Civil society organization leaders pose for picture with the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process after the signing ceremony of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. L-R: Gus Miclat (Executive Director, Initiatives for International Dialogue), Bishop Efraim Tendero (National Director, Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches), Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles (Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process), Dann Pantoja (President, PeaceBuilders Community, Inc.), and Carol Arguillas (Editor-In-Chief, MindaNews). 27 March 2014, Kalayaan Gardens, Malacanang Palace, Manila.
We, as PeaceBuilders Community, celebrate with the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB)!
We celebrate the signing of the CAB because this is an expression of Christ’s love. The love of Christ prompts us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. The love of Christ is unconditional. Bangsamoro is our neighbor. We love the Bangsamoro with the unconditional love of Christ the way God loves all the people of the world.
We celebrate the signing of the CAB because we recognize the Bangsamoro as a nation in the biblical sense. As far as the Bible is concerned, each people group with their ethnolinguistic characteristic is a nation. Bangsamoro means ‘Nation of Moros’ — that’s how they want to be recognized. That’s how they want to be respected as a people.
We celebrate the signing of the CAB because this is a path towards justice. Justice is an attribute of God and God’s throne is founded on justice and righteousness. A God-centered view of justice includes a documented promise to correct the historical injustices we have committed against the Bangsamoro.
We celebrate the signing of the CAB because this is a practical expression of peace based on justice. Because we are journeying in the path of justice, then we will walk in the path of peace. When we plant justice, we will harvest peace!
We celebrate the signing of the CAB because this would be a good model for other regions in the Philippines to assert their right to self-determination. The CAB would be a peaceful template towards the liberation of all ethnolinguistic groups in our land from the centrist, corrupt, patronage politics of the oligarchs.
We celebrate the signing of the CAB because this is an answered prayer to open the hearts and minds of our people to seek peaceful, radical transformation towards genuine liberation.
Sharing the joy with the Head of the GPH Peace Panel. L-R: The Hon. Datu Kharis Baraguir (Senior Consultant, PeaceBuilders Community), Dann Pantoja (President, PeaceBuilders Community), Memen Gatmaytan (Davao Regional Office, Commission on Human Rights), Miriam Coronel-Ferrer (Chair, GPH Peace Panel Negotiating with MILF), and Gus Miclat (Executive Director, Initiatives for International Dialogue). Kalayaan Gardens, Malacanang, Manila.
