Mindanao Freemasons want lasting peace in southern homeland

COTABATO CITY --- Key members of the global Freemasons fraternity have urged fraternal brothers to continue supportingdiplomatic efforts of putting a negotiated closure to the Moro issue hounding southern Mindanao for 50 years now.Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, a Freemason, said Wednesday he is optimistic his fraternal brothers in the province will fully support the efforts of Malacañang and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to fully implement the two compacts reached by both sides after 18 years of negotiations.Mangudadatu was referring to the 2013 Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro and, subsequently, the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro.The enabling measure for the implementation of the two peace deals, the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, is now awaiting approval by Congress. Masons are peace-loving. We are in a sector that wants peace everywhere, Mangudadatu told reporters Wednesday.He said he first appealed to his Mason brothers to continue supporting the Mindanao peace process during the installation of lawyer Bobby Katambak as most worshipful master in the Bantugan Masonic Lodge in Cotabato City two weeks ago.Mangudadatu was guest speaker in the investiture rite for Katambak, a former member of the Maguindanao provincial board.Katambak had also served as an Army lawyer before he was elected provincial board member.Katambak earlier said he is also a staunch supporter of the southern Mindanao peace process. As a peace-loving Mason I am also looking forward to the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, Katambak said.Another Freemason, physician Allen Minalang, chief of the Lanao del Sur Integrated Provincial Health Office, said Wednesday he is also for a peaceful end to the nagging Moro problem hounding southern Mindanao for five decades now.He said he supports the call of Mangudadatu for Freemasons to support the peace overture of President Rodrigo Duterte with the MILF.Besides Mangudadatu, the governor of Basilan, Jim Salliman, is also a Freemason.Maguindanao and Basilan are both component-provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.The ARMM also also covers Lanao del Sur in mainland Mindanao and the islands of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.Roderick Furigay, the vice mayor of Lamitan City, capital of Basilan, is also a Freemason.Furigay is active in domestic programs propagating peace among the Muslim and Christian sectors in Lamitan City.Furigay and Salliman have also been actively campaigning for public support to the Mindanao peace process.Mangudadatu and ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman separately announced here last week, during a public consultation on the BBL presided over by four senators --- Miguel Zubiri, JV Estrada, Rissa Hontiveros and Sonny Angara --- that they are ready to step down from their elective posts if a duly-enacted BBL would necessitate.