Cardinal Quevedo calls anew for peace, unity in Mindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Newly-installed Orlando Cardinal Quevedo said Tuesday peace in Mindanao would not be attained  as long as the area’s Muslim, Christian and indigenous non-Moro communities remain divided by prejudices and biases.

Quevedo said lasting peace in the troubled Southern Mindanao could only be achieved if the three groups stand united to overcome various challenges in their communities.

“We cannot achieve peace and development if we are divided. We have to stand together as one people, but with different religious and ethnic identities,” Quevedo said in a message during a special testimonial ceremony in his honor, feted by the executive department of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. 

ARMM’s Moro and lumad officials honored Quevedo with the three-hour ceremony in recognition of his peace-building activities and continuing effort to protect the religious and political rights of Muslims and indigenous non-Moro sectors in Central Mindanao.

Quevedo also called on Mindanao’s culturally-diverse folks to support the government’s peace overture with Mindanao’s Moro sectors.

He said he is delighted by the successful closure of the peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which  will be capped off by  the signing  of the Compherensive Agreement on Bangsamor (CAB) in Malacanang on Thursday.

Quevedo, who belongs to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) congregation, is also archbishop of the Cotabato Archdiocese, which has jurisdiction over parishes in predominantly Moro areas in the adjoining provinces of Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato and Maguindanao.

The testimonial ceremony for Quevedo, facilitated by the office of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman and held at the ARMM’s Sharif Kabunsuan Complex here, was witnessed by about a thousand guests.

ARMM Vice Gov. Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman, and Regional Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia had both acknowledged, in separate speeches, the role of Quevedo in fostering unity among Muslims and Christians in Mindanao.

Quevedo celebrated here two weeks ago his 50th year in priesthood, an event graced by President Benigno Aquino III, Hataman, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, civic leaders, and hundreds of priests, bishops and Catholic nuns from across the country.

Quevedo had won the admiration of Muslim communities in the autonomous region for having authored about three years ago his personal analysis on the root causes of the so-called Moro uprising.  He said  widespread injustice and reluctance by non-Muslims to recognize the historical fact that the Moro people are the original inhabitants of Mindanao is the problem.

Quevedo, born in Ilocos Sur, was raised in Banga town in what is now South Cotabato province in Administrative Region 12. He was ordained in 1964 and had worked as missionary in far-flung areas in Central Mindanao. He was appointed cardinal by the Pope on January 12. - John Unson