Joining calls for justice for the victims of the Maguindanao massacre, about 50 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong will run and fast Sunday for peace in the province and the entire Mindanao region. The Muslim-Christian Community of Hong Kong (MCC-HK) plans to get together on Chater Road from 9:30 A.M. to noon time for the run-and-fast program Sunday. “We need to run and fast for peace, faster than those who want war. We should not only look outside but most urgently within (us) to see and remove the roots of violence. We need to fast, to purify our bodies, minds and spirits. We need to learn how to control and discipline our passions. We need to rediscover silence, to pray, discern and follow God's will.,” said Fr. Roberto Reyes of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). About 50 Filipinos will run from one end of Chater Road and invite those sitting around to join the run and then fast after the run for peace in Mindanao. MCC-HK was formed last year after clashes between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) broke out in Mindanao after the Supreme Court in Manila voided the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain signed by both sides in a bid to end the Moro separatist war in the southern Philippines. The group consists of Christian and Muslim Filipinos from Mindanao and a group of Protestants and Catholics. Sunday's activity is the latest of a series to be held by the Filipino community in Hong Kong to call for peace in Mindanao. Shortly after the Nov. 23 Maguindanao massacre, the Filipino Community of Hong Kong held vigils at the St. John's Anglican Church and the St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Wael Ibrahim, a 34-year-old Egyptian Muslim, said they were “really saddened” and condemned the murders. Madeenah Medina, a Filipina Muslim, asked the Philippine government to act fast in bringing the suspects to court and give justice to the victims. “Maguindanao cannot be ignored the way that the small toes of either feet are taken for granted. The pain of one part, no matter how small affects the whole.,” Medina said. “The image of the Philippines has been tarnished. The massacre did not help improve that image. Something has to be done by government and people to save the fast deteriorating image of the country,” she said. Abdul Aziz Tuano from Lanao del Norte urged government to serve justice to both the victims and perpetrators of this gruesome crime but said government should not politicize the issue. - SG “Martial Law should not extend beyond Maguindanao. It should be lifted as soo as possible,” he said.
