Ceasefire can't lead us to peace – Lanao governor

(www.mindanews.com)

TUBOD, Lanao de Norte (MindaNews / December 5) –
The governor of Lanao del Norte said he would not recommend
keeping the ceasefire agreement
with the Moro guerrillas as he warned that this would encourage
civilians in his area to arm themselves.

Governor Khalid Dimaporo, who created a Peace Initiative
Committee to hold forums and dialogues on peace down
to the villages, told a peace forum here Friday that the killing
of civilians during the bloody MILF
attacks on three towns in the province in August this year left a
scary mark among residents.

This was also the governor's position when he
said he met with peace advocates that held a peace caravan
for Duyog Mindanao. He was he was
asked to recommend "to reclaim shattered peace".

"I was frank in telling them that I cannot agree with the mounting
call for ceasefire. Ceasefire can't lead us to peace. Innocent
civilians are massacred and I wanted justice for all of these
victims," he said.

He said that "ceasefire means withdrawal of forces from their
continued operation against wanted rebels.
Their withdrawal will cause
security vacuum and reactivation of local militia such as the
Shepherds."

The Shepherds was the name adapted by a shadowy
anti-Moro armed group in some Lanao villages who
formed themselves after the MILF attacks.
It was similar move taken by the former members
of the Ilaga group when they reactivated the
anti-Moro armed group of the 1970's.
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