ON WEDNESDAY, February 26, after a mass commemorating the birth anniversary
of the late Senator Jose "Pepe" Diokno at the Balay Kalinaw
of the University of the Philippines, known nationalists, peace luminaries,
advocates, and analysts gathered for a discussion on the issue of
peace, touching on the importance of a peace constituency.
At the forum, Diokno’s friends, family and admirers expressed
wariness of the Arroyo administration’s current policy track
regarding the war in Central Mindanao, its support for the US stance
on Iraq, and the presence of US troops in Sulu. They also worried
that the citizenry’s concern over current political and peace
issues may be diminishing.
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| Vice-President Teofisto Guingona |
Bishop Teodoro Bacani |
Those anxieties may have lessened two days later, on February 28,
when thousands of people, made up of students in school uniforms,
youth, activists, housewives, children, priests and nuns, workers,
artists and and urban poor, gathered at the Quirino Grandstand in
Luneta Park in Manila for a "nationwide prayer assembly for peace."
Biggest Peace Gathering in RP
The prayer rally led by Vice-President Teofisto Guingona
and Bishop Teodoro Bacani of the newly formed Diocese of Novaliches
was touted as the biggest gathering of anti-war forces in the Philippines
calling for peace in Iraq and an end to the war in Mindanao.
The rally drew a crowd of 15,000, according to police estimates,
and was made up of delegations from various sectors of the society
coming from Metro Manila, Laguna, Olongapo, and Cavite. Student representatives
from various schools within and near Metro Manila took turns reading
the stand of their respective schools against war in Iraq and Mindanao.
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| Ronalyn Olea of the College Editors Guild |
Mong Palatino of the National Union of
Students |
Sr. Theresa Lorenzo, who accompanied students from the Mary Help
Christians School in Canlubang, Laguna told CyberDyaryo, "We
came as a way of witnessing and proclaiming what we have in our hearts
and what these young people would like to tell our President [Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo]."
"We joined the prayer rally because we want to prevent the war
between the US and Iraq. We are also against Americans [soldiers]
in Sulu," said Kristine Doñasaltes, a 15-year old student,
in an interview.
Alex Hermosa of PREDA Foundation, a non-government organization working
for children’s welfare in Olongapo, told CyberDyaryo they left
Olongapo with some 50 children and youth to show their solidarity
for peace "for the children of the world".
Political analyst and Akbayan leader Walden Bello said that if not
for the millions around the globe who have protested against a preemptive
strike on Iraq, the US would have already attacked that Middle Eastern
country. "Let us be part of the global chain that will stop Bush’s
war," he said.
Opposing Groups Get Together for Peace
The rally was notable for successfully gathering leaders
of opposing political factions of the Left with the presence of the
broad Justice Not War Coalition led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan,
the Gathering for Peace, Akbayan, Sanlakas, Freedom from Debt Coalition
and Peace Camp.
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| Walden Bello of Akbayan |
Former Senator Bobby Tañada
of Gathering for Peace |
Teddy Casiño of Bagong
Alyansang Makabayan and Justice Not War Coalition |
The Vice-President was joined on the stage by Catholic, Protestant
and Muslim religious leaders. Also on stage were Senators Francis
Pangilinan, Manuel Villar, and Vicente Sotto, and former senators
Wigberto Tañada Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile, and a handful of
congressmen including minority leader Rep. Carlos Padilla III, Bayan
Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, and Akbayan Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales.
Many of the lawmakers in attendance are part of the Legislators Against
War. Organizers said politicians were not allowed to speak at the
peace rally.
The gathering was filled with banners of different colors and sizes
bearing the same message of "peace not war." The Kilusang
Mayo Uno flew a giant kite with the peace sign. Students from the
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila carried 200 cardboard placards that,
when joined together, bore the message "No to War" on one
side and a giant peace sign on the other side.
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| University of Santo Tomas students |
Philippine Christian Universitystudents |
A tent bearing banners with similar calls was set up by the Couples
for Christ. "Peace quilts" from various schools were joined
together to form a long, snake-like tapestry.
The Poor Have a Stake in the War
In an interview, Edwin Gratuito, a leader of the urban poor
group Kadamay-NCR, said he joined the rally, along with 150 other
urban poor from various communities in Manila, because they are all
worried about the certainty of an oil price increase if war breaks
out in the Middle East.
"We have a stake here because when oil price increase, prices
of basic commodities also increase, and we, the urban poor, will be
the first to be affected," he said in Filipino.
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| Peasants against war |
Kids for peace |
In his prayer, Vice-President Guingona said he hopes that in this
current crisis, leaders of the country and the world would be enlightened
to stand for peace, noting the effects of war on civilians, particularly
the poor.
In a message read by Bacani, Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin
urged the faithful to pray that world leaders may uphold peace, but
warned leaders who advocate war that God is against the "enemies"
of peace.
War Is Not Always Inevitable
"We have to trust in God. He will vanquish enemies
of peace. He will conquer the world with His love. He is the font
of mercy, He will listen to our prayers," Sin said.
Bacani conveyed the position of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines’ supporting the Pope’s call against
war, saying that war is "not always inevitable."
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| Sienna College students |
Miriam College students |
While the US government and the United Nations should "persevere
in dialogues for peace," Iraq should fully cooperate with the
UN, Bacani said.
"Let us oppose the war in Mindanao, in Iraq, and oppose war
whenever, and wherever," the bishop said, stressing that war
is only justified by God as "a last-resort…and as a defensive
war."
Clearly, he said, the US’ "aggressive war" is not
justified.
Message to GMA: Do What Is Right
"We call on [United States President George W.] Bush
and his allies to please listen to the voices of the people of the
world: America is not the whole world," said a nun who read the
statement of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines.
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| University of the Philippines students |
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
students |
The association appealed to President Arroyo "to do what is
right" by focusing on "real issues instead of kowtowing
to the US’ hedonistic stance." And their message: "If
you have to wage war, wage the war against poverty, wage the war for
peace."Guingona lamented that the conflict in Mindanao has continued
to "ravage" the region. "Death and destruction has
revisited the lands already ravaged in the year 2000," he said.
"Casualties continue to mount, and already more than 150,000
have fled to the evacuation centers. Already nine have died from sickness
and suffering."
Gathering for Peace convenor Karen Tañada said that the planned
presence of US soldiers in Sulu would further intensify the conflict
in the southernmost part of the Philippines.
Tañada, who also represented the Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute,
was among those present at the February 26 meeting commemorating the
late Senator Diokno’s 81st birth anniversary in UP.
Others who came included Vice-President Guingona, Bayan Muna party-list
Rep. Satur Ocampo, kbayan party-list Rep. Etta Rosales, Ambassador
Howard Dee, political analyst Joel Rocamora, former Sen. Wigberto
Tañada, the Diokno siblings (Chel, Maris, Maitet and Cookie),
UP Professor Randy David, Civil Service Commissioner Karina Constantino
David, Nini Quezon-Avancena, Maria Feria, and former Senate President
Jovito Salonga.
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| Artists Noel Cabangon, Bayang
Barrios, and Cookie Chua |
Legislators Against War with Vice President
Guingona and others |
The peace advocates expressed dissatisfaction with the administration’s
military offensive against the Muslim rebels in central Mindanao,
its support of the United States’ attack on Iraq, and the renewed
entry of American troops in Jolo, Sulu, that, they said, are not helping
the peace in the country
Problem starts with Malacañang
"Our problem starts with Malacañang," said
Randy David, who observed that the "clear hidden agenda in Mindanao"
as well as the unequivocal support for the US "has not yet been
made clear as of now."
Unnamed sources from the Pentagon had earlier said the American troops
would join the Philippine military in combat operations via the "Balikatan
03-1" exercises in Sulu. This claim has been denied by the Philippine
government."If US troops will enter the country and [join in
combat operations] against Abu Sayyaf, I don’t thinkthe Abu
Sayyaf will be the target. The world’s greatest superpower against
a ragtag band of bandits? I think the target really is the MILF (Moro
Islamic Liberation Front)," said Rocamora.
Mad at Angelo Reyes
Aside from President Arroyo, the participants condemned Defense
Secretary Angelo Reyes, who they saw as the mover behind the current
offensive against the MILF and the entry of American soldiers in the
country.
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| Christians against war |
Muslims against war |
Miriam Coronel of the All-Out Peace Groups said the coalition was
preparing to form a group called NO WAR, which stands for "National
Outrage of Women Against Reyes."
Recalling the civil society movement that worked for the change in
the national leadership in 2001, David said that the peace issues
should be pursued through a similar "coherent peace movement"
that would move against the "militarist" policy of government
in Mindanao and its support for the US agenda on Iraq.
He suggested that the "fight" should be conducted on two
fronts: on the streets and by asking former civil society leaders
now occupying government positions to take a stand on the peace agenda.
"Let us ask our friends in government who have become part of
the government on account of the transition in Edsa II to warn the
President that they will quit if the policy on Mindanao is not completely
reversed—the pulling out of the military from the region, and
the cancellation of the Visiting Forces Agreement, which means no
US troops in the country," David said.
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| Senator Jose Diokno |
Meanwhile, Akbayan Rep. Mario Aguja, a Mindanaoan, said that the
push for peace in central Mindanao should be stepped up because the
trust of the people, particularly the affected civilians, in the peace
process is already eroding.
Senator Diokno, a staunch nationalist and human rights and peace
advocate, was incarcerated by the Marcos martial-law regime from 1972
to 1974. After he was released from detention, he founded the Free
Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), which provided free legal aid to human
rights victims of martial law.
With the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos by the People Power I uprising
on Edsa in 1986, Diokno was named by President Cory Aquino chairman
of the Presidential Human Rights Commission. He also headed the Philippine
panel that initiated peace negotiations with the National Democratic
Front in 1986. He died of cancer in 1987. Senator Diokno would have
been 81 last February 26.
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