‘Tuwid na daan’ also leads to all-out peace

We grieve with the whole nation over the unnecessary bloodshed and loss of lives in the Mamasapano tragedy. We lament the deaths of the 44 Special Action Force commandos, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) militants, and four civilians.

We, the Koalisyon ng Mamamayan Para sa Reporma, call for an in-depth and unbiased investigation into the clash. All government and military institutions must exact accountability from all those responsible—be they from the Philippine government, the MILF, or the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

We are firmly against the proposals for the postponement of the hearings on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). We reject calls for an all-out war against the MILF. These incendiary proposals run counter to the national pursuit of peace and reform and will only result in more violence, bloody clashes and disorder that we, as a nation, cannot afford. Derailing the peace process is essentially contradicting the goals of harmony and reform we are seeking for Mindanao, which are embodied in the BBL.

We urge individuals and groups in the reform movement, actors in the peace process and civil society to collectively stand firm for peace and guard closely against attempts to disrupt the momentum toward a just and lasting peace in Mindanao through the BBL.

We recognize that there are bottlenecks along the road to lasting reconciliation—the Mamasapano incident is one of these. We must face these obstacles with courage and prudence. Let this sorry incident be an impetus for us to perfect the BBL and enable a favorable policy environment for Mindanao. Let the blood of all those who died nurture a culture of peace instead of a culture of war.

We appeal to media to keep from exploiting the victims and sensationalizing the tragedy to whip up dangerous emotions of hatred and vengeance. Let us instead calmly wait for the truth to come out from the investigations. For now, let us speak with composure, impartiality and reason.

The reform movement, more than ever, should push forward on the journey toward all-out peace in Mindanao. We believe that the government’s reform path aims to lead us toward peace. The government’s “tuwid na daan” is also a “tuwid na daan patungo sa kapayapaan.”

—KOALISYON NG MAMAMAYAN PARA SA REPORMA, [email protected]