REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES } PROVINCE OF LAGUNA CITY OF BIAN }

SANGGUNIANG PANGLUNGSOD RESOLUTION NO. ________________, SERIES OF 2011 RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CITY OF BIAN SUPPORTING PRESIDENT BENIGNO SIMEON NOYNOY C. AQUINOS POLICY OF ALL-OUT-JUSTICE AND NO TO ALL-OUT-WAR IN MINDANAO WHEREAS the history of insurgency in Mindanao dates back to Spanish rule and peaked in the 60s and 70s and continues to this day; WHEREAS all efforts are being exerted by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP/GPH) in order to end the armed conflict with our Muslim brothers and achieve a long lasting peace in Mindanao; WHEREAS testament to these efforts are the various pacts and agreements signed by Muslim secessionist and the GPH, i. e., Tripoli Agreement Between the GRP and MNLF of 1976, Jakarta Accord of 1996, Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain of 2008, GRP-MILF Agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities of 1997, Agreement on the General Framework for the Resumption of the Peace Talks of 2001, and Tripoli Agreement Between the GRP and MILF of 2001; WHEREAS very recently, President Noynoy Aquino met with MILF Chairman Murad Ebrahim in Tokyo and the parties agreed to the resumption of Peace Talks between the GPH and MILF; WHEREAS on August 22-24, 2011, the GPH and MILF started the GPHMILF Formal Exploratory Talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with the end view of achieving peace and development in Mindanao; WHEREAS on October 18, 2011, the Agreement on the Cessation of hostilities between the GRP and the MILF was broken when MILF forces ambushed Philippine Army soldiers in Al-Barka, Basilan leaving 19 soldiers dead and scores injured;
WHEREAS this was followed by another attack by MILF Forces in Zamboanga Sibugay which caused the death of 4 soldiers and 4 policemen; WHEREAS various politicians and groups called for the end of the peace talk between the GPH and MILF and the launch of an all-out-war by the GPH against the MILF;

WHEREAS President Noynoy Aquino rejected this call and implemented a policy of not all-out-war but all-out-justice in connection with these incidents;

WHEREAS some sectors criticized President Noynoy Aquinos not all-outwar but all-out-justice policy as a weak response calling for an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth retort in retaliation for the death of these soldiers and policemen; WHEREAS President Noynoy Aquino in his statement justified his not allout-war but all-out-justice policy in this wise: Our soldiers were in pursuit of criminal elements with valid warrants of arrestamong them the fugitive Ibrahim Malat Sulayman, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group and a notorious criminal wanted for nine counts of murder. They are criminals whose actions stand outside of the peace process and what it signifies. There have been calls to wage an all-out war against the MILF. While it is tempting for government to join the chorus in calling for blood, we believe that such a course of action is not appropriate at this point. We are not interested in knee-jerk reactions that will jeopardize our efforts to address the roots of conflict in the region. Anong klaseng pag-iisip ang nagsasabing awayin ang lahat, sabay-sabay, miski ang nananahimik, sa lahat ng sulok ng Pilipinas, para lang masabing may ginagawa ka? We recognize that these calls, or at least some of them, for allout war may come from those who do not have a full awareness of all the factors at play. However, my decisions cannot be borne out of ignorance. They have to be based on available facts. It is so easy, out of frustration, to close the door on negotiations at this time. If we go down this path, more innocent civilians will be put in harms way. The difficult peace process cannot be enhanced by shedding more blood and generating more ill will. We have to exhaust all possibilities for attaining peace through dialogue. We will not pursue all-out war; we will instead pursue all-out justice. All-out war is indiscriminate and borne out of anger. All-out justice is sober and fair; it is based on the rule of law, and leads to lasting peace.

WHEREAS President Noynoy Aquino emphasized that the rejection of waging an all-out-war against MILF does not mean that criminal elements,

including members of the MILF and those that participated in the ambush as well as those who committed common crimes such as rape, murder, robbery and extortion shall not be pursued and brought to justice; WHEREAS the sacrifice of the 19 brave soldiers in Basilan and the 4 soldiers and 4 policemen will not be put at naught by the all-out-justice policy of the President but rather recognized their heroic effort to bring justice by trying to serve the warrants of arrest of known fugitives at the risk of losing their own lives; WHEREAS consultations and discussions with various individuals, organizations and groups in the City of Bian including our Muslim brothers revealed that the overwhelming majority are in support of President Noynoy Aquinos ALL-OUT-JUSTICE and NO TO ALL-OUT-WAR policy; WHEREAS the citizens of the City of Bian believe that lasting peace in Mindanao can only be achieved through dialogue and not through guns and bloodshed; NOW THEREFORE RESOLVE AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED THAT THE CITY
OF BIAN, PROVINCE OF LAGUNA EXPRESS ITS SENSE IN SUPPORT OF

PRESIDENT BENIGNO SIMEON NOYNOY C. AQUINOS POLICY OF ALL-OUT-JUSTICE AND NO TO ALL-OUT-WAR IN MINDANAO Unanimously approved.