LET EID'L FITR BE A REMINDER OF OUR
GOALS FOR LASTING PEACE IN MINDANAO

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan today celebrates with the Muslim Filipino community as the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end. As he greets Muslim Filipinos, "Eid Mubarak," Pangilinan adds that this year's celebration of Eid'l Fitr must also mark "a deepening of genuine efforts to achieve lasting peace" in war-torn parts of Mindanao.

"Our dream for the Muslim Filipino community is for them to enjoy lasting peace--the kind that offers stability and paves the way for investments, economic growth, jobs, and true progress," Pangilinan points out. "If we recall, it was in the 1990s when the government pushed for an aggressive peace policy, and it was also at this time when we saw rapid development in cities such as Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and General Santos, among others. We know that this can be replicated in more areas around Mindanao." Pangilinan, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice and Rural Development, adds, "We need to put an end to war and senseless violence once and for all. For it is only through lasting peace that we will see the progress and prosperity that have eluded our Muslim brothers and sisters for decades now. Everyone in the Philippines deserves the chance to live a stable, secure, and more abundant life--regardless of their religious affiliations and ethnic backgrounds. Let us break the cycle of violence that has kept many parts of Mindanao in chains, for the sake of a new generation of Filipinos who clearly deserve a better life."