Elements of peace
By Carlos Isagani Zarate
Inquirer News Service

AS visitors flocked to Davao City these past weeks, Vice Mayor Luis Bonguyan boasted that the city is proving to be the "Capital of Mindanao." The vice mayor may be accused of blowing his horn. But the recent activities, hosted by the city to highlight not just the island's trade and tourism potentials but also the Mindanao people's quest for peace, are a testament to the island's strategic importance, both economically and politically.

Even Malacañang could not ignore this. After several visits to the areas that "delivered" large votes for her in the last elections -- Cebu province, in particular -- President Macapagal-Arroyo finally came to Davao City on Sept. 16 and delivered a 31-minute speech at the 13th Mindanao Business Conference, which was attended by businesspersons not only from Mindanao but also from the other parts of the Philippines and from the neighboring Asean countries.

Federalism, trade liberalization and easing of requirements in the exploitation of the island's rich mineral resources were but a few of the buzzwords during the conference.

In the same gathering, the President also boasted that she has two Davaoenos in her Cabinet: former Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, the presidential adviser on new government centers, and Presidential Assistant Jesus Dureza, chair of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco).

Two weeks later, President Arroyo was again back in Davao City to grace the opening of the month-long WOW Mindanao Tourism Exposition that showcases the "sights and sounds" of the island's provinces and cities. Since its opening Oct. 1, the WOW Mindanao Expo has attracted thousands of visitors, including ambassadors from five Latin American countries and US Ambassador to the Philippines Francis Ricciardone who, expectedly, was met with loud protests from progressive groups.

Ricciardone was in Davao to launch the so-called "virtual US consulate" for Mindanao, which members of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) claimed would be used by the US government as its "virtual spy house" in Mindanao in the "global war on terrorism."

Indeed, the continuing interest of the US government in Mindanao has become more and more evident in recent years, especially with the now permanent Balikatan exercises. Incidentally, the Davao City Council and the city's barangay captains have passed separate resolutions opposing the holding of any Balikatan exercise anywhere in the city, noting that it is not "in the best interest of the Davaoenos," a stand also expressed earlier by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

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One very noticeable feature in the ongoing WOW Mindanao Expo at the SM City grounds is a "Peace Pavilion" where visitors are requested to sign a manifesto supporting the quest for peace in Mindanao. The presence of the pavilion mirrors the fact that amid the buzz and glitter, amid the grandiose plans of politicians and economic managers, the clamor for peace persists. Rightly so, considering that Mindanao has long been a hotbed of two of Asia's longest running rebellions-one being waged by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the other by the communists' New People's Army.

Ironically, while these high-profile activities are going on, the people of Mindanao are yet to hear the progress in the resumed peace talks between the government and the MILF in Malaysia. It is reassuring to note, however, that the ceasefire inked by both parties appears to be holding, especially with the presence of the international monitoring team that for the past weeks has been visiting the island's "armed conflict areas." That the ceasefire is holding surely provides a breather to hundreds of thousands of Mindanao refugees who have been displaced -- economically especially -- for the past several decades.

What is not reassuring, though, is the fact that every time the stalled talks are to resume, there are "unseen hands" that are apparently bent to "sabotage" it. The MILF, on several occasions, has repeatedly denied any organizational connection to the so-called al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah. It even opened its camps for inspection to the government and members of the monitoring team. Yet, the same issue is again being resurrected by so-called "military intelligence experts," apparently to further muddle the talks. Recently, too, there was also a news report, quoting military sources as saying that MILF chair Hadji Ibrahim Murad is losing organizational control of his followers. "The report is unfair," commented Dureza, who once headed the government panel, adding that it does not augur well for the success of the talks.

But a fruitful outcome of the peace talks would be but a part of the solution that the people of Mindanao have long been advocating. At the recent Mindanao Convention of Lawyers, also held in Davao City, Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., aptly summed up the elements required for peace in Mindanao: "Our country cannot enjoy the genuine blessings of justice, peace and development unless we have these in Mindanao. For Mindanao is a big portion of the Philippines and the whole suffers when even a small part of it suffers. Thus, we see the Philippines, and even its future, through Mindanao... By peace, we do not refer to the 'chilling silence of the grave' or to the absence of war, strife or conflict. By genuine peace is meant an environment which nurtures understanding and harmony among peoples of different religions, beliefs, practices, traditions, even idiosyncrasies."