NAGA CITY (OPAPP/NOV.2, 06) – Farmers and students in Southern Luzon as well as urban poor and church leaders in the Bicol region are beginning to build their own “dream peace communities” facilitated by a series of nationwide training-seminars spearheaded by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). The Community Peace Encounter (COPE) seminar gathered key leaders and members in conflict-affected communities to facilitate their discovery and appreciation of positive moments and small successes in peaceful times in their respective communities. The seminar also conducted a visioning of a secured future free from violent conflicts and reaping of the fruits of a just and lasting peace, as well as their realization of the value of supporting community-based peace mechanisms, structures, and processes. Last week, representatives of two peasant groups, a student youth group, and a Sangguniang Kabataan federation based in Quezon province participated in a Tra...
ZAMBOANGA CITY - - A Jemaah Islamiyah (JI)-trained Abu Sayyaf hitman was captured after he wounded two soldiers in liquidation attempt in Jolo island, Saturday night, the military reported. Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) disclosed the soldiers came from humanitarian mission when they were attacked by the assassin. The two soldiers were wounded but managed to fire back and brief firefight ensued. Alerted soldiers and police quickly cordoned the encounter site and caught the assassin who is believed to be with another companion that managed to escape. The triggerman was tagged by the military and police as member of the Abu Sayyaf urban terror group (UTG), a terror unit trained by the JI in demolition and assassination. The suspect’s identity was withheld as he was placed under tactical interrogation to determine their mission. It will be recalled the UTG staged a series of liquidation that left about 19 men in uniform killed in separate UTG attacks i...
PRESS RELEASE ZAMBOANGA CITY (PAZ/05 May 07) - - A Leading peace advocate in this port city challenged political leaders who will soon start a new term of office after the recent elections "to get serious about the peace agenda of the people, especially the dreams of children for a peaceful Mindanao." Speaking at the opening last Monday afternoon of the 4th South Central Mindanao Interfaith Conference, Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ) president Fr. Angel Calvo told the participants how the city's interfaith movement presented an action agenda for peace to local candidates during the recent elections. The Inter-Religious Solidarity Movement for Peace (IRMSP) in a candidates' forum it sponsored here earlier this month called for a greater, more pro-active and positive response by the local government to Mindanao's peace process, Fr. Calvo said. The World Vision Development Foundation is holding the four-day conference among some 80 leaders of grassroot ...
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