Duterte vows to preserve’fragile peace’ in Mindanao
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2019 13:08:35 +0000
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday vowed to preserve the “fragile peace” in Mindanao as he joined Muslims in celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Duterte, the first president from Mindanao, renewed this commitment as he urged the nation “to contemplate upon the true meaning of Ramadan.”
“May this time of joy remind us of our shared pursuit to establish lasting peace and stability across the country, especially in Mindanao,” he said in his speech during the Eid’l Fitr celebration in Davao City.
“Allow me to take this moment to assure you that this administration will endeavor to preserve the fragile peace that we have built in this region that I call home,” he added.
The President promised that the government, through the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, would “consistently uphold the rights and welfare of all Muslim Filipinos and for that matter for all Filipinos.”
“Any form of violence against the Muslim community or any other tribe especially those arising from religious extremism, hatred, discrimination and misguided beliefs—will never be tolerated and will be dealt with by the full force of the law,” he said.
“With the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao—a campaign promise that we delivered— we can work more closely and efficiently with our Bangsamoro brothers and sisters in our pursuit to foster a more harmonious and meaningful relationship among all ethnic groups in the region,” he added.
Eid’l Fitr, or the Festival of Breaking of the Fast,” according to Duterte, was “a testament [to] the strength, faithfulness and solidarity of our dear Muslim brothers and sisters across the nation and around the world.”
“I hope that despite our differences, each of us will realize that we share the same desire to lead brighter and better lives filled with optimism and acceptance. Let today’s joyful celebration remind us that we need to work in solidarity with one another so that we can achieve a common dream for a more peaceful, just and prosperous Philippines,” he added. CATHERINE S. VALENTE
CV/CC
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