5 Good Reasons Why Peace and Not War

By Prof. Octavio Dinampo

1. Pacific gains for decades of joint-search for peace should not be put to naught by a single or even series of isolated incidents such as what happened in Basilan and subsequently in Sibugay Province;

2. Encounter's venue should not be limited to the battlefield. As a matter of fact, the most ideal corrigor to address this current stain to having final peace in Mindanao is by way of resuming the stalled peace talks between the GPH-MILF;

3. All-out war or other means of reprisals will no longer resuscitate and bring back to life the 19 soldiers and 7 rebels. On the other hand, it will only compound the miseries there and double our losses in terms of precious lives and damages to properties;

4. Ceasefire is condition sine qua non to a sober search for justice and punishment of those who transgress the limits of Jihad and other instruments of redress installed on the grounds (in Basilan or anywhere else in Muslim Mindanao). The case of Umra Kato can be made the precedent;

5. End the present dilemma and similar cases of violence by way of returning to the peace table and ink a lasting political settlement with the MILF. Indeed, it would be a double whammy for the Aquinos: the late Pres. Cory for initiating the 1996 Peace Agreement and Pnoy to finalize it with the MILF.

Note: Prof. Octavio Dimaampo is a peace advocate and professor at MSU- Jolo. He was with Ces Drilon when kidnapped.