Sixty-year-old Nanay Maria (not her real name) finally stood face to face with the person who took her husband’s life years ago.
Though her hands trembled, her heart was unshaken as she looked into the eyes of the man who ruthlessly carried out the order of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army leadership (CPP-NPA).
The cadre with the nom de guerre “Ka Pedro” was among the communist group’s most feared hitmen here in Davao del Norte.
But the man Maria was facing that day was a totally different person. He was now a former rebel who wanted to make peace with the ghosts of his past and find closure to a dark chapter in his life.
At that moment, Maria could continue nursing the pain or let go and forgive. She chose the latter.
This was a scene that captured the essence of the Restorative Justice Program, where a woman’s pain is replaced with forgiveness, becoming the balm that heals old wounds.
The encounter between Maria and Ka Pedro took place during the Restorative Justice Program spearheaded by the Army’s 60th Infantry “Mediator” Battalion, in partnership with Kalinaw Southeastern Mindanao Region, Inc. (Kalinaw SEMR) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU).
It took place from October 6 to 8 at the 60th IB’s headquarters, in Asuncion town, Davao Del Norte.
With the theme “Pag-alim ug Panaghiusa para sa Tinuod ug Malahutayong Kalinaw” (Healing and Unity for Genuine and Sustainable Peace), the three-day program brought together the families of fallen AFP personnel, former members of the CPP-NPA-NDF and their families, representatives from IP and civilian communities, security forces, and local government officials.
The event aimed to foster healing, mutual understanding, reconciliation, and reintegration among those who were once divided by conflict coming from the provinces of Davao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Davao de Oro.
“Our role as ‘Mediators’ goes beyond security. It involves actively building the bridges of understanding necessary for peace to flourish,” said 60th Infantry Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Jovily Carmel DF Cabading.
“This Restorative Justice Program, conducted with our dedicated partners from Kalinaw-SEMR and OPAPRU, is a vital step in transforming conflict and ensuring that no community is left behind in the journey towards lasting peace,” he explained.
Through dialogues facilitated by faculty and students of Holy Cross of Davao College’s Institute of Peace Communication Studies, as well as psychosocial activities and community peace-building sessions, the participants shared personal experiences and insights on conflict transformation.
These interactions served as a venue for acknowledging past grievances, extending forgiveness and compassion, and strengthening the delegates’ collective commitment to peace.
The event also included representatives from provincial and local government units across the three provinces.
They helped craft localized strategies for peace consolidation and community reintegration, emphasizing the importance of shared responsibility among civilians, government, and the security sector.
Region 11’s Department of Social Welfare and Development likewise provided cash assistance to around 300 former rebels who participated in the activity.
For its part, Kalinaw SEMR, as 60IB’s main partner during the activity, emphasized that the key to sustaining the Davao Region’s insurgency-free status is ensuring that the root causes of the conflict are comprehensively addressed.
Kalinaw SEMR is the regional federation of former cadres and members of the CPP-NPA-NDF based in Southeastern Mindanao.
In her speech during the event’s closing ceremonies, Ida Marie Montero, Kalinaw SEMR’s Vice President for External Affairs, said that while restoring relationships is an important first step, the government, along with all peace stakeholders, must work hand in hand, in delivering essential social services to the former rebels, their families and communities such as infrastructure, health, scholarships, and sustainable livelihood.
“Sa ganitong paraan lamang masisiguro natin na hindi na mababalik pa ang karahasan na dulot ng armadong tunggalian,” Montero said [This is the only way to prevent the return of violence because of armed conflict.]
Meanwhile, for Nanay Maria, the activity did not open old wounds, but instead made her realize that she is not alone in the struggle for social justice.
