PASIG CITY -- The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) joined thousands of cyclists from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao on Saturday, July 17, in a collective call for peace and justice amid continued acts of violence being perpetrated by the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG).
OPAPP staff in Baguio City, Nueva Ecija, Samar, Koronadal City and Zamboanga City pedaled alongside representatives from other government agencies, local government units, and biking organizations and enthusiasts, following the death of footballer Kieth Absalon and his cousin, Nolven Absalon in June this year.
The victims were biking when a landmine planted along the roadside by communist terrorists in Masbate City exploded.
Meanwhile, cyclists participating in the nationwide “Bike for Peace and Justice” event also signed a manifesto, condemning the CTG for the atrocities its members have committed.
For his part, Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., Presidential Peace Adviser and Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) for Region 3, underscored the need for all sectors to unite against the CTG.
“This Bike for Peace is a clear manifestation that Filipinos are denouncing the CTG’s unlawful and inhumane acts. These people are calling for peace and justice, and are saying ‘enough’ to the violence and bloodshed,” Galvez said.
The biking actvity was held simultaneously in the provinces of Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales, Cebu, Aklan, Antique, Guimaras and Negros Occidental. (OPAPP)
