JOLO, Sulu, Philippines – Provincial governors, local chief executives, community leaders, and sectoral groups in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) called on the people for “sobriety and patience, and to give peace a surviving chance.”

Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan said the call would allow President Aquino and the military to adopt appropriate measures in dealing with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) crisis.

Tan said attacking lairs and camps of the MILF in Basilan and in other parts of Mindanao where the rebels have camps could worsen the situation, and could even lead to the collapse of the peace negotiations.

MILF fighters killed 19 soldiers in Al-Barka, Basilan, on Tuesday, which have led some sectors of the society to urge Mr. Aquino to order the military stationed in Basilan to launch an all-out war against the rebels in the province, and in Mindanao where they have camps.

Tan said the “wisdom of President Benigno S. Aquino III not to launch an all-out war against the MILF, deserves the undivided support of all peace-loving peoples in the region.”

Representative Habib Tupay Loong (1st district, Sulu), a former hard-core Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) commander, said that war-mongering will only worsen the situation and stokes sentiments that are divisive and counter-productive to development.

Loong said the gains achieved in the peace process as defined in the Mindanao peace framework should continue to preserve the peaceful means of engagement with concerned group(s).

“The sacrifices of the soldiers who fell at Al Barka were for the preservation of peace and security of the republic, and we condole with the families and loved-ones they left behind, as we also pray that their death will not lead to more loss of lives and feed the vicious cycle of violence,” Loong explained.

In Lamitan City, civil society group leaders in Basilan, and the Reform ARMM Now (RAN) on Monday morning staged a rally here calling for a total rejection of an all-out war in the province against the MILF.

“Because if you go for (an all-out war), what will happen to the previous peace agreements? You will lose them and it will be a waste of time, so we’re in favor of all-out peace instead of an all-out-war. What we need is an all-out peace in Basilan instead of all-out war being called by various sectors,” officials of the two organizations said.

Jan Jakilan, a former MNLF commander, said that peace negotiations will be paramount and it must be pursued.

“Those soldiers were just victims of the situation. They were not really their intention to go to the area (Al Barka) to kill or to be killed but it is because of the call of duty. They went to the area because they had a mission to arrest criminals but a clash erupted, so they were included,” Jakilan said.