Welcome remarks delivered by IAG Executive Director Benedicto Bacani at the forum “Implications of Mamasapano to the Peace Process: Moving Forward” held on March 5, 2015 at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City. 

Courtesies

A day after the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro on March 27, 2014, I accompanied to the Commission on Election the field commanders of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the military wing of the MILF headed by its Chief of Staff. This is part of IAG’s technical assistance to the formation of the MILF political party.

Then Commissioner Grace Padaca in a newspaper column recounted that meeting and I quote:

“Instead of guns and bullets, ballots now preoccupy the minds of MILF leaders. They came to COMELEC and asked the Commissioners the question: How can we form our political party? These rebels have asserted their rights with arms and violence for most of their life. Now they want to learn how to assert their rights through democracy.”

Commissioner Padaca further observed how amiable and jolly the BIAF Chief was and how he displayed the charisma of an accomplished politician.

Eyes were opened in that meeting.

The warm reception and encouragement of the Commissioners sparked hope in the BIAF leaders that the nation will be welcoming when they finally embrace democracy.  

Fast forward January 25, 2015.

The BIAF Chief of Staff who is now the interim Secretary General of the MILF political party told me how he himself was caught off-guard by the fast turn of events. The air of hope and responsibility that dominated the MILF political party building activities is now overwhelmed instantly by the strong call for retribution and the feeling of despair, anger and fear of the future from all sides.

This particular dimension of Mamasapano is only one of its many facets. In this forum, we intend to explore these many facets and how they impact positively or negatively on the peace process. Mamasapano shattered the myth of an instant peace-- peacebuilding in fact is a long process that we all have to take responsibility for. Mamasapano teaches us that a peace process is not only about entitlements; it is also and more importantly about resiliency, fortitude, sacrifice, compromise, accountability and responsibility. The “moving forward” in the title of this forum highlights our collective desire to generate concrete measures to put the peace process back on track however difficult and complex it will be.

On behalf of the organizers of this forum, I thank you for your participation. I thank our panelists and partners, the Australian Government, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and UNICEF.

Welcome and good morning.

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