COTABATO CITY—Forty-five (45) former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants from Camp Omar and Camp Badre in Maguindanao underwent a 2-day peacebuilding workshop and training led by Ministry of Public Order and Safety (MPOS) from June 13-14, in this city.
The 45 participants, who belong to the first batch to be capacitated this year, are members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) of the 106th and the 104th Base Command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Maguindanao.
The 2-day activity sought to capacitate said participants on basic peacebuilding concepts while integrating Islamic principles and values in order to have a peaceful community.
The training is pursuant to the mandate of MPOS in performing functions related to peacebuilding.
MPOS Peace Program Officer Joniel Gedoria said, “ang kapayapaan ay hndi lamang kawalan ng gulo o ng gyera. Ito rin ay ang pagkakaroon ng sinserong partisipasyon ng lahat sa pagkamit ng kapayapaan.”
“Napaka-importante po ang partisipasyon ng mga former combatants upang sila naman ang humikayat sa mga kabataan at kanilang kamag-anak na umiiwas sa gulo,” he added.
Meanwhile, BDI Researcher and Translator Alim Mohammad Taib Pangca said the term “Jihad” is not synonymous with violence or holy war.
“It simply means making great effort or striving hard for a particular purpose which is common for all human beings,” Pangca stressed.
He defines Jihad as self-struggle, straightness, commitment and endurance, and to “adhere to the religion while overcoming all obstacles that hinder the way of choice for the religion.”
Last year, a total of 180 former MILF combatants from Maguindanao, Lanao Del Sur and Island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi also underwent the same activity. This year, MPOS is targetting 200 participants to be trained for the same peacebuilding activity.
The training for the second batch of former combatants will commence on June 15-16 with participants coming from Camps Abubakar and Rajah Muda in Maguindanao. (Majid Nur/BIO)
