Mindanao leaders like lawyer Mary Ann Arnado, secretary general of the Mindanao People’s Caucus (MPC) with several member organizations, Sunday said hundreds of thousands of “peace votes” await any presidential bet for May 10 who has a clear agenda for ending the conflict in the war-affected region.

“Definitely, there are peace votes in Mindanao. What with the hundreds of thousands of people and the communities directly affected by the conflict,” Arnado, recipient of World Vision International’s 2009 Peacemaking Award, told the Manila Bulletin.

She lamented that candidates, particularly the presidential bets, are now going around the country, but no one has adequately come out with a platform on how to end the conflict and attain peace.

“Peace is the agenda of Mindanao, the Bangsamoro, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). So it is vital to hear the presidential and senatorial bets speak on their plans for the region and its populace,” said Arnado.

To hear their views about Mindanao’s yearning for peace, MPC has invited Senators Benigno Aquino II (LP), Manuel Villar (NP), former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, (Lakas), Eduardo Villanueva (BP), Senator Richard Gordon (Bayan-VNP), former President Joseph Estrada (PMP), Nicanor Perlas (Ind), and Senator Jamby Madrigal (Ind) to a March 16 forum in Davao City as the island’s premier city marks its 73rd “Araw ng Dabaw.”

Senatorial candidates were also invited to the forum co-organized by MPC and the ARMM Electoral Reform (C-CARE).

C-CARE chairperson Salic Ibrahim said 200 people’s organizations in Mindanao and 500 leaders from the ARMM are expected to attend the event.

Mohagher Iqbal, chief negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Professor Abhoud Syed Lingga, president of the Institute for Bangsamoro Studies (IBS), Haji Hassan Dalimbang of the Filipino-Muslim Foundation (Filmus), share the MPC leader's sentiments.

Iqbal said developments might be heading towards peace votes, though not yet organized. Lingga, on the other hand, said the Bangsamoro people want justice first, then peace, because there would be no peace without justice.

“But to a certain extent, peace votes may just surface on May 10 for the chosen presidential candidate,” said Lingga.

Dalimbang said he believes presidential bets who espouse war to contain the Moro struggle may just be rejected by Mindanao voters.