MINDANAO ....

peace which also means safety and security”, emphasizing that violence will not be tolerated in Islam, Ebil said, adding, “We reject all types of extremism, politicizing, and terrorism.”

Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulraof Macacua threw his full support behind these peace dialogues, saying these “are really important in achieving an agreement, creating a peaceful environment.”

Joint statement on MSU-Marawi bombing incident

On Wednesday, January 17, participants in the interfaith gathering drafted and issued a joint statement on the MSU-Marawi bombing incident last December 3, 2023.

Supporting the statement were Galvez, Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulraof Macacua, 6th Infantry Division Commander MGen.l Alex Rillera, HWPL Philippines Manager John Rommel Garces, and other peace advocates and workers.

In a press conference at the sidelines of the event,

Rev. Edwin de la Peña, Bishop of the Prelature of St. Mary’s Marawi, noted that the bombing incident is something that needs to be faced head-on by the interfaith community.

For his part, Ebil said that the explosion in Marawi has no place in the Muslim and Christian faiths, stressing that Islam and Christianity are religions of peace.

The joint statement declared the following:

That the bombing in Marawi at the Holy Mass, the holiest Catholic religious worship, on 03 December, is a heinous sacrilegious act;

That the killing of innocent civilians by terrorists under the guise of religion is condemnable and cruel irreligious act that defiantly contradicts both Muslim and Christian beliefs;

That the killing of innocent civilians and religious believers are demonic acts, condemned by the teachings of every religion in the world.

In light of the incident, signatories to the statement pledged:

To be proactive against similar terroristic acts by imparting to our constituents the true teachings of our religious traditions and sacred scriptures, the Glorious Qur’an and the Holy Bible;

To commit ourselves to the principles and objectives of the peace process between the Bangsamoro and the Government of the Philippines, fostering a sense of collective responsibility and renewed dedication to achieving enduring peace;

That the way of interreligious dialogue is one of the most effective ways of establishing a Culture of Peace, mutual respect, and understanding among peoples of different faiths in the Bangsamoro and the whole country in general;

That injustice and oppression are the main causes of underdevelopment, divisions, conflicts, and marginalization; and hence, various ways to promote social justice, cultural, religious, and economic developments would substantially take away the ground for terrorism and armed conflict; and

In line with the principles of transitional justice, as embedded in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), we call on the commitment of the National Government and the Bangsamoro Regional Government to provide comprehensive programs and mechanisms for its full implementation.

In the joint statement, the religious leaders also thanked Galvez “for actively building bridges of peace in BARMM and for presenting the peace programs and current peace activities of OPAPRU.”

At the end of the conference, Ledesma called on his fellow religious leaders to continue holding interreligious dialogues not only among themselves but also at the grassroots level to help spread a culture of peace, mutual understanding and solidarity across Mindanao.