KORONADAL CITY, Philippines – Sultan Kudarat Gov. Suharto Mangudadatu has asked President Aquino to lift the state of emergency in his province, saying it is no longer needed.
“There are no reasons anymore for the decree to stay,” Mangudadatu said.
He made the appeal before a crowd of 20,000 who witnessed the renewal of vows of a hundred foreign couples during the culmination of the three-day Interfaith Peace Blessing Festival in Isulan, the capital town, on Saturday.
The festival is organized by the Universal Peace Federation, a global network of organizations dedicated to promoting world peace, and hosted by the provincial government.
Mangudadatu’s appeal is supported by the province’s two congressmen, mayors, barangay chiefs, various sectors, and his father, former Sultan Kudarat governor and congressman Pax Mangudadatu, who is now active in peace-building efforts with the UPF.
Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo imposed the state of emergency in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao and Cotabato City following the killing of 57 people, mostly journalists, on Nov. 23, 2009.