Photo: League of Bangsamoro Organizations – LBO Inc.
DAVAO CITY (April 11) — Calls to “Free Palestine” and push for peace in the Middle East intensified on Friday, April 10, as Bangsamoro leaders, lawmakers, and international delegates gathered for a national solidarity conference in Davao City—framing the crisis in Gaza as both a global humanitarian issue and a shared struggle against injustice.
The two-day National Solidarity Conference for Palestine brought together participants from across Asia and the Middle East, including representatives from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Maldives, Turkey, and Palestine, to build coordinated action in support of affected communities.
“For us, this is not just sympathy,” said Hashim Manticayan of the League of Bangsamoro Organizations. “We are expecting to come up with activities that will help civilians in Gaza and the diaspora. In the name of humanity and faith, we must stand with them.”
Speakers drew parallels between the Palestinian experience and the Bangsamoro’s own history of conflict, displacement, and struggle for self-determination—underscoring what they described as shared realities of oppression and injustice.
“There is oppression in Gaza, and there has also been oppression in the Bangsamoro. These are not separate stories—they are connected by injustice,” Manticayan said.
The conference aims to produce a unified statement of solidarity, policy recommendations, and long-term networks for humanitarian support and sustained advocacy.
For Mohagher Iqbal, vice chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and chair of its Peace Implementing Panel, solidarity must go beyond words.
“Solidarity is not rhetoric,” he said. “It is a responsibility—to act, to give, and to stand with purpose.”
Iqbal emphasized that the Bangsamoro’s own peace process was made possible through international support—an experience he said informs their call to stand with Palestinians today.
“The solidarity we once received, we now extend to our brothers and sisters in Palestine,” he said.
At the same time, he clarified that support for Palestine should not be misconstrued as hostility toward Jewish people or Israelis, noting that some Jewish groups themselves have called for accountability over the situation in Gaza.
“As I have personally experienced in the peace process, one of the practical lessons is to be hard on issues but soft on people,” he said, citing how interfaith support, including from Christian groups, helped bridge dialogue during negotiations.
Civil society leaders echoed the call to broaden the movement beyond religious lines.
Mary Ann Arnado, co-convenor of the Mindanao Peoples Caucus, urged Filipinos—Muslim and non-Muslim alike—to recognize their shared stake in the issue.
“We are not ignorant of what is happening. We see the suffering, especially of children who should never be in this situation,” she said.
Arnado stressed that the call for peace in the Middle East is ultimately a moral issue rather than a question of religious or political alignment.
“This is not about choosing sides between Israel and Palestine,” she said. “This is about choosing humanity.”
As the conference moves forward, organizers say the real test lies beyond declarations—whether solidarity can translate into sustained action in the face of a protracted war. For many in the room, the message was clear: silence is no longer neutral, and the cost of inaction is measured in lives.
