April 22, 2010 - Mayor Midpantao “Datu Antao” Midtimbang of Guindulungan town in Maguindanao Province recently vowed “to get rid of violence in Maguindanao and bring peace back” as he claimed that his first mission is “to restore peace and order in the Province.”
In a forum held in Cotabato City over the weekend, Midtimbang recounted why he decided to join the gubernatorial race. He said:
“I did not have any plan to run for governor. It was the violence in Maguindanao that pushed me to do this. I hope I will be the instrument, if I will be given a chance to lead the province, in pacifying the warring groups in the area.”
Midtimbang was apparently referring to the Ampatuan Massacre on November 23, 2009 where 57 civilians, including at least 32 journalists, were killed.
Murshid Mascud, the chairperson of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society-Kutawato Regional Management Committee (CBCS-KRMC) that organized the forum, told the participants that the activity was part of the organization’s effort to meet with all gubernatorial bets to present to the candidates the peoples’ peace agenda and also to listen to their platforms.
“This is not done for us to be able to select who is the best among them but for us to inform them about the platform of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and that of the civil society for it to be integrated in their own,” Mascud said.
When asked about the concerns of the civil society, Mascud said that it is “to support the ongoing peace process between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)” as he believes that only the ‘forging of a political agreement’ that can stall the displacement and continuing bloodlettings in Mindanao.
Literacy program is also one of the top priorities of Midtimbang as he said, “I don’t believe that Maguindanao is a poor province. Educate the people and liberate them from poverty. They should know how to utilize the idle land.”
Midtimbang, however, believes that the issues of illiteracy and the recurring displacement of innocent people in Maguindanao cannot be effectively addressed without addressing the root cause of the Moro’s struggle for freedom.
He called on the civil society and the media to support the peace processes in Mindanao. He said if there will be an agreement to be come up the problem on displacement will be addressed.
“Support peace process as it is tantamount to solving the problems of the IDPs,” Midtimbang said.
The forum was organized by the CBCS-KRMC.
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