Filipinos urged to unite, denounce violence vs armed groups

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Oct 31): Filipinos urged to unite, denounce violence vs armed groups

In order for there to be peace in the Philippines, the entire Filipino population should be one in denouncing the violence of armed groups, a commanding general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday night. Lieutenant General Emmanuel Bautista, commanding general of the Army, said in an interview with editors of the Philippine Daily Inquirer that in order to obtain peace, all sectors of society must come together and express their desire for peace. “Ordinary citizens, students, businessmen, media, all of us [should] be in unison in telling [armed groups] its about time [to] end armed struggle and there are other ways of solving our problems [and] resolving conflict,” Bautista said.... “Armed struggle is a Jurassic methodology, there are more modern [and] more humane ways of resolving conflict, definitely it’s not armed struggle, we have seen that in the past,” Bautista said. “Insurgents thrive on popular support, if the popular will is to end armed struggle and all of us [denounce] it, what will be their reason for the insurgency?” he added.... “We are presenting to our people a choice between continued armed struggle and peace. We have been there for more than 40 years, what will we choose? If we chose peace rather than armed struggle then let’s get together as a people, that is the spirit of bayanihan,” Bautista said citing the AFP’s Internal Peace and Security Plan “Bayanihan.”

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/299276/filipinos-urged-to-unite-denounce-violence-vs-armed-groups