500 enthusiasts to bike 36-km for peace in Mindanao on May 29

Published May 24, 2011 11:24am

At least 500 biking enthusiasts, government officials, and peace advocates will pedal 36 kilometers (km) in Mindanao on May 29 to promote peace in the country. The peace campaign, dubbed "Bike for Peace 2011," is an initiative of the government peace panel in talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). "By 6:30 a.m., the 36-km marathon will start at the Cotabato City Hall then pass through the town of Datu Odin Sinsuat, and end near the Municipal Hall of Upi, Maguindanao," the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP) said in a news release on its website. The participants from different groups invited to join the bike fest include:

Cotabato Off Road Enthusiasts (CORE);

Karancho Motorcycle Club;

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom);

AFP 6th Infantry Division (6ID);

Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID);

Mindanao Human Rights Action Center (MINHRAC);

Mindanao People's Caucus (MPC);

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP); and

Muslim Organization of Government Officials and Professionals. The Upi local government unit will likewise conduct a medical mission at their town gymnasium during the event. MILF and government negotiators are scheduled meet again for another round of formal exploratory talks in June this year. Government negotiators are expected to submit their counterproposal to the MILFâ€™s Comprehensive Compact, which contains the Moro groupâ€™s starting position for a politically negotiated settlement. - VVP, GMA News

Tags: mindanao, peace