emergency response.

4. Maximize constructively the opportunity to develop an informed community to ensure complementing roles in peacekeeping and security management. The media are encouraged to maintain its commitment to accurate information.

5. On EWER, inculcate commitment to share only verified, validated, and accurate information as well as help dissipate panic in times of emergency.

and 6. Inspire/encourage the city peace and order council to be fully activated and have its regular meeting where civil and civic organizations are represented in decision-making on security management.

The activity was initiated by Civil Society Organization Forum for Peace Inc., MSU-IIT Institute for Peace and Development, the Non-violent Peace Force, and GIZ Civil Peace Service.

SEEKING HEALING and PEACE ON MAMASAPANO and for MINDANAO

All-Out Peace statement

Mamasapano Anniversary

Today January 25, we remember with grieving the tragic event that took the lives of 5 civilians, 44 members of the PNP Special Action Forces (SAF) and 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other armed Moro combatants. Each life so suddenly ended and leaving families, communities, and our nation in lingering pain.

Despite investigations by both Houses of Congress and the Department of Justice, as well as by the PNP Board of Inquiry, the MILF, and the International Monitoring Team among others, the truth of the tragic event still has to be fully known.   Unfortunately, the variations in the initial reports of these bodies indicate that  the way to this truth will never be easy, and may not be helped by further  investigation at this time when the electoral season has begun.

Sadly, looking back at the long history of conflict in Mindanao, there have been many incidents that still cry for truth and justice. These include the Jabidah massacre of 1968 that occurred on the eve of the Martial Law declared by the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the massacre of 1,500 Moros in Tacbil Mosque in Malisbong, Palembang in September 1974,  the killing of 124 soldiers  on Pata  Island in February 1981, with retaliation brought to bear on more than  a thousand civilian victims,  and the ‘burning of Jolo City’ in February 1974 wherein almost 10,000 were killed – Muslims, Christians and Chinese alike due to the ensuing armed hostilities.  As a people, we still need to learn and understand the history of the peoples of Mindanao and undertake the necessary healing task of transitional justice.

Let us however strive to bring this healing now where we can, even as our efforts for justice need to continue.   The families of the victims of Mamasapano should be supported in their basic and psycho-social needs.  They should exemplify our efforts at healing, not division.  We hope that small discreet initiatives for dialogue and reconciliation among these torn and suffering families and communities bear fruit and be allowed to grow.

Let us also realize that Mindanao and the country have had many stories, not just of conflict, but also of interfaith and intercultural dialogue and peacebuilding. Let us continue to nurture these national and local efforts to bring healing, restorative justice and reconciliation to individuals and communities affected by conflict and violence in Mindanao.

These countless decades of peace efforts and small steps taken collectively by a multitude of actors and communities, both here and around the world, have led us to celebrating the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), not too long ago.   

We therefore appeal to all Filipinos, and especially our legislators, to find the will and the peace of heart, to support and pass a Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) faithful to the peace agreement and the aspirations it is founded upon.   

For those who have fallen, and especially for the bereaved who face the future, let us grasp the peace that is at hand!

~ ALL-OUT PEACE (AOP) Network

Agong Peace Network

Ateneo Public Interest and Legal Advocacy Center (APILA)

Balay Rehabilitation Center

Center for Peace Education -  Miriam College

Civil Society Organization Forum for Peace Inc.

Coffee For Peace, Inc.

Generation Peace Youth Network (Genpeace)

Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID)

Inter-Cultural Organizations' Network for Solidarity & Peace (ICON-SP)

Kapamagogopa Inc.

Lanao Peace Partners, Inc (LPP)

Mindanao CSO Peace Platform (MCSOPP)

Mindanao Alliance for Peace and Development (MAPAD)

Mindanao PeaceWeavers (MPW)

Mindanao Solidarity Network (MSN)

MSU-IIT Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao

NGO Basic Sector Council - National Anti Poverty Commission (NAPC-NGO)

Pailig Development Foundation Inc.

PeaceBuilders Community, Inc.

Philippine Misereor Partners, Inc (PMPI)

SUCCEED - Global

Waging Peace – Philippines (WPP)

Women and Gender Initiatives (WAGI)

Women Engaged in Action on 1325 (WEAct 1325)

Women Peace Collective

Women’s Peace Table (WPT)

For a CAB-compliant Bangsamoro Basic Law

LANAO PEACE PARTNERSHIP'S LETTER TO THE HOUSE OF SENATE ON BANGSAMORO BASIC BILL LEGISLATION

November 16, 2015

Sen. Franklin Drilon

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III

Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV

Sen. Edgardo M. Angara

Sen. Ralph G. Recto

Sen. Loren Legarda

Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile

Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay

Sen. Pia Cayetano

Sen. Miriam Santiago

Sen. Joseph Ejercito

Sen. Francis Joseph Escudero

Sen. Gregorio Honasan

Sen. Manuel Lapid

Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos

Sen. Sergio R. Osmena III

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III

Sen. Grace Poe

Sen. Vicente C. Sotto III

Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes

Sen. Cynthia A. Villar

The House of Senate

Republic of the Philippines

Dear Senators,

We are peacebuilders in Iligan and Lanao region working with multistakeholders in conflict-affected communities.

We believe that the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro

signed by the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is a result of 17 years of political negotiations that contribute to resolve historical injustices in Mindanao and it upholds social justice.

We adhere to a political culture, such as trust and confidence to the government and the peaceful negotiation of social discord, to put an end to the cycle of violence and perpetual displacement of peoples in Mindanao. On the basis of this trust, we appeal for the expedient and principled legislative action to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law that is consistent to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

We are cognizant that the value of government peace policy, programs, proposed alternatives and social legislation like the Bangsamoro Basic Law are standardly measured by its effectiveness, efficiency, equity and political feasibility among other multiple criteria. As such the bill should not be sacrificed to unpeaceful political caprices to legitimize other concerns not helpful in the realization of national peace agenda.

We are grateful that in the initial legislative process, there is substantial retention of major provisions in the BBL relating to identity, territory, ministerial government, finances and grants for its operationalization, women rights, indigenous peoples’ rights, and devolution of constitutional bodies in the 

proposed Bangsamoro territory. However, we needed more to truly build genuine autonomy.

We believe that the marginalization of poorest towns situated within the Bangsamoro areas can only be effectively transformed if they are accorded with adequate rights and freedom to decide on the utilization, maximization, and protection of its natural resources. Political economy in this post-modern era demands the need to strike a balance between government regulation and economic freedom to de-monopolize, share and devolve economic authority of the national government for community-based empowerment. Thus, we appeal that what appeared in HB 5811 as a reserve power of the government on “strategic minerals” within the Bangsamoro areas should be reverted as a concurrent power between the national Government and the Bangsamoro people to uphold equitable power in decision-making on resource development and to advocate shared accountability in the enjoyment of benefits and in the enforcement of environmental protection. The exception clause in the provision on natural resource undermines the right of the Bangsamoro to have meaningful authority over its natural resources including those that are potential sources of revenues.

We appeal further that if minerals for exploration and extraction are found within the ancestral domain of the indigenous peoples within Bangsamoro territory, its shall be subject to the normative process of free and prior consent as enshrined under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (RA 8371).

As such, we specifically and humbly propose this provision:

On Natural Resources, Nature Reserves and Protected Areas. -  The Bangsamoro Government and the Central Government 

shall jointly exercise the power, and right to explore, develop and utilize the natural resources, including surface and sub-surface rights, inland waters, coastal waters, and renewable and non-renewable resources in the Bangsamoro.

It shall also jointly exercise the power to grant rights, privileges and concessions over the exploration, development and utilization of fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and coal) and uranium in the Bangsamoro. 

The Central Government, through the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Bangsamoro Government shall adopt a competitive and transparent process for the grant of rights, privileges and concessions in the exploration, development and utilization of fossil fuels and uranium.

We ardently request for your kind-consideration to make the Bangsamoro region genuinely autonomous for its people to truly enjoy the right to self-determination.

Sincerely,

Lanao Peace Partnership

Phone: (063)-223-8841

Mobile: 0906-878-3090

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lanao Peace Partnershio (LPP) is composed of three CSOs and an academic institution. These are Pailig Development Foundation Inc., Kapamagogopa Inc., 

Civil Society Organization Forum for Peace Inc., and MSU-IIT Institute for Peace and Development (IPDM). The partnership commits to effectively contribute in increasing multistakeholders‘ knowledge and in democratizing the peace process to improve social cohesion and empower people in transforming social conflict. Since 2010 to 2015, LPP has been pro-actively involved in 127 peace-related community-based dialogues or consultations and is engaging varied networks of civil society in the country involved in addressing controversial issues arising from the peace process and from the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB).

LANAO CIVIL SOCIETY CALLS FOR SOBRIETY AND STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT FOR PEACE IN MINDANAO

 Done at Iligan city on January 27, 2014.

We, the civil society of Lanao, who have committed our passion for peace and development, commiserate with families of the elite police forces who unfortunately died at Mamasapano, Maguindanao during the course of serving a warrant of arrest to two alleged suspected terror group members;

We likewise empathize with the families of the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who died during the encounter at the same zone;

We express our grief and sympathy for the survivors of this tragedy which could have been avoided if only appropriate coordination and communication were channeled within the joint security mechanism as stated within the GPH and MILF’s Peace Agreement;

We are saddened on the entailing effects of this violence to civilian communities who have long suffered the cycle of dehumanizing effects of perpetual displacement and insecurity -- specially the aged, children and women in marginalized circumstance;

We note that this tragedy happened too at a political climate when anti-corruption investigation at the legislative body heightened thus, causing turmoil amongst legislators who earlier professed commitment for national peace and for the eradication of this culture of corruption. We are sad when some changed hearts after seeing this heartbreaking violence;

We call for an impartial, collaborative, cooperative and inclusive investigation of the incident by the International Monitoring Team (IMT), the Coordinating Committee  on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of both panels, the Adhoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG), human rights groups, and community traditional leaders to prevent the escalation of conflict and to provide policy recommendations that will improve the coordination mechanism, especially when serving warrant of arrest to suspected member of alleged terror group within the vicinity where there are presence of MILF, MNLF and BIFF;

We ask both GPH and MILF Peace Panels to convene this investigation team and ensure inclusive stakeholders’ participation for peace in Maguindanao-- including the traditional and interfaith leaders at the grassroots, to acknowledge their roles in building a community of peace and help discourage the entry of any terrorist in Mindanao;

We reiterate our call for sobriety, especially for our policymakers, pleading and imploring kind-hearts not to derail nor halt the legislative hearing on Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and to pro-actively pursue the Road Map for Peace in Mindanao as the paramount agenda of our national government;

We ask media workers in the Philippines to practice peace journalism;  stop further brewing violence and hatred amongst populace and instead help lessen dissension, prejudices, and discrimination against Muslim brethren;

We discourage disinformation and lack of self-restraint in posting and commenting from uninformed positions in social media;

We affirm our commitment, collaboration, and cooperation for peace in Mindanao and vowed not to be blinded by anger, trauma and pain to ensure that we attain the desired outcome of the peace process between the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF);

We place a high value on the sacredness of life and pray for mercy and compassion to sustain these peace processes for social justice and total conflict transformation.

·        Balay Integrated Rehabilitation Center for Total Human Development Inc.

·        Local Monitoring Team in Lanao del Norte Area- GPH-MILF NGO Representative

·        Interfaith Council for Peace in Mindanao

·        Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute

·        Lanao Alliance of Human Rights Advocates

·        Civil Society Organizations in Lanao del Norte Partnership for Peace and Development Inc.

·        Pasaka Inc.

·        Bantay Kalilintad

·        United Religions Initiative-South East Asia and the Pacific

·        PAKIGDAIT Inc.

·        Jesuit Refugee Service Philippines

·        Pailig Academy for Grassroots Democracy

·        Kauswagan Ulama Forum

·        Ranao Disaster Response and Rehabilitation Assistance Center

·        MSU-Institute for Peace and Development (Marawi)

·        Ranaw Muslim-Christian Dialogue for Peace (Marawi)

·        Social Initiative for Advancement and Peace (Lanao del Sur)

·        Panday Kalinaw &

·        Lanao Peace Partnership composed of

§  Pailig Development Foundation Inc.,

§  Kapamagogopa Inc.,

§  MSU-IIT Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao,

§  Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits Inc.,

§  Civil Society Organization Forum for Peace Inc.

For the AdHoc House Committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Bill

LPP Recommendations to House Committee on Bangsamoro Basic Law_ CongRufus_Nov28_IliganCityConsultation by Violeta M. Gloria

OPEN LETTER FOR PRESIDENT BENIGNO AQUINO III from Violeta Gloria