President Aquino opens Sports for Peace in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 11): President Aquino opens Sports for Peace in Maguindanao

President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III led Monday the opening in this Army camp of the Sports for Peace program highlighted by a 15-minute football exhibition game between Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel and combined players from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The President, obviously pleased with the football game, applauded as he witnessed the ARMM/MNLF team score a goal over their AFP opponents at the football grounds of this camp, which is the headquarters of the Army’s Sixth Infantry Division.

"Pwede pala magsama ang mga dating magkaaway sa pamamagitan ng sports (Former foes can unite through sports),” the President said in his speech referring to the AFP soldiers and former MNLF rebels.

The MNLF, once the largest Moro rebel group fighting for self-determination in Mindanao, inked a final peace accord with the government on Sept. 2, 1996.

Currently, the Aquino administration is negotiating peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which broke off from the mainstream MNLF in the late '70s due to ideological differences.

“Buwagin natin ang pagkakanya-kanya. Sama-sama tayong kumilos tungo sa kapayapaan na kung saan ang bawat Pilipino ay panalo,” the President stressed.

The 6ID has the provinces of Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and parts of Lanao del Sur and Davao del Sur under its area of jurisdiction.

It is in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, where the MILF maintains its Camp Darapanan, the rebels’ largest enclave in Mindanao, whose area the President visited earlier today to launch the “Sajahatra Bangsamoro” program for MILF communities long deprived of basic health, education, social service, technical education and livelihood services.

Maj. Gen. Cesar Ronnie Ordoyo, 6ID commander, said the sports program was conceptualized late last year in a bid to champion the idea of achieving peace through sports.  “Today’s sports program opening by the President signals the series of other sports games such as volleyball and softball, among others, which would be competed upon by soldiers and former rebels,” Ordoyo said.

Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Deles said she would talk to the management of the Azkals, the country’s premier football team and its female counterparts Malditas, to conduct football trainings to the former rebels by summer this year.  The MILF said it would also form its team for the peace games later this month.

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