I stayed at the Trappist Monastery in Guimaras island last July-August just when the trouble in Mindanao was starting. There was a nice lady there who was also on retreat. In one of the meals, we incidentally happened to sit around on the same table and when she learned that I came from Cotabato, she asked me a simple question, "Father, bakitkasi dumami ang mga Muslim diyan sa Mindanao?" (why did the number of Muslims increase in Mindanao?)
[A paper presented during the roundtable discussion on “The Malaysian Pull-out from the International Monitoring Team (IMT): Implications and Responses” sponsored by the Institute for Autonomy and Governance held at Estosan Hotel, Cotabato City on May 6, 2008]
When I heard the news of the planned pull-out of the Malaysian contingent from the International Monitoring Team, the first question that came to my mind was, Why? Why will Malaysia, who is acting as third party facilitator to the GRP-MILF Peace Talks, do that? I may not entirely know the real reason why Malaysia is pulling out from the IMT but I surely know why a lot of civilians from conflict affected communities, including the Bantay Ceasefire volunteers, are deeply worried of this new development.
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/19 Jan) -- I received many text messages from different people from different parts of the country regarding the death of Fr. Rey. They contained mixed feelings. Some contained pure condolences. Some contained pure condemnation. Some contained pure hatred. Some contained combined condolences and anger. Some contained combined condemnation and condolences.
PIKIT, North Cotabato (MindaNews/28 Nov) -- The Mindanao Week of Peace celebration this year carries the theme: Building Bridges of Peace with our Peace Officers.This is a leap of attitude. Normally, people distance themselves from engaging the military and police.Either they are scared of them or they simply abhor them for the abuses committed by some of the men in uniform. I think it’s the same attitude the civilians have towards the rebels.There are in fact some who look at the soldiers and rebels as detestable individuals who do not possess any human goodness.
PIKIT, North Cotabato (MindaNews / Nov 23) --I heard them all speak Maguindanawon. The cook. The driver. The kids who were washing dishes. They conversed with each other in Maguindanawon. I had just arrived then at the convent of St. Therese Parish in Datu Piang to give a seminar on Intra-Religious Dialogue to lay leaders.Hearing them speak perfect Maguindanawon made me think initially that they were Muslims. To my surprise, I found out they were not Muslims. They were actually Christians.
(A sharing presented during the International conference on Church Inter-religious Dialogue and Peace-building sponsored by the Catholic Relief Services and KROC Institute held in Davao City on October 21-26, 2007)
A church caught in the midst of armed conflict
The Immaculate Conception Parish of Pikit is one of the oldest parishes in the Archdiocese of Cotabato. Because of the Basic Ecclesial Communities or BECs, Christians have developed deep religiosity and a strong sense of community and responsibility towards fellow Christians. What was considered as the strength of the Church in Pikit, however, turned out also to be one of her weaknesses.
