On July 5, 2009, a bomb exploded across from the Concepcion Cathedral in Cotabato City just as the churchgoers were leaving early morning mass. Five (5) innocent civilians were killed and 34 more were injured.
The Glorious Qur’an commands us:
“if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. And indeed, there came to them Our Messengers with clear proofs (of Allah’s power), even then after that many of them continued to exceed the limits in the land!” (Surah al-Ma’idah, ayah 32).
The PCID condemns in the strongest terms this terroristic act and calls on government to immediately investigate the bombing to bring the perpetrators before the bar of justice.
It is useless to finger-point based on speculations and hearsay. What all sectors, including the victims of these senseless and criminal acts, are calling for is for the TRUTH to prevail. Thus, the government, through its law enforcement agencies, must work to prove its worth as the government for all citizens, including and especially the weak and the poor.
Hence, we call on all to restrain their outrage and anger, that the guilty – and not the innocent - may be punished. We applaud the courage and wisdom of Archbishop Orlando Quevedo OMI who, even as he condemned the bombing as sacrilege, has called for restraint stating that “Violence does not achieve anything. Violence begets violence. Let’s all pray for the conversion of the bombers."
The PCID joins all leaders who have demanded the resumption of the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has been derailed for almost a year after the non-signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain. The resumption of the peace talks is crucial to allow the International Monitoring Team and the Local Monitoring Teams to continue their vital work of investigating ceasefire violations. Before the derailment of the peace process, ceasefire mechanisms (including the monitoring teams) were responsible for the drastic decrease of armed conflicts from almost 700 in 2002 to 7 incidents in 2007.
Since the derailment, there has been a drastic upsurge in armed conflicts, WITH NO OBJECTIVE INVESTIGATION AS TO WHO VIOLATED THE CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT. The innocents suffer in the hundreds of thousands as perpetrators escape and continue inflicting torment and death to our fellow Mindanaoans. The faithful are massacred or harassed as they go to the mosque or the church, even as they seek refuge in camps intended to provide safety for those who have been displaced because of the continued fighting in Central Mindanao.
The innocent victims of this ethnic conflict between Bangsamoro and government now number close to a million – whether refugees, injured or killed. Since 2001, citizens in Central Mindanao and the island provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan have been losing hope that their suffering will end, that the government will respond to their needs. The PCID calls on government and all sectors concerned to respond before it is too late.
Please direct all inquiries and request for interviews to:
Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy
Tel: 5313522; TF: 5326058; Mobile: 09178069783
Email: mkfi@pldtdsl.net
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