KAUSAWAGAN, Lanao del Norte -- “Napakasarap ng may kapayapaan (It feels great to have peace).”

This was how action star Robin Padilla, who is the peace champion of the ACT for Peace Programme, told the crowd during his visit to Barangay Baraason of this province on November 26.

He admitted that the one of his reasons for converting into Islam was because for him the meaning of Islam is peace. “It’s not because I wanted to have four wives as allowed by the Qur’an but it’s because I believe that Islam is peace. And it feels great to have peace,” he quipped before a crowd, which is composed of local villagers, local government officials, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) ground commanders and military officials.

“Look at me, I enjoy peace. See, I don’t have any a gun,” said as he stood before the crowd. Padilla, who was once known as the bad boy of the Philippine movies, has served his term in jail due to illegal possession of firearms.

Padilla, now a Muslim convert and known as Abdul Azis, came all the way from Manila to show his support to the peacebuilding efforts of the Programme.

He could not hide his disappointment over those who are committing ‘evil acts’ and calling themselves as Muslims. “Real Muslims do not harm people. Real Muslims love peace,” the actor turned peace advocate addressed the crowd while referring to the massacre in Ampatuan town of Maguindanao on November 23 that left 57 people killed including women members of a political clan, lawyers, journalists and even other motorists.

Padilla, who has been supportive in the peacebuilding efforts of the communities in the conflict areas, had already visited Brgy. Makir, a Peace and Development Community (PDC) in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, during the celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace last year. PDC Makir was hosting families displaced by conflict in 2008.

But earlier, Padilla joined local residents of the village in the ceremonial construction of a core shelter and also joined the women in the ceremonial planting of a tomato seedling at the communal garden of Baraason. Baraason is among the 30 barangays assisted by the Strengthening Response to Internal Displacement in Mindanao (StRIDe Mindanao) Project, which is under the Programme.
He also led the kick-off of a feeding program in the village, which was once heavily affected by the conflict between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2008.

Before heading back to Iligan City, Padilla also led the inauguration of a health center in Poona Piagapo, also in Lanao del Norte.

While moving around the area, the local residents ignored the muddy road and followed Padilla to other communities – some rode on the vehicles that are part of the convoy while most of them followed on foot. 

Several government officials also coming from neighboring municipalities joined the activities at the PDCs.

After almost half-day trip to the communities, Padilla described his experience, saying it was “full of meaning to see a community to rise from a conflict situation.”

He also pointed that the peace advocates must convince the government to disarm the warlords to sustain peace and to attain the violence-free future of the children.

“Hangga’t pakalat-kalat ang armas,wala tayong katahimikan. Kung binibigyan ang baril ang mga hindi nakapag-aral at silay magkakaroon ng pinuno na di marunong mamuno, talagang magkakaroon ng gulo at ang mga taoy, bilang mga biktima, ay magtatakbo nalang ng magtakbo (We won’t have peace if firearms are all over the place. If firearms are given to those who have not been educated and led by someone who does not know how to lead, there will always be conflict. And people, who are victims of the situation, will continue to be displaced),” Padilla said during the interfaith forum in Iligan City.

He also urged all Muslims not to disregard the tenets of Islam and to always remember that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao bears the word “Muslim.” (ACT for Peace)