Philippine colonel helps launch quiet revolution for peace-building

Published: 2008-02-27

CARMEN, Philippines (CNS) -- When Col. Pedro Soria walked into his first seminar on peace-building, his classmates eyed him suspiciously, wondering if the Philippine army officer was there to spy on them. But Soria stayed for the two-week course, winning the confidence of his fellow students and helping launch a quiet revolution with the Philippine military. Soria, commanding officer of the 602nd infantry brigade in North Cotabato province, says that when he received his orders to attend the Mindanao Peace Institute he was not very interested. But orders were orders, so Soria threw himself into the study program sponsored by Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops' relief and development agency. The course is designed to teach participants peace-building and conflict-resolution skills while providing them with a better understanding of the historic roots of the dispute that became a war between the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government. Although a 2003 cease-fire remains technically in place, sporadic fighting between the two sides has displaced thousands of families in recent years.

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