'Peace votes' for presidential candidates who could provide clear-cut policy for Mindanao

GENERAL SANTOS CITY , Philippines  – Hundreds of thousands of “peace votes” await any of the presidential candidates who could provide a clear-cut peace policy for war-torn Mindanao.

But except for former President Joseph Estrada, all the presidential hopefuls in the May 10 general elections are clueless or mum on how to go about solving the century-old sectarian conflict in the south,” said the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

In a statement posted on its website on Sunday, the MILF said Estrada had made no bones about renewing the all-out war his administration had waged against the separatist rebels in 2000, which saw more than one million of the Bangsamoro people uprooted from their homes.

“He has repeatedly reiterated this in all his campaign sorties in Mindanao, and we have no doubt he will do it again if elected,” the Moro front said.

Non-committal

As to the other presidential aspirants, the MILF said their individual stand on a comprehensive peace plan for Mindanao is, at best, non-committal.

For instance, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III merely said he would continue the peace talks with the MILF, while Sen. Manny Villar said peace in Mindanao would hinge on socio-economic development.

Gilberto Teodoro, on the other hand, could not seem to make up his mind whether to use the carrot or the stick, or both, to get the MILF to smoke the peace pipe with the Philippine government.

Sen. Jamby Madrigal has been unusually tight-lipped on the issue while Sen. Richard Gordon and Bro. Eddie Villanueva could only provide a general idea of continuing the peace process.

“We want a very clear peace platform to resolve the Mindanao conflict, not just motherhood statement,” said lawyer-peace advocate Mary Ann Amado at a recent forum of the Mindanao Peace Council in Cotabato City.

She said hundreds of thousands of “peace votes” await any presidential aspirant with a clear agenda for ending the conflict.

“It is lamentable that none of the candidates has adequately come out with a platform on how to end the conflict and attain genuine, lasting peace in Mindanao,” said Amado, MPC secretary-general.

On March 16, on the 73rd Araw ng Dabaw, the MPC is going to hold a forum on the Mindanao peace agenda, to which all the presidential candidates have been invited.