MINDANAO; Friends and Enemies..

MINDANAO - Friends and Enemies
Mindanao - Friends and Enemies
June 10 - 14, 2002: Penang, Malaysia
By Bobby Benito

Regarding the Muslim-Christian Youth Movements for Peace and Development, we established this organization to unite the three youth groups of the community; the Muslims, Catholics and the Miracle Life Fellowship International (MLFI). We did this after a serious conflict in our community happened.The structure of the organization includes youth representatives of every faith. I was the president representing the Muslims. There were 3 Vice Presidents representing the Ilocano tribes (they also represent the MLFI because basically that is their religion). There was also a Vice-President for the Ilonggo tribes, (they represent the Catholics) and a Vice-President for Muslim affairs. After we set up the group, we organized a series of seminars and workshops on the Culture of Peace, Peacebuilding and other issues. The Kadtuntaya Foundation Inc. funded by the Catholic Relief Services gave these seminars and workshops to us.During those trainings, the prejudices, stereotyping and biases of these diverse tribes, cultures and religions were brought out and discussed. In time the non-Muslim people began to understand why the Moro Muslims were struggling for the right to self-determination. Before this, it was not easy for us to explain the history of the Bangsamoro people and have a good discussion on this history with the others. But after the seminars, many of our non-Muslim friends were enlightened and we became good friends.Then there was the time under the administration of Joseph Estrada, when he declared his all out war policy against the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front). Our community was never directly affected by this war because the three groups of people were now united, unlike before. Then, if there was a conflict between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, there was also suspicion between both sides. The Christians didn't trust the Muslims because they perceived that all Muslims were helping the MILF, and the Muslims suspected that the Christians would join the military government to attack and kill the Muslims. But because of the unity of the people, those attitudes were minimized and when there was an encountered between the MILF and the AFP (Philippine Military), everybody in the community remained vigilant at night to avoid sabotage from the outsiders.Everyone in our group knew that some members of our organization belonged to the MILF groups and also that some were recruited by the Philippine military as Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU), which are para-military troops used by the military to attacked the MILF. When there was fighting, these youth knew that their friends were going to the other group to fight. Yet, when the fighting ceased, they came back together and even engaged in basketball and other games. Very sadly though, some of these friends didn't return because they were killed on the battlefield.These kinds of things didn't happen only in our organization. There are also some members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who have brothers fighting in the other groups. They (AFP soldiers) even extend some financial help to the others because, according to them, they have a salary and their brothers going to the battlefield don't. When leaving for the field, some leave their homes on the same day and take the same transportation. Some even pay for their brothers transportation fares.This is just one small piece of an ocean of sorrow that the war has brought to us here in Mindanao. We are all neighbors and help each other when there is a need. We may even be relatives. When we are together we have seminars and play basketball together. But these friends and relatives become enemies on the battlefield. This brings heavy tears to my eyes