Return of IDPs urged with SOMO, SOMA declarations

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/26 July) – The estimated 250,000 persons who are still languishing in evacuation centers in Maguindanao and North Cotabato should be returned to their respective villages now that the government has issued a suspension of offensive military operation (SOMO) and the MILF a suspension of military actions (SOMA), representatives of various sectors said. Guiamel Alim, chair of the board of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS) said the SOMO and SOMA are “long overdue.”

“Had they listened to the CSOs (civil society organizations), the damage vis-à-vis IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons), “could have been minimized. They should now return the IDPs ASAP. .. Let us continue to build community-based constituency to assert their right to lvie in peace and not being held hostage,” Alim said.

The Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC) said Malacanang’s declaration of a SOMO on July 23 and the MILF’s declaration of a SOMA on July 25, “signify both parties’ compassion and due consideration to the plight of the hundreds of thousands of IDPS who had been yearning to safely return home. Both SOMO and SOMA are the IDP’s tickets to return home, rebuild their communities, reopen their schools and resume normal lives.”

Rahib Kudto, National President of the United Youth for Peace and Development (Unypad) said it is “easy to declare SOMO or SOMA. Let’s see how they will place that into implementation. It’s the challenge to both the GRP and MILF.”

Gus Miclat, Executive Director of the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) said “we count our blessings.”

“While we welcome this respite from war, we must remain vigilant. Remember during the last SONA, GMA crowed about a breakthrough in the peace talks and glowed in that happy news. A few days later, the MOA-AD (Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain) deal fell through. But we’re thappy that the IDPs may be able to return home now. They deserve no less and even more. Still, civil society must consolidate and ensure that this SOMO announcement take a life of its own beyond whatever diabolocial motivations there may be by its untrusted messenger,” Miclat said.

Dr. Tahir Sulaik, Health Secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said it is a “very good take off point towards the attainment of peace. I wish to congratulate both sides for giving peace a chance as I would like to rejoice with the IDPs and the other winners. We are all winners in peace!”

Mashod Salik of the Bantay Ceasefire, told MindaNews the declarations are “a good idea for both sides. May the talks resume soon. And We hope they are sincere for the sake of the suffering hundreds of thousands of IDPs.”

The Bangsamoro Center for Justice and Peace (BCJP) said the SOMO and SOMA “are positive gestures of both sides that deserve appreciation as it will create a positive situation for a more stable environment and pave the way for the resumption of the stalled peace talks.”

The MPC appealed to national and local politicians “who are incidentally gearing up towards the 2010 election to heed the cry of the poorest of the poor in our society.”

“In the context of Central Mindanao, these are the IDPs who badly need our support and cooperation. Let their situation put into real test our sincerity to help uplift the poor, defend the weak and fight for the oppressed,” it said.

“Contrary to the pronouncement of a self-serving politician that the SOMO will trigger more hostilities, the MPC strongly believes that with rebels and soldiers alike silencing their guns, there can be no better condition to end the hostilities and isolate the so called saboteurs, spoilers and war profiteers,” the MPC said. (MindaNews)