Pursue renegade MILF, but peace dialogues should continue-- Gordon

Senator Richard Gordon called for the swift and severe enforcement of the law against the MILF renegades who laid siege to several towns the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Sarangani, killing at least 41 civilians.

"As far as I am concerned, we should go after these people and the law must be enforced severely. These acts were nothing but acts of terrorists. Hulihin ang mga yan at all cost. Whether kamag-anak o hindi ng MILF, they have disturbed the peace. It is not just one family's peace that is at stake, it is the community's peace -- it is peace in Mindanao and the peace of the entire country that is at stake," said Gordon who described the renegade MILF group as terrorists and war criminals.

He, however, stressed that current peace dialogues should continue.

"The situation in Mindanao should be dealt with by continuing dialogue with the MILF and by going after the renegades, making sure that we don't stop until we catch them. We also must make sure that we put in the necessary inputs directly to the ARMM area or in conjunction with the armed people but make sure that everything is accountable including the building or schools, building of airports, seaports or the building infrastructure for irrigation. By doing so, people will choose livelihood rather than carrying a gun," said Gordon.

Gordon also asserted that greater effort must be applied to ensure that civilians would not be harmed in clashes between the MILF and the military.

"In Lanao del Norte alone, 28 civilians were killed and around 7,000 people have been displaced. Even before this most recent rash of armed conflict, there were already over a 150,000 who have fled their homes in Cotabato and a great number of them had to camp by roadsides because evacuation sites could no longer accommodate them. If it is peace we are truly after, we cannot hope for it to come about as long as fear, desperation, and poverty reign," said Gordon.

In an attempt to bring immediate relief to those affected in the most recent hostilities, the PNRC Iligan Chapter under Gordon's leadership has already:

• Deployed staff and volunteers in Ozamis City in the coastal area to meet evacuees from the municipalities of Linamon, Kauswagan and Kolambugan of Lanao del Norte.
• Made arrangements to withdraw rice from the National Food Authority for relief operations
• Placed all PNRC Chapter Administrators to be on alert and report all incidents in their area to OpCen.
• Provided blood surgical supplies and set aside fuel for the boats used to transport evacuees and to deploy volunteers

An estimated 76 barangays from 5 municipalities are reported affected by the conflict. It is also reported that residents in the coastal areas of Kolambugan are evacuating to Ozamis City by pumpboat or bangka for safety. Some houses in Barangay Tacub and Libertad in Minicipality of Kauswagan were also reported burned.

Gordon further said that the current conflagration in Mindanao was just a "small slice" of what would happen if the government were to push through with the MOA with the MILF.

"Fear, poverty and desperation, more than any political cause, nourishes the roots of conflict. We must give our people security, ensure that they can find jobs or engage in livelihood, make sure that their children can go to school and make certain that government services are being provided. It will be an uneasy peace accord, a pro forma peace pact without development. If certain rogue elements of MILF take over Christian areas which they are doing now, they will provoke a bigger war. I still respect the leadership of MILF but I won't blame military reaction to the renegade MILF's attacks," said Gordon.