CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City—The Symbol of Peace inaugurated on Thursday, September 21, is now attracting tourists and raising awareness on the government’s whole-of-nation efforts to end all armed conflict.
The monument is an eighteen-foot replica of an M-16 crafted from dismantled firearms that were confiscated, captured, recovered or were surrendered to the military as part of its efforts to end violence and proliferation of illegal firearms in the Bangsamoro region.
“One can marvel at the idea that these demilitarized firearms, once instruments of violence, have been transformed into a SYMBOL OF PEACE. The tangled barrel of the rifle simply means the wholehearted commitment of the members of 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division and Joint Task Force Central to CONDEMN VIOLENCE,” the inscription on the monument reads.
It also reminds visitors to work together to pursue and promote peace in conflict-affected area, “for the sake of the Bangsamoro people.”
During its inauguration, General Romeo Brawner Jr, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP), called for ‘meaningful conversations’ to end conflict and foster understanding and reconciliation.
“May it inspire us all to engage in meaningful conversations to dismantle the walls that divide us and to build bridges of understanding and reconciliation. Let us draw strength from the enduring spirit displayed by the men and women who have helped shape our nation’s history,” General Brawner Jr said.///
