On Saturday morning, December 9, 2023, six Davao deputy mayors representing tribes and five Indigenous Peoples deputy mayors from various tribes met Task Force Davao Commander Col. Darren E. Comia inside a hotel along Ecoland Drive.
“What is unique in Davao City, is the fact that our effort to maintain peace transcends beyond race and color; peace and order and unity is Davao’s best template for development,” Comis went on to say.
The different religious leaders broke break with the Task Force Davao Commander after the December 3 incident in Marawi City.
After an improvised explosive device (IED) inside the Dimaporo gymnasium of Mindanao State University-Main Campus in Marawi City on December 3 that was made up of an RPG high-explosive anti-personnel MEUG and a 60mm mortar round and was hidden in a black tote bag, the people of Davao have become even more unified.
Mindanao State University is a government-run higher education institution in Marawi. There is no chapel within the campus but Catholic Sunday Masses are usually held at the school’s gymnasium.
The Bomb
Fragments of a 60-mm mortar were recovered at the scene, senior police official Emmanuel Peralta told the press conference.
“A backpack placed under a plastic chair contained the bomb,” said Peralta.
Two suspected bombers arrived at the gymnasium on a motorcycle at approximately 7:03 in the morning, according to CCTV footage that the authorities were able to get.
According to Chief General Romeo Brawner of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the attack was a form of retaliation against the Philippine government.
A day prior to the attack, Abu Sayyaf leader and member of the Dawlah Islamiyah central committee Mudzrimar Sawadjaan was killed in a separate clash with government forces in Basilan. Eleven (11) Dawlah Islamiya members were killed in clashes with the Philippine Army in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur on December 1.
Claiming responsibility
Marawi, a city in the south of the country besieged by Islamist militants for five months in 2017.
Militants from the Islamic State promptly took credit for the horrific explosion on December 3. On Telegram, the IS claimed that one of its members had set off the explosives. One of the suspects, Jafar Gamo Sultan, was taken into custody in Marawi on December 6. He was purportedly the accomplice of the one who detonated the device, whom eyewitnesses recognized as “Omar.”
Condemnation
The president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., denounced “the most heinous and senseless acts perpetrated by foreign terrorists”. Security in and around the nation’s capital, Manila, was bolstered by the military and police.
During his Sunday speech in Rome, Pope Francis prayed for the victims and asked “Christ the prince of peace (to) grant to all the strength to turn from violence and overcome every evil with good” in a separate written message.
Securing Davao City
At the start of the gathering, the group peacefully sits around three long tables, holding hands and reciting a verse from the Qur’an. Everyone prays for Allah’s and God’s protection and guidance.
“We are here to help our city to further secure our city from the enemies of the state,” former Maranaw deputy mayor Randy Uzman said to Newsline.
The group pledged to use all of their resources to maintain everyone’s safety in Davao City.
“We cannot allow a rotten fruit to ruin all the harvest; we need to get rid of the weeds before they destroy everything; we need to work together because we love peace,” stated Mercy Islamic Foundation President Muhammad Habib Al-Kholaqi.
In order to safeguard the city and advance the development of both the people and the city, it is necessary to further unite Muslims and Christians, according to Professor Shiekh Jamal Munib, the commissioner of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
“We cannot take one from the other, because we are one people,” asserts Munib. “All we need to do is support the government’s peace effort, especially here in Davao City.”
Every leader in the group shared their thoughts about how to keep the city intact during the discussion, and Comia paid attention and took in all of the details.
“We are here to protect the city and listen to your suggestions and opinions, I know how deep is your commitment to preserve and protect Davao City,” Comia reassured the group when questioned about his thoughts on the sharing.
“I assure you that your Task Force Davao and the security sector of the city are with you in protecting our beloved city because we know we work together and ask our communities to work for a peaceful place for us.”
Finally, Comia emphasized, “We need each other and the community to maintain the gains we have,” and commended the group for their dedication.
Comia and the deputy mayors have frequent meetings, and the Task Force Davao has gained the respect of the people as well as many religious groups over the years.-Editha Z. Caduaya
