Peace organizations frustrated by the ongoing conflict in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao have tabled their own proposals to help end the insurgency.

The proposals include the formation of a peace commission and the drafting of a national peace policy.

Mindanao peace organizations have listed 15 proposals under a so-called Mindanao People’s Peace Agenda to achieve a lasting peace in the region, said Claretian Father Angel Calvo of Peace Advocates-Zamboanga.

“This is not meant to unilaterally solve the armed conflict in Mindanao. Like any other framework, it is designed as a guide for the government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front [MILF] and all other participants in the peace process,” Father Calvo said.

Included in the agenda is recognizing the right to self-determination “not only for Filipino Muslims, but also for the different tribal groups,” said Father Calvo, whose other organization, the Mindanao Peace Weavers, drew up the agenda.

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DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Peace advocates in Mindanao are urging incoming President Benigno Aquino III to create a national peace commission and a national peace policy to address the recurring problem of peace and order on the island.

Father Angel Calvo, lead convenor of the Mindanao PeaceWeavers, said the creation of a peace commission and the drafting of a peace policy would uncover and address the root cause of the Mindanao conflict.

But Calvo told reporters after the launching of the Mindanao Peoples Peace Agenda (MPPA) here Thursday that the peace commission should be “independent in nature and does not depend on the President alone but the country as a whole.”

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Davao City (25 June) — After a year-long consultation with various concerned sectors in Mindanao, the Mindanao Peaceweavers is set to launch the Mindanao People’s Peace Agenda on Friday (June 25).

It is the product of discussion, consultation, and sharing amongst different groups to come up with a Mindanao peace agenda that is owned by the people.

“We have conducted area consultations with leaders of Bangsamoro, Lumads, and settlers from all over Mindanao.We have discovered key issues that need to be addressed to build lasting peace in Mindanao. These are all embodied in MPPA, which we envision to become a living document for solidarity.” Gus Miclat of the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) said in yesterday’s Club 888 Business Forum.

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