By Junex Doronio
“GIVE PEACE A CHANCE.”
This is the gist of House Deputy Minority Leader and Basilan Representative Mujiv Hataman’s statement when he urged the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to join the calls for a ceasefire between Israel and the armed group Hamas.
Hataman cited the loss of lives of several innocent civilians, including children and the elderly, who were caught in the crossfire between Israeli forces and Hamas militants.
“I call on my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join calls for an end to the violence. I believe this august body can encourage governments including our own to take a strong position against the continued violence against innocent civilians caught in the crossfires of the conflict,” Hataman said.
The former governor of the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) also called for immediate and unimpeded access to international humanitarian agencies in the affected communities, especially in Gaza, to provide relief and medical care to civilians.
“We urge the international community of nations to work collaboratively towards a permanent and peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. We believe in peaceful resolution of conflict, and we have proven this in Bangsamoro,” Hataman stressed.
The Basilan lawmaker then pressed for peace negotiations to end the armed conflict and misery in the Middle Eastern country.
“We call upon the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority to return to the negotiating table to seek a just and lasting peace in the region,” Hataman said. (ai/mnm)