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By Anthony Vargas, Reporter
A Roman Catholic bishop from Basilan on Saturday said the pullout of
Malaysia as a truce observer from the country’s southern Mindanao
region should serve as a reminder to the Philippine government that
it alone could bring peace there.
According to Bishop Martin Jumoad
of the prelature of Isabela, the withdrawal of a Malaysian unit from
the International Monitoring Team (IMT) is a clear sign that Manila
on its own should solve the Muslim insurgency in the region. The
rebellion aimed at the establishment by the Muslim minority of an
independent Islamic state has festered in Mindanao for more than 30
years. Jumoad said it has claimed thousands of lives, both Christian
and Muslim.
“It’s good [that the
contingent is leaving]. Our problem must be solved by our
government, not by other governments,” Jumoad said during an
interview over Radio Veritas, a Catholic Church-run radio station.
The Muslim uprising is “an
internal problem . . . and do we expect others to solve it for us?
What a shame!” the Basilan bishop added.
The Malaysian military has begun
the phased pullout of the contingent, raising fears that the
rebellion in Mindanao could erupt again on a scale matching that of
the 1970s.
Unlike Jumoad, Cotabato
Archbishop Orlando Quevedo earlier said that the withdrawal of the
Malaysian force is a blow to resolving the conflict between the
Philippine government and various Muslim separatist groups. Manila
has not resumed peace talks with one such group, the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF). Malaysia has helped monitor the ceasefire
between the government and the MILF.
“The withdrawal of Malaysian
monitors would have a series of effects on the cessation of
hostilities [between government troops and MILF rebels],” Quevedo
added.
Bishop Jose Bagaforo, also from
Cotabato, agreed. He also earlier said that they are apprehensive
that tension between soldiers and rebels could escalate again with
the pullout.
“Without them [Malaysian
monitors], many are afraid that there will be no one that would
mediate or negotiate on violations,” Bagaforo added.
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