Peace advocates to government: Stop the war

THE Mindanao Peaceweavers (MPW) has called on the government to take steps in stopping the worsening armed conflict between the soldiers and the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Maguindanao.

Fatchie Salapuddin of Bangsamoro Women Solidarity Forum (BWSF), a member of the MPW, said that humanitarian crisis looms large as the armed encounters in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao have spilled over to its neighboring municipalities.

Salapuddin is also a convenor of MPW, a network of non-government organizations working for peace in Mindanao.

The MPW has asked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to make good her promise to resolve the conflict in Mindanao when her administration started discussing solutions to the decades-old conflict with the Moro rebels.

“We call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to withdraw the military forces and resume the peace talks,” she said.

The group also urged the MILF leadership to effectively control its forces on the ground and “exercise maximum restraint” even when provoked.

“We now see thousands of families fleeing from their homes to avoid being caught in this nasty and senseless war,” she said.

The group is also concerned about the effects of the ongoing hostilities on the peace talks between the government and the MILF. (PRESS RELEASE)