The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) headed by Bai Omera D. Dianalan-Lucman declared Sunday after a widely-attended public hearing in Zamboanga City that the series of "extra-judicial killings" of Moros in the city is not a result of a religious conflict but a peace and order problem.

Dianalan-Lucman sent to the four NCMF officials to attend the July 15 multi-religious and multi-sectoral public hearing to hear various testimonies on what was believed to be the “salvaging” or summary killing of many Muslim city residents.

The National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP) invited Muslim religious leaders, Catholic and Protestant clerics, leaders of civil society, youth, the police and the military to the hearing on the spate of deaths of Moros, particularly in three Zamboanga City barangays -- Mampang, Talon-Talon, and Arena Blanco.

This was learned from NCMF Commissioner Prof. Moner M. Bajunaid who told the Manila Bulletin that Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat joined the hearing and stayed from the start until it was concluded.

“Through the public hearing, we were able to listen and heard various testimonies from the multi-religious participants, from the Philippine National Police, the city officials, and city residents. Our conclusion from the NCMF is that the series of killings was part of a peace and order and police problem. There is no religious conflict in Zamboanga City," said Bajunaid.

Along with Bajunaid, NCMF Commissioners Hatimil Hassan, Edilwasif Baddiri and Sharief Jul-Asiri Abirin, all from Region IX, participated in the public hearing.

Bajunaid said one of the NCMF's mandates is to work for nation-building and national unity through advancing the peace process, helping forge harmony and understanding among all Filipinos of whatever religion, culture and tribe.

“We appreciate the effort of the city government of Zamboanga, the police and the military to solve the series of killings and give justice to the victims' families," said Bajunaid. “The NCMF commends the Muslim and Christian religious leaders for taking the lead and active effort to foster peace, harmony, understanding and unity.”

In an article on Zamboanga Today online, Lobregat appealed to everyone not to believe what he described as a "third force" which is apparently sowing religious strife in the city.

The mayor referred to a report on Luwaran.net, the official website of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which raised the killings of Moros in the city as "ethnic cleansing" to get rid of Muslim residents. Lobregat is a staunch opponent of the MILF and the aborted Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MoA-AD).

Lobregat reacted to the MILF's news report.

"This is really what we are appealing to each and everyone of you to try to avoid escalating and fomenting religious conflict. We are all here (in the meeting) because we are all peace loving  Filipinos because we want peace, we want peace to reign not only in Zamboanga City, Mindanao, but in the entire country," the mayor said.