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Mindanao: Peace-lovers and pacifists have declared Jolo island, to the extreme south of Mindanao, a special "Zone of Peace".
Representatives of the local government in the area; the Philippine National Police; the Armed Forces of the Philippines; and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD), an international mediation organisation based in Geneva, jointly declared Jolo a "Zone of Peace."
The peace zone encompasses an area within one kilometre of the Jolo municipality.
"The carrying of firearms, explosives or other forms of deadly weapons, whether openly displayed or concealed, by a resident or visitor, or by any government official, security detail, soldier or policeman not on official duty shall be prohibited in the Jolo Zone of Peace," said Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin during the signing of the declaration.
Marine Colonel Celestino Ferrera, Deputy Commander of Task Force Comet, said he had waiting all along for the day when he could be a tool for peace.
Everything to gain
"As soldiers, we are hungry for peace. We have everything to gain during peace and we have everything to lose during hostilities," said Ferrera.
Sir Michael Aaronson, Chairman of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD), called on all residents of Jolo to be emboldened by the declaration and strive for peace. "People resort to violence because they lack confidence in peaceful means to resolving feuds," he said.
Jolo has long been seen as a safe haven for certain separatist and terror groups.
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